PRESS RELEASE
05.14
Another cockfight movie
(Philippine Daily Inquirer May 7, 2009)
By Marinel R. Cruz
(Editor’s note: This is another movie on local cockfighting, “Sabungero”—see story at right, and note the very slight difference in the title.)
Actor Joel Torre plays the lead in indie movie “Sabungero.” According to JC Bernardo, producer, and a cockfight aficionado, the film can count on the support of some six million registered sabungeros.
Directed by first-time filmmakers Miguel Kaimo and Rozie Delgado, “Sabungero” will be shown in the weeklong 2009 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, which starts July 17. Later in the year, Bernardo said, it will be screened nationwide.
Het told INQUIRER, “I am confident that this movie will fare well at the box-office even if it’s not mainstream material. Outside of those six million registered sabungeros, imagine how many more are there, unregistered.”
The film, written by Luz Innocia, shows the struggles of a man who lost everything to gambling and is picking up the pieces. It also stars Ricky Davao, Noni Buencamino, Leo Martinez, Mark Gil and Maritoni Fernandez.
Torre attended a day-long orientation at the TJT Cockfighting Academy in Alfonso, Cavite, where he learned all about the sport, including breeding, nutrition and cock training.
Delgado and Kaimo watched a number of cockfights before working on the film. “It’s easy to get caught in the gambling aspect,” said Kaimo, “but we want to show the other side of it.” Delgado added: “We also put in a little love story.”
How much did the movie cost and how long did it take to make?
Bernardo: The film cost P3.2 million to produce. I initially sought a grant from Cinemalaya but it didn’t make the cut.
Delgado: We’ve been working on it for 11 days now. We still have 3 shooting days.
What were your headaches as a first-time producer?
Bernardo: Mark, Leo, Ricky and Joel are all cast in an ongoing TV series. It’s hard to find a schedule agreeable to all of them. Shooting in the cockpits has been hard, too. In the provinces, we had to deal with extortionists.
What was it like directing veterans?
Delgado: I was shy at first. I made Miguel deal with them while I handled the technical stuff. A few days later, Miguel said, “You can’t be scared of your actors all the time. They will know.” Ricky Davao once joked, “Kinuha n’yo kami para madali ang [trabaho].”
Is that observation correct?
Delgado: In a way, yes. The actors bring what they already have. It’s just a matter of… minor tweaking.
E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph
New directors, veteran actors in ‘Sabungero’
(Manila Bulletin May 4, 2009)
First-time filmmakers meet heavyweight actors in Sabungero: Dangal at Tibay, set for premiere exhibition at the Cinemalaya Film Festival in July.
Directed by neophytes Miguel Kaimo and Rozie Delgado, the cockfighting starrer Sabungero featuring seasoned actors Joel Torre, Ricky Davao, Mark Gil, Nonie Buencamino, Robert Arevalo, Leo Martinez, Maritoni Fernandez, and Sid Lucero, is shaping to be a highly-anticipated release, especially in cockfighting circles.
Joel Torre plays Paco, and ordinary man blessed with the uncanny gift of breeding, raising and fighting gamecocks. He gets caught up in gambling, and loses everything he has, including his family. He works to get his life back on track, and has one chance left to prove himself to his family and his friends: the World Slasher Cup International Derby at the Araneta Coliseum.
Sabungero, produced-by Rooster Content Online (creator of no.1 cockfighting Web site on the Internat, sabong.com.ph), is the first full-length feature on the Filipino sport of cockfighting.
According to executive producer JC Bernardo, Sabungero paints a realistic picture of cockfighting in the Philippines, where sabong has been part of local culture and heritage, and is a hobby for 6 million registered sabungeros and several million more.
“A lot of the movie is very real- the cockfighting scenes were shot at actual derbies at local cockpits with genuine sabungeros, and Joel Torre underwent training at a cockfighting academy,” Bernardo reveals. “The theme is realistic as well- so many sabungeros have gone through this sort of experience, and sabungeros, or even the average Filipino, can relate to this, because it’s a situation nobody wants to get caught up in.”
