Ploning, a Filipino movie about love and is based from a Palawan folk song, is Philippines' official entry to the 81st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film category. Ploning is amongst 67 entries from all over the world and has to be one of the top nine in order for it to be screened by the Academy and one of the top five in order for its producers, director and cast to attend the 81st Academy Awards to be held on February 22, 2009.
The movie's producers and supporters based in the United States are currently holding house-to-house group screenings with dinners to help raise funds to pay for a Hollywood publicist and to have the movie screened in major US theaters. Awareness and promotion are some of the ways to make a buzz for the movie.
Lobbying for the movie needs major funding, so, producers and supporters in the Philippines are also having fund raising campaigns. Judy Ann Santos, the Filipino actress who plays Ploning, has organized an event to auction clothes and other belongings of Filipino celebrities. The said auction aims to raise five million pesos (roughly 100,000 USD) and has an entrance fee of 100 pesos (2 USD) It will be held at Plaza Ibarra, Quezon City, Philippines on November 28, 2008 from 12 noon to six in the evening, and is called "Damit Para Kay Ploning" (Clothes for Ploning).
Kris Aquino, Vhong Navarro, Julius and Tintin Babao, Marian Rivera, Vicky Belo, Tim Yap, Regine Velasquez, Gretchen Baretto, Wyngard Tracy, Agot Isidro-Sandejas, Ogie Alcasid, Beth Tamayo-Wong, Rowell Santiago, Dingdong Dantes, John Lapus, Rufa Mae Quinto, JC Buendia, Randy Ortiz, Luis Alandy, Kyla, Gabby Eigenmann, Sunshine Cruz, Fanny Serrano, Jolina Magdangal amongