Justin Bieber (Bernard Testa, NPPA Images)

In this concert documentary, there's a scene where Justin Bieber visits his old hometown of Stratford, Canada. He stops by the Avon Theater's entrance to watch a little girl play violin in exchange for coins. The young unknown violinist stops and asks one of her audience, "Are you Justin Bieber?". He replies "Yes" and tells her to keep on playing and that she is good. Before he leaves he tells her that he also used to play in the same exact spot where she's playing. Bieber places dollar bills in her violin case. Cut to an old footage of a 12 year-old Bieber strumming his

"In many ways," writes the food critic Anton Ego in the animated film "Ratatouille," "the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that in the grand scheme of things the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so."

I know I reveal my feelings towards critics in general by quoting Anton Ego (who is, by the way, my favorite critic). As is probably apparent, my work has been the object of negative criticism, from local film critics. But as my friend Anton says, it is fun to write and to read, so I can't fully blame them from thriving on it.

However, if one must sit in the cinema and find nothing but bad things to write about a film for a living, at least make it an intelligent, well-thought of observation, instead of the shallow, petty,

"Bokya na naman tayo sa Oscars!" was how a tabloid columnist greeted the announcement that my film Crying Ladies was chosen to represent the Philippines to the Oscars' Best Foreign Language Category in 2005. The columnist was aghast that his preferred film was not considered by the Film Academy of the Philippines. Later on, he insisted that we would have won if his choice was the one submitted to the Academy. His bet won in a European film festival and received great reviews from European critics.

If only it were truly that simple. Unfortunately for him (and for me), the Oscar selection process is not the same as a film festival jury deliberation. The difference starts with this detail: while there are about five to ten jurors watching film contenders in a festival, there are, to date, at least 2,000 academy members. That means, while you need only five to ten people to watch your film to give it a shot in a film festival, you need to get your film (via DVD screeners with a watermark

Orson Welles, Clint Eastwood, Mel Gibson, and Woody Allen. What do these actors have in common? They are the hyphenates known as Actor-Directors. In the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, the world witnessed a new addition to Actor-Directors in the form of 2005 Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, who directed his first film "Jack Goes Boating."

Hoffman is known for his Best Actor Oscar for his lead role in the 2005 film "Capote" and his other critically acclaimed performances in "Charlie Wilson's War" and "Doubt" and notable supporting work in "Scent of a Woman," "The Big Lebowski," "Magnolia," "The Talented Mr. Ripley," "Almost Famous," "Mission: Impossible III," and "Cold Mountain," among others.

For many successful thespians like Hoffman, directing seems to be a natural transition. After all, they are the ones giving life to the characters. In which case, I think it is important that directors study acting. It is not enough to say "I'm a visual director, handling actors is not my

There is a time when, after years of directing, you begin to think that you have read, seen and learned all that there is to the craft. You know which lens to use, camera movement or wardrobe design simply by reading a script or being told the genre and the cast. You just know everything…

And then you meet Francis Ford Coppola.

And then you start from zero.

I had the opportunity to attend a Master Class with Francis Ford Coppola during the recent Marrakech International Film Festival and the session felt like getting advice from an old wise man about the meaning of life.

What struck me most, though, was Coppola's humility. Before Marrakech, I attended a forum of young Filipino filmmakers and was so shocked at the arrogance and ostentation some of them exhibited after winning a couple of awards. I know that these filmmakers mean to encourage would-be cineastes and usually their idealism go hand in hand with being feisty. Coppola, on the other hand, opened his talk with "I am not comfortable

I have seen Anita Linda in so many films since I was a young boy. It is interesting that it is only these past years that two directors are giving her the films her talent rightly deserves. Adolf Alix gave us "Adela" while Brillante Mendoza gave us "Lola." Two internationally acclaimed features that made Anita Linda known in the film festival circle.

This year, the Metro Manila Film Festival launched a week before its opening homage to Philippine Independent Cinema with five wonderful independent films. The one that stood out for me was Adolf Alix's "Presa," which won the festival's Best Independent Film. The title, which translates in Filipino as a female prisoner, shows powerful ensemble performances headed by Anita Linda. I have not seen such a well-crafted jail film since Mario O'Hara's "Bulaklak ng City Jail."

Perla Bautista, who was unforgettable in "Bulaklak ng City Jail," rises again as Anita Linda's nemesis and cellmate. No, there are no slapping or hair-pulling scenes typical

The 36th Metro Manila Film Festival opens this Christmas with new versions of familiar titles. Regal is now on its 12th episode of the horror franchise "Shake, Rattle and Roll." Star Cinema's "Ang Tanging Ina" promises that this year's sequel will be their last. While the consistent rivals at the box-office on the Adventure Fantasy stars Vic Sotto and Bong Revilla are now teaming up with "Si Agimat at Si Enteng Kabisote."

This union of two successful franchises is definitely the expected crowd drawer among the lot. One of the criteria for Best Festival Film is the controversial popularity of a film with regards to box-office sales. Clearly, this film has the biggest potential in winning a perfect score in that area. As a family fare, this film attempts to have all the ingredients to entertain every member of the family. The fantasy genre of course, has always been a guaranteed blockbuster in every MMFF. Regal Films also follows this trend with the fantasy film, "Super Inday and the

The news that my film "Donor" will be screened at the Marrakech Film Festival in Morocco in December was enough for me.

Merry Christmas na, eh. And then the festival programmer informed me that two of the actors I have always admired will be watching Donor as members of the jury. They are (drum roll) John Malkovich and Gael Garcia Bernal.I first saw John Malkovich in "Empire of the Sun," playing one of the street-smart prisoners, along with a very young Christian Bale. I thought he was great. But it wasn't until "Dangerous Liaisons" that I became a fan. His Valmont, the charming, scheming partner of Glenn Close and lover of Michelle Pfeiffer and Uma Thurman, was perfect. I remember being amazed at how someone who isn't conventionally handsome could play the sexy beast so convincingly. His most memorable performance for me, though, will always be in "The Sheltering Sky," opposite Debra Winger. It was magnetic, malalim.

Gael Garcia Bernal, on the other hand, is my man-crush. This guy has