Co-directors Kaimo and Delgado admit to initial intimidation working with such an esteemed cast, but quickly got over it, as the actors’ veteran experience proved to be invaluable in the creation of the film.
“Part of a director’s job is standing up to your cast, and the whole production, which will always look to you for vision,” Kaimo explains. “We were fortunate that our actors were highly professional, they actually made our job easier because we had a wealth of talent on our hands.”
“Some of our actors also have experience directing, and their knowledge about technical details was very helpful. One time we were unaware that our camera had crossed the line, and Ricky Davao was able to quickly point it out to us,” narrates Delgado.
With four filming days left for Sabungero at the World Slasher Cup Invitational 8-cock Derby at the Araneta Coliseum in May, the production is looking forward to its debut on the big screen.
“Our priority for now is a nationwide release after Cinemalaya, we plan to take Sabungero to the provincial theaters, especially in places where sabong is popular. We are also looking forward to joining festivals abroad,” Bernardo concludes.
Joel Goes International
(People’s Journal October 1, 2009)
JOEL GOES INTERNATIONAL
Joel Torre is going international. He’ll be doing a movie for Hollywood director John Sayles (best known for “Passion Fish”) with Cherry Pie Picache and Irma Adlawan. Shooting in Manila will start late this year. He announced this at the presscon of his new movie where he plays the title role, “Sabungero, Dangal at Tibay,” a movie about the local sport of cockfighting. “After a long time, nakagawa uli ako ng movie where I play the title role,” he says. “The last time I did was in Mike de Leon’s ‘Bayaning Third World’ where I played Jose Rizal. Dito, kasama ako sa halos lahat ng scenes in the movie. I’m so happy sa shooting as I’m working with good friends like Ricky Davao, Mark Gil, Nonie Buencamino and Leo Martinez. I play Paco, a man who feels life has become boring until I go to a cockfight and discover that I have the ability to choose the winning cocks. This makes my life more exciting. It starts as a hobby and becomes and addiction to gambling. I lose my job and my wife, Maritoni Fernandez, and our two kids, Sid Lucero and Lesley Martinez. So I try to rebuild my life, learning how to treat sabong as a sport and not as an addiction, also regaining the love of my family. For my role, I had to undergo training at a cockfighting academy. This climax of ‘Sabungero’ is the International World Slasher Cup Invitational 8-cock Derby at Araneta Coliseum.”
80 fights on tap in ‘Slasher’s’ finals
(People’s Journal May 14, 2009)
Derby fans return to Araneta Coliseum for the semifinal round of the 2009 World Slasher Cup 8-Cock International derby with 80 matches lined up starting at 3 p.m.
Hosted by the Pintakasi of Champions and organized by the Araneta Center, the three-day spectacle is sponsored by Thunderbird Bexan XP and Sagupaan Complex or 3000.
Leading the list of undefeated entries with two wins apiece are Superdace San Lorenzo (Kenneth Cigar & Son/Sonny Lagon and Chika Babe Balasa Max (Dr. Boy Tuazon).
Also remaining unscathed are KC Wild (Philip Chiongian/Edmund Yasay); Pangasinan Col. Oct. 11 6 Stag (Boy Bata); MS Group (Salazar Brothers); Liza Galora JMS-RFA (Eddie Araneta/Joey Sarasola); Alexis Farm Germany (Thomas Mischkus); Nine Dragon (Albert Yam/Cesar Tan); Dominator Mapalad (Patrick Puno/Gerry Escalona); Sebastian Solid (Romy Saldana); JU AS MKR Rapapap (James Uy/Alan Siaco/RY/PA); AS JU Akashi (James Uy/Allan Siaco/PA); EYB Sabong Sports (A. Bros/E. Bacud/JBT); JPA Legal Eagles AKI (Atty. H. Capuchino); JT Emerald (Jun Topacio); Sagupaan Winning Line (Patrick Antonio); Oregon Tacloban EDL Excellence UCBA-I (Jimmy Y./Ted M./Brad Padgett); and Oregon Tacloban EDL Excellence UCBA-II (Jimmy Y./Ted M./Brad Padgett).
