Internationally acclaimed director Maria Estela Paiso gives us a preview of her masterpiece.
Short film director Maria Estela Paiso will be exporting her rendered work for the 51st Edition of New Directors/ New Films Film Festival (ND/NF) happening this April 20-May 1, 2022 at Film on Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art, in New York.
Ampangabagat Nin Talakba Ha Likol (It’s Raining Frogs Outside) snagged QCinema’s Gender Sensitivity Award in 2021 and debuted at Berlinale 2022. Now it will be screened at ND/NF along with 26 full-length films and 10 other shorts from all over the world.
This 14-minute trip to the end of the world tells the story of Maya, a girl who was forced to go back to her hometown of Zambales, where it’s literally raining frogs. She is confronted by her childhood fractals upon facing the end of the world.
As someone who has been given opportunities to show her work to an international audience, she admitted to having mixed emotions about it. She feels happy that more people can see the film, but she didn’texpect that it would reach as many people as it has.
“Basta mapalabas siya at may makanood, may manood. Nabubuhay talaga yung piece kapag may audience e.”Â
Paiso said that she describes herself as someone who has always been attracted to mixed media pieces, regardless of what she’s working on.
“Basta in essence, biased ako sa mixed media kasi sentimental akong tao at gusto ko yung paghahalo ng real-life tangibility sa on-screen fiction.”
(“In essence, I’m biased towards mixed media because I’m a sentimental person and I like mixing real-life tangibility with on-screen fiction.”)
Since she was a video editor before directing her first film, experiencing post-production was Estela’s advantage. She knew what can be done with visual mediums, so she and her colleagues found unique ways to execute their ideas.
According to Paiso, one of the key roles of her success is because she trusts her team.
For more information about New Directors/New Films Film Festival, go to their website. You can also follow Ampangabagat Nin Talakba Ha Likol(It’s Raining Frogs Outside) on Facebook and Instagram.
Art Daniella Sison
