Now on its second year, Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP) this 2018 delivers another week-long celebration of Filipino artistry in theatres across the country in line with Buwan ng Wika, honoring Filipino as our national language. Included in this lineup is the festival's feel-good film where both families and friends can enjoy in the cinema: Bakwit Boys!
Written and directed by box-office filmmaker Jason Paul Laxamana, 'Bakwit Boys' is a story of a band composed of four brothers and their chance of fulfilling their dreams of getting discovered when they meet a city girl who believes in their musical talent. Known as 'bakwit' boys because they evacuated (or 'bakwit') their town in Isabela to stay with their grandfather in Pampanga after their home was ravaged by a typhoon.
This film entry for PPP 2018 is now showing in Philippine cinemas for a limited run only — so catch it while you can from August 15 to 21, 2018! Need more reasons to watch this movie? Then read on to learn more about this music-filled Filipino film.
1. 'Bakwit Boys' is a beautiful reminder that everything is about family.
Resilience is something we Filipinos are known for, and one of the strongest sources where we find the energy to rise through it all is family. In the film, we follow the story of four siblings — Elias (Vance Larena), Joey (Ryle Santiago), Philip (Nikko Natividad), and Sonny (Mackie Empuerto) — as they try to keep it together after a calamity hits their town, life throwing them a curveball and thrusting them into a new life to start from zero. From hardships of earning enough to cover everyone to giving back to those who have taken care of us, our family matters the most and everyone's happiness is always a priority.
2. The movie will also bring you back to that kilig feeling of having your first crush.
In the film, the Bakwit Boys meet Rose (Devon Seron), a rich girl from the city who discovers the boys one evening when they were performing an original song. Rose sees potential in the Bakwit Boys and offers to help the band to get discovered, and along the way, Philip starts to develop feelings for her — and we witness this story with the perfect soundtrack to make every kilig moment very memorable. Who wouldn't fall in love when someone comes into your life to help fulfill your dream — and this dream girl happens to play the guitar and sing, too!
3. It will give you a peek into the hardships that artists go through — the struggle is real.
The journey to become a legit recording artist is no walk in the park — especially if you come from nowhere, and have almost nothing in your pockets. Struggling musicians will relate to the pains and misfortunes that the Bakwit Boys encounter, and outsiders get a peek into just how difficult it is to put your song out there, from songwriting process to recording tracks, and for radio stations to take a chance on your song and give it airtime for everyone to hear. Director Jason Paul Laxamana ('100 Tula Para Kay Stella') taps into his own personal experiences as a music producer to share the challenges musicians face.
4. You will fall in love with Sonny, the youngest of the Bakwit Boys, because he's just ridiculously talented.
'Bakwit Boys' introduces young actor Mackie Empuerto into the big screen, and the smallest of the four Datul brothers is a scene stealer. As Sonny, he is the charming bunso gifted with a powerful singing voice that we will enjoy many times while watching the film. It is perfect that for this particular story Mackie Empuerto is casted, as his passion for music and performing is real life, too. Empuerto is no stranger to singing competitions, besting many in reality competition shows. And you know whose singing has impressed Ellen de Generes herself that she tweeted about one of his performances? Yep, this little kid.
5. Music is the heartbeat of Bakwit Boys, and you'll leave the cinema happy and hopeful…and looking for the songs online.
Bakwit Boys is a story of hope, of how a band of brothers bring back music into their lives despite the many hardships they have to face, and the music that they bring to the table is beautiful because it has the most important ingredient: passion. Audiences are treated to six original songs by Jhaye Cura, a Tarlac-based artist, each one pulling your heartstrings in many ways as the story progresses. It's music for falling in and out of love, music to inspire you to never lose hope, music to make you feel hopeful. Watch out for two standout songs 'Ligtas Ka Na,' and 'Fiona,' which will probably be your LSS once you leave the theater! Give 'Ligtas Ka Na' a listen with this official music video:
Bakwit Boys is distributed by T-Rex Entertainment and is now showing in cinemas nationwide from August 15 to 21, 2018. Check the full list of screening schedules here. Follow T-Rex Entertainment on Facebook and Instagram for exclusive updates on the movie.