In hot pursuit with 1.6 points are Thunderbee Taal 888 (Art de Castro/E.A.); Goldline w/D’Captain (LC/Jess Floro/JP); and Winslet Octagon. All Fired Up (Dicky Lim/Jaime Lim/Albert).
COCKFIGHTING. A referee holds two fighting cocks for final decision during the World Slasher Cup held at the Araneta Coliseum, which is also the site of major scenes in the movie “Sabungero”, the first full-length feature on the Filipino sport of cockfighting produced by Rooster Content Online and set for premiere exhibition at the Cinemalaya Film Festival in July.
100 years of Philippine cockfighting
(People’s Tonight September 30, 2009)
First, allow me to use some space here so I can inform collectively those who have been asking and wanting to know if we have been affected by the catastrophe that befell Marikina last Saturday.
Me and my children have been answering text messages, calls and emails since Saturday evening to some extent already.
Don’t get us wrong though, we are very grateful for the concern.
I was at the Thunderbird office yesterday and everyone who asked how we were, I would say that in the entire City of Marikina, there’s one street that did not get affected by the floods at all, and that was our street, four-fifth of our street to be exact.
The water reached up to four blocks from our house and that was it. Thanks be to God.
From us, across Bonifacio Ave. is the Riverbanks Center which for several long hours was a part of the Marikina River.
At the back of our place is Loyola Memorial Park which turned into a sea of flood waters in just a matter of an hour.
And about 150 meters away is Provident Village that was swallowed by 40-ft. deep waters.
I have been dreaming of winning the lotto, but what happened to us was more than that… we were flood-spared.
In the sabong front, the Pasig Square Garden cockpit beside the Marikina River now has knee-deep mud inside and they are now racing against time for the championship of the first leg of RGBA 17-Stag Circuit on Thursday (tomorrow), Oct. 1.
RGBA president Joey Sy reported that as of Tuesday afternoon, he has gathered that 8 of his members have had flash floods in their farms and most of them lost all their game fowls.
The premier showing of the movie Sabungero: Dangal at Tibay originally set last Sunday at the Gateway Mall will instead be held tomorrow at 6 p.m.
Here’s the continuation of last week’s column.
100 Years of Philippine Cockfighting (second of three parts)
1977—President Decree No. 1140, amending the cock-fighting law of 1974.
Now, therefore, I, Ferdinand E. Marcos, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby extend for another year the period within which owners, lessees and operators of cockpits shall conform to the provisions of Cockpit Law 1974, with respect to cockpit site and their construction.
Done in the City of Manila, this 13th day of May, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-seven.
1978—Presidential Decree No. 1310, amending Presidential Decree No. 444, otherwise known as the “Cockfighting Law of 1974.”
Done in the City of Manila, this 6th day of March in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-eight.
1978—Presidential Decree No. 1535, extending the period within which to conform with the coning requirements prescribed by Presidential Decree No. 449.
1980—The Negros Game-fowl Breeders Association (NGBA), was founded by Mamie Lacson together with Negros’ top rooster-raisers, namely: Freddie Yulo, Alex Montelibano, Tony Trebol, Rudy Tinsay, Jr. Cuaycong, Itoy Sison and Mom Varela. Mamie was elected as first president of NGBA. The group organized and itiated the first stag derbies outside Manila.
1980—The first National Breeders 6-Stag Derby was held in Teresa Square Garden, which was hosted by Eddie Araneta (Liza Galore) and Esting Teopaco (C.A.T. Stinger). It was the first authentic stag derby ever held in the country. Stag screeners include Sen. Monching Mitra, Eddia Araneta, Esting Teopaco and Capt. Ben Rodriquez. Mamie Lacson’s entry the “Black Stay”, a show of Blueface Mclean Hatches and Hatch Greys won the said derby with a perfect 6-0 score.
