CASTING CALL FOR BEN & SAM

MARK SHANDII BACOLOD's 3rd Directorial Film will have an Open Audition on SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 - FRIDAY, from 1pm to 6pm.

Venue: POWER TIPS. 5TH LEVEL OF THE PODIUM. ADB AVENUE, ORTIGAS CENTER, MANDALUYONG CITY.

For inquiries: Please contact Shandii 0922-8742634, Archie 0919-6975254, or Elle 0920-9546100.

Ben & Sam Storyline: http://shandiijossa.blogspot.com/2009/09/ben-sam-2009be.html

1) BEN
* 18 to 23 years old
* Ben is the Captain ball of his basketball team. He is very athletic. Handsome. "Crush ng Bayan"/Campus Heartthrob. Undeniably sexy. Charming. Super rich - he drives his own car and very popular.

2) SAM
* 18 to 23 years old
* Sam is the artistic type of guy. Intelligent. Charming. Calm. Articulate.

3) GEORGE
* 18 to 23 years old
* George is the homophobic bestfriend. Envious, Cold, Boastful.
* Peg: Angelic face but very cunning. Has strong eyes.

For actors auditioning for this film (except for George), please bring plain white undershirt and underwear.

BEN & SAM, 2009.

Ben & Sam (Storyline) Screenplay by Archie Del Mundo/ Story and Direction by Mark Shandii Bacolod (showing November 2009)

What could be more tender and passionate than a love that is found during the times of unfathomable longing? At times when everything is unreal, superficial, and uncertain – if love is genuine, it will cross boundaries and will know no limits and sexual categories. But how does unconventional love carry on in the modern world where patterns of morality are still as ironically primeval as the people who creep around it?

Ben is a college student who seems to be the most popular guy in campus. He lives a very luxurious life. And everything seems to be perfect and grand. Not really. He has never recovered from the horrors of his childhood under the hands of an abusive father. His mother has never recovered from his father’s lost and is now suffering from an acute case of post-traumatic stress disorder – making her slowly lose her sanity. Aside from this dilemma, Ben has yet to face the greatest of it all – accepting who he really is and fighting for the person he really loves.

Sam is the new guy in campus. He has transferred from the province carrying with him the burden of a painful past – his boyfriend who is a student activist was killed. All through out, he shares everything that is happening to him to a mysterious caller. Finally, when he gets to find a new love – it will be revealed in the end that the caller is no other than but his very supportive father.

Ben is athletic. Sam is artistic. Ben is sad. And so is Sam. Ben is committed. Sam is waiting. The first kiss will reverse how their old world turns. The second kiss will stop their new found world from turning.

Everything would seem to be perfect and gay. But not for long.Suddenly, they will become infamous. The butts of the jokes in the campus. George, who is Ben’s best friend, is secretly jealous of everything that Ben has: his girlfriend, his popularity, his otherwise charmed life – until he discovers that Ben is someone he doesn’t really like. They may never have a gay happy ending.

DIREK MARK SHANDII BACOLOD, ENFANT TERIBBLE NG PHILIPPINE CINEMA

DIREK MARK SHANDII BACOLOD, ENFANT TERIBBLE NG PHILIPPINE CINEMA

by Robert Silverio

Entertainment, September 1, BOMBA Balita

Umusug-usog na ang mga beteranong filmmakers diyan dahil ipinanganak na ang bagong direktor na aagaw sa trono nila - in the person of direk Mark Shandii Bacolod, ang director ng indie film na "Fidel", na pinagbibidahan nina Lance Raymundo, Maribel Lopez, Snooky Serna, Andrea del Rosario, Jao Mapa at marami pang iba.

Halos lahat ng media people, film critics and film lovers na nanood sa premiere night ng said film sa AFP Theater last August 28 ay anonymous in saying na napakaganda ng pelikulang "Fidel". Tunay namang nabigyan ni direk Mark Shandii Bacolod ng magandang approach ang very delicate subject matter na tinatalakay sa istorya ng "Fidel", na tungkol sa isang OFW na na-rape sa Saudi Arabia ng Arabo niyang employer.

Napaka-orihinal ng istilo ng direksiyon ni Mark Shandii, wala kang makikitang loopholes at may maganda siyang vision sa paglalahad ng kanyang pelikula. Plus the fact na hindi pretensyoso ang pelikula - makatotohanan at makabago.

Ipinakita rin ni direk Mark Shandii sa kabuuan ng pelikula ang magagandang values ng isang Filipino family. And in the end, pagkatapos mong mapanood ang pelikula ay mararamdaman mong - "you are proud to be a Filipino" dahil ang mga Pinoy, tulad ng ipinakita sa pelikula, ay lumalaban sa kaapihan ng mga dayuhang yumuyurak sa pagkatao nila.

Sa totoo lang, bago pa man mag-premiere night ang said film, talagang tense na tense na si direk Mark Shandii. Nag-check-in pa siya sa isang five-star hotel at nag-shopping, kumain ng eat-all-you-can, at kung anu-ano pa, mawala lang ang ka-tensyunan niya!

"Pero hayun, at nanginginig parin ako at natatarantang pumasok sa AFP Theater!" kuwento pa ni direk Mark Shandii na 26 years old lang pala. "Hindi ko malaman ang gagawin ko that night! But God is good. After all my tensions, napakaganda ng feedback ngayon sa pelikula ko. Salamat!"

Kapag pinanood mo ang beautiful indie film na ito, iisipin mong hindi ito gawa ng isang baguhang direktor. Gamay na gamay na niya ang kamera at pinaglalaruan na lamang niya ang mga anggulo. Yes, gifted director talaga itong si direk Mark Shandii. He is the real "enfant teribble" ng Philippine Cinema ngayon!