Emman Pascual

Dance of the Steel Bars

This riveting feature film about redemption follows Frank Parish, a retired US fireman and philanthropist who finds himself wrongly accused of murder and jailed in the Philippines. Stuck in prison, Frank was beginning to lose faith in everything he believed in until he becomes friends with Mando, a convicted murderer who denies his passion for dancing just to prove his masculinity and Allona, a transsexual who tries to contribute to prison reforms by teaching his fellow inmates dance exercises. They get involved in a tricky struggle between the positive changes initiated by the new warden and the corrupt system that weighs down the inmates' chance to become better individuals. Frank finds himself caught in an intricate web of lies and must choose between concealing what he knows to keep himself out of danger or to help his fellow inmates by revealing the truth. Will he remain on the sidelines as an observer, or will he dance the dance of the steel bars?

Clash

"Engwkentro" follows two teenage brothers attempting to escape an unnamed city controlled by an iron-fisted mayor. They must first break away from the cycle of crime, while trying to run from rival gang leaders and the state's murderous vigilantes.

Barako

100 years after the defeat of the local troops under Gen. Miguel Malvar in the Philippine-American War, the people of a Batangueño town would have lost its character typified by the Tagalog term "barako", meaning brave or courageous. Much worse, they have become subservient to their corrupt leaders who have been taking advantage of their ignorance and poverty. But they are slowly swayed to a new liberal direction by a small coffee club called "barakuhan" whose organizers see in it a reawakening of their native courage.

Barako

100 years after the defeat of the local troops under Gen. Miguel Malvar in the Philippine-American War, the people of a Batangueño town would have lost its character typified by the Tagalog term "barako", meaning brave or courageous. Much worse, they have become subservient to their corrupt leaders who have been taking advantage of their ignorance and poverty. But they are slowly swayed to a new liberal direction by a small coffee club called "barakuhan" whose organizers see in it a reawakening of their native courage.