1981—Presidential Decree No. 1802, creating the Philippine Gamefowl Commission.
Now, therefore, I, Ferdinand E. Marcos, President of the Philippines, by the virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree:
Section I. Creation of the Philippine Gamefowl Commission—There is hereby created under the Office of the President, the Philippine Gamefowl Commission.
1988—The old Paranaque Cockpit Stadium (7-Up) was demolished to give way to Roligon Mega Cockpit, the biggest building eve in the country that is purely intended for cockfighting.
Roligon introduced new and innovative derby promotions that served as model for others to follow.
Big, lengthy promotions like the Bakbakan and Rambulan have adopted Roligon’s multi-day eliminations, semis and finals style. Roligon’s success have served as an inspiration and encouragement for others to put up or improved or renovate their cockpits.
Most of which are patterned after Roligon’s facility set-up like Igay Cockpit and Dictado Coliseum in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
Sabungero
(Philippine Daily Inquirer September 30, 2009)
Directed by Miguel Kaimo, Rozie Delgado; stars Joel Torre, Ricky Davao, Mark Gil, Nonie Buencamino, Robert Arevalo, Leo Martinez, Sid Lucero.
This full-length feature on the Filipino sport “paints a realistic picture of  cockfighting in the Philippines, where sabong has been part of local culture and heritage, and is a hobby for at least six million registered sabungeros,” says executive producer JC Bernardo.
“Sabungero,” now showing nationwide.
(Philippine Daily Inquirer October 1, 2009)
Father and son Mark Gil (right) and Sid Lucero star in “Sabungero,” now showing nationwide.
RP ‘sabong’ goes to Cannes Festival
(Philippine Daily Inquirer May 7, 2009)
It was an auspicious e-mail. Returning from Easter Vigil Mass, New York based Filipino filmmaker Janice Y. Perez checked her inbox and found a message that made her heart skip.
“I saw these words in big letters: ‘See you in Cannes and welcome to the Short Film Corner,” she told INQUIRER in an e-mail interview.
It was surprising, she said, especially since her short film ‘Sabongero,’ took a circuitous route to the premier world fest.
Before she could shoot this dream project, many doors were closed for Perez. She even lost a grant because the script tackled cockfighting in her home province of Cebu, a pastime considered cruel by animal activists.
Perez, an accountant by profession, remained steadfast. Three years ago, she had just come out of New York Film Academy. In a 2006 forum hosted by the Independent Feature Project, she found her Eureka moment.
“One of the panelists, filmmaker Dito Montiel, told the audience at the Lincoln Center: ‘if you want to make your first feature, write a story you know nothing about. They will make you want to get to know it more.”
Perez took that to heart. “I had zero knowledge on cockfighting before writing the script,” she said. And directing the film became a matter of “vanquishing my own doubts and fears.”
She explained: “It allowed me to take a deeper look into an unfamiliar world. I (managed) to shed my prejudices. It doesn’t mean I’m advocating cockfighting now, but I no longer lambast it. It’s a great privilege to share the story with the world, (including) animal rights activists, so they can understand this cultural phenomenon.”
Making it to Cannes’ Short Film Corner is “surreal,” she insisted. “Two months ago, we just wrapped up work after an exhausting 12-hour shoot (in a Mactan cockpit, with cinematographer Ruel Antipuesto). I am humbled by, and grateful for, this opportunity.”
She’s eager to “network with producers, agents, buyers and other indie filmmakers (in Cannes), as well as catch a glimpse of my idols Pedro Almodovar, Michel Gondry and Jacques Audiard.”
Needless to say, she’s proud to join compatriots Raya Martin, Adolfo Alix Jr. and Brillante Mendoza in the country’s biggest year in Cannes ever. There’s another Filipino film in the Short Film Corner- Miguel Ocampo and Aissa Penafiel’s “Maong Maong,” which brings a total of five of the country’s entries in the 2009 Cannes.
Perez, one of the founders of the first annual Indio Bravo Film Festival (set in New York next month), said, “The Philippines just might emerge as Asia’s cinema powerhouse.”
New directors, veteran actors in Sabungero
(Manila Standard Today May 6, 2009)
First-time filmmakers meet heavyweight actors in Sabungero: Dangal at Tibay, set for premiere exhibition at the Cinemalaya Film Festival in July.
Directed by neophytes Miguel Kaimo and Rozie Delgado, the cockfighting starrer Sabungero featuring seasoned actors Joel Torre, Ricky Davao, Mark Gil, Nonie Buencamino, Robert Arevalo, Leo Martinez, Maritoni Fernandez, and Sid Lucero, is shaping to be a highly-anticipated release, especially in cockfighting circles.
Joel Torre plays Paco, and ordinary man blessed with the uncanny gift of breeding, raising and fighting gamecocks. He gets caught up in gambling, and loses everything he has, including his family. He works to get his life back on track, and has one chance left to prove himself to his family and his friends: the World Slasher Cup International Derby at the Araneta Coliseum.
Sabungero, produced-by Rooster Content Online (creator of no.1 cockfighting Web site on the Internat, sabong.com.ph), is the first full-length feature on the Filipino sport of cockfighting.
According to executive producer JC Bernardo, Sabungero paints a realistic picture of cockfighting in the Philippines, where sabong has been part of local culture and heritage, and is a hobby for 6 million registered sabungeros and several million more.
“A lot of the movie is very real- the cockfighting scenes were shot at actual derbies at local cockpits with genuine sabungeros, and Joel Torre underwent training at a cockfighting academy,” Bernardo reveals. “The theme is realistic as well- so many sabungeros have gone through this sort of experience, and sabungeros, or even the average Filipino, can relate to this, because it’s a situation nobody wants to get caught up in.”
Co-directors Kaimo and Delgado admit to initial intimidation working with such an esteemed cast, but quickly got over it, as the actors’ veteran experience proved to be invaluable in the creation of the film.
“Part of a director’s job is standing up to your cast, and the whole production, which will always look to you for vision,” Kaimo explains. “We were fortunate that our actors were highly professional, they actually made our job easier because we had a wealth of talent on our hands.”
“Some of our actors also have experience directing, and their knowledge about technical details was very helpful. One time we were unaware that our camera had crossed the line, and Ricky Davao was able to quickly point it out to us,” narrates Delgado.
With four filming days left for Sabungero at the World Slasher Cup Invitational 8-cock Derby at the Araneta Coliseum in May, the production is looking forward to its debut on the big screen.
“Our priority for now is a nationwide release after Cinemalaya, we plan to take Sabungero to the provincial theaters, especially in places where sabong is popular. We are also looking forward to joining festivals abroad,” Bernardo concludes.
‘Sabungero’
(Manila Standard Today May 14, 2009)
The World Slasher Cup 8-cock Derby at the Araneta Coliseum features the world’s top breeders and resumes today with more than 80 matches lined up. The tournament is also the site of the major scenes of ‘Sabungero,’ the first full-length feature on the Filipino sport of cockfighting, set for premiere exhibition at the Cinemalaya Film Festival in July.
‘Sabungero’ features award-winning actors
(Malaya September 30, 2009)
The first full-length feature on cockfighting, “Sabungero: Dangal at Tibay,” will open in Metro Manila theatres starting today, September 30.
According to executive producer JC Bernardo, “Sabungero” paints a realistic picture of cockfighting in the Philippines, where sabong has been part of local culture, and is a hobby for at least six million registered aficionados.
A lot of the movies’ cockfighting scenes were shot at actual derbies at local cockpits with genuine sabungero; which included a location at the World Slasher Cup Invitational 8-cock Derby at the Araneta Coliseum last May.
Lead actor Joel Torre underwent training at a cockfighting academy according to Bernardo.
Neophyte co-directors Miguel Kaimo and Rozie Delgado were overwhelmed with the wealth of talent in the cast. Kaimo explains.
