Cover A snippet of Arden Rod Condez' John Denver Trending
A snippet of Arden Rod Condez' John Denver Trending
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Basking in a feat that was never accomplished before, Arden Rod Condez's award-winning film 'John Denver Trending' is the first Filipino movie to have wide screenings in Korea
The internet is quite a dangerous place to dwell in for so long, take John Denver's story for example.
In Pandan, Antique, 14-year-old high school student John Denver Cabungcal is accused of stealing his classmate's iPad. When he tries to assert his innocence, John's peers become furious and start a fight. One of John's classmates recorded the turmoil and uploaded it on Facebook without context. A few hours later, the post goes viral and upends the poor teenager's life.
Arden Rod Condez, the director behind this tragic drama, perfectly captured the perils of social media. So far, John Denver Trending has bagged the Best Editing, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Musical Score at the 15th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. It also took home the Best Film (New Currents) recognition from the 24th Busan International Film Festival and is set to screen in major Korean cities.
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"The movie John Denver Trending is a work that deals with the true story of a boy who was branded as a devil overnight with a single video uploaded to social media," the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) said in its announcement.
"Director Arden Rod Condez wrote a screenplay based on various events that emerged through social media, and created a solid masterpiece that adds tension and a heavy social message to a story based on shocking true stories," it added.
Above (Photo: FDCP Twitter account)
(Photo: FDCP Twitter account)
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"It [John Denver Trending] is actually a study of how a viral video can affect, not just a boy's life, but the decisions of the people around him," Condez said in one of his televised interviews. "It is my personal belief that Filipinos are not prepared for social media because we do not have the fastest connection, it's free and accessible to everyone and it became too powerful for us that we could not handle it anymore."
Condez' John Denver Trending will stream in South Korea's major cities starting November 23 at CGV, Lotte Cinema, and Megabox theatres.
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Jove holds a degree in Journalism and is currently pursuing graduate studies in Philosophy at the University of the Philippines–Diliman. She has flair for in-depth, interview-driven stories that explore politics and culture, shaped by her background in national broadsheets.
When she’s not on assignment, Jove spends her days painting, sipping lemonade, and walking her dog, Jupiter. She can often be seen in Escolta with a film camera in hand, browsing novelty shops in search of rare memorabilia. For leads, reach her at Jove@tatlerphilippines.com.