“We were fortunate that our actors were highly professional, they actually made our job easier because we had a wealth of talent on our hands.”
Delgado added that some of the film’s actors also have experience directing, and their knowledge about technical details helped them.
“Sabungero” features award-winning actors Joel Torre, Ricky Davao, Mark Gil, Nonie Buencamino, Robert Arevalo, Leo Martinez, Maritoni Fernandez and Sid Lucero.
It is produced by Rooster Content Online (creator of #1 cockfighting website on the internet, sabong.com.ph).
Battle of the Birds. Rogue Magazine Feature on Sabungero Movie
By Tony Ty
From ROGUE Magazine. June 2009 Issue.
“Sabungero” sheds light on the country’s often-misunderstood cockfighting subculture, and Rogue got a sneak peak into the latest indie that’s likely to ruffle quite a few feathers.
It’s a scene that would have many cringe.
A handler, using a simple razorblade, slices off the fighting cock’s comb and wattles as part of the traditional, native way of decombing, called “pungos.” An antiseptic is then placed on the bird’s wounds to avoid infection, after which the comb and wattle are fed back to the fighting cock — the equivalent, say, of a natural performance-enhancing steroid. In Filipino culture, these physical features, which have no use in a fight, possess valuable nutrients that the birds can use in the cockpit.
Their fights are phenomenally brutal, and by bringing them into mainstream cinema, a new independently-produced film has begun raising eyebrows, sparking debates, and generating pre-screening buzz among cultural advocates, traditionalists, animal rights activists, artists, bloggers, the censors, and cockfighting enthusiasts. There is good reason.
“Sabungero,” known internationally as “The Cockfighter,” allows audiences to get up close and personal with the dusty, chaotic world of Philippine cockfighting  — in all its bloody, jaw-dropping honesty.
For some, these ringside seats may be a bit too close for comfort. According to Claro Cortez, who wrote for the Associated Press, the number of gamecocks fought – and killed – each year in the country is estimated to range from 7 million to 13 million.
For many, however, “Sabungero,” and its unapologetic depiction of a controversial subject – sabong has long been regarded as a blood sport – the long wait for cinematic recognition is over. And, we’re not just talking about impassioned users of sabong-related websites. According to the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), there are about 8 to 10 million registered cockfighters in the country, or roughly 10 percent of the total population, spawning a P50-billion industry. That’s a sizeable chunk the film resonates with.
“Sabungero” follows the life a middle-class family man named Paco, played brilliantly by Joel Torre, and chronicles his foray into the Game of Kings, from the way it affects his life to the slow, painful struggle for redemption. Torre captures this desperate, and all too familiar, internal conflict with disturbing accuracy, his eyes, in different scenes, expressing hope, anguish, defiance, arrogance and even unrelenting greed.
Weighing down heavily on both his sides are Berting (Edwin Nombre), who blends in perfectly as the cockpit’s “Kristo,” or bet handler, and Badong, a shady gambler played to creepy perfection by Nonie Buencamino. They represent Paco’s light and shadow, the gamecocks creating dust clouds in his head, clashing in that gray area between quitting and pushing through, longing and giving up, stopping cold turkey and justifying one more round.
This fracas is also played out on the cockpit, represented by Tatang, portrayed with a quiet, respectable dignity by Robert Arevalo, and Paco’s eventual nemesis, Congressman. No other actor, it seems, could convincingly play the latter than Leo Martinez. Tatang, the mysterious owner of the “sabungan,” harks to a time when cockfighting was about honesty, camaraderie and sportsmanship; while Congressman symbolizes, well, the cesspool of gambling, commercialism and profiteering it is today.
Caught in the crossfire of Paco’s internal skirmishes are his wife (Maritoni Fernandez), his children (Sid Lucero – whose father, Mark Gil, also makes a cameo appearance — and Lesley Martinez), and his best friend (Ricky Davao). Despite their presence, however, like the gamecocks he handles, Paco slugs it out with his own demons, taking chance after chance, unable to stop his downward spiral into the debt-ridden sabungero stereotype. This could happen to anyone who takes a risk.
That includes the movie production. The story, originally written by Troy Bernardo and further developed by Luz Inocian, was put to film by directors Miguel Kaimo and Rozie Laurel Delgado, and produced by JC Bernardo — most of whom have gone into the movies for the first time. No major studio would be willing to gamble. The entertainment industry, clearly, is a veritable cockpit on its own, filled with its own Bertings, Badongs, Tatangs and Congressmans.
Shot in various farms and cockpits near Metro Manila, “Sabungero” doesn’t blame the game for Paco’s misery, because the sabungan isn’t the real source of his unhappiness. The cockfighter is lured by his own shadows, and the resulting addiction, debts and loneliness, if at all, he brings upon himself. Don’t point the finger at the game, at what is part of our pre-colonial heritage and culture, the film seems to say, and if one focuses on the gore alone, then one completely misses the point.
The gamecock, in its character, is very much like the Filipino – brave, resilient, and when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, is ready to fight to the death.
New directors, veteran actors in Sabungero
(The Philippine Star, Entertainment Section May 12, 2009)
First-time filmmakers meet heavyweight actors in Sabungero: Dangal at Tibay, set to premiere in July.
Directed by Miguel Kaimo and Rozie Delgado, Sabungero features Joel Torre, Ricky Davao, Mark Gil, Nonie Buencamino, Robert Arevalo, Leo Martinez, Maritoni Fernandez and Sid Lucero.
Joel plays Paco, an ordinary man blessed with the uncanny gift of breeding, raising and fighting gamecocks. He gets caught up in gambling, and loses everything he has, including his family. He works to get his life back on track, and has one chance left to prove himself to his family and friends: The World Slasher Cup International Derby at the Araneta Coliseum.
Sabungero, produced by Rooster Content Online (creator of No. 1 cockfighting website on the Internet, sabong.com.ph), is the first full-length feature on the Filipino sport of cockfighting.
According to executive producer JC Bernardo, Sabungero paints a realistic picture of cockfighting in the Philippines, where sabong has been part of local culture and heritage, and is a hobby for 6-M registered sabungeros and several million more.
The theme is realistic as well — so many sabungeros have gone through this sort of experience, and even the average Filipino can relate to this because it’s a situation nobody wants to get caught up in.
Co-directors Kaimo and Delgado admit to initial intimidation working with such an esteemed cast, but quickly got over it, as the actors’ veteran experience proved to be invaluable in the creation of the film.
“Our priority for now is a nationwide release. We plan to take Sabungero to the provincial theaters, especially in places where sabong is popular. We are also looking forward to joining film festivals abroad,” Bernardo concludes.
Indie Sine Р“Sabungero”
(YES! Magazine April, 2009)
What goes on in the life of a man whose calling is the blood sport of cockfighting? Sabungero, a docudrama about the trials and tribulations of a cockfighting aficionado, hopes to answer that question.
“There are millions of Filipinos living and breathing sabong,” says director Rozie Delgado. “It’s been a part of our culture for centuries. It’s very Filipino, and yet there are hardly any films about it.
Direk Rozie say si t was the film’s producer, JC Bernardo, who had the idea of making a movie about cockfighting. “He is also a sabungero, and he realized that there are a lot of misconceptions about sabong,” she says.
As part of her pre-production research, Direk Rozie says she visited “countless” cockfighting arenas and farms and met with many sabungeros who introduced her to various breeds of fighting cocks. “I was surprised,” she says, “by the whole culture of sabong – the lifestyle of sabungeros, their lingo, and their passion for the sport.”
Sabungero is the first full-length film by Direk Rozie, whose previous works have been shorts and music videos. Co-director Miguel Kaimo and screenwriter Luz Inociain are likewise first-timers. The film, scheduled for release in the last quarter of 2009, stars Joel Torre, Ricky Davao, Noni Buencamino, Leo Martinez, Sid Lucero, Maritoni Fernandez, and Robert Arevalo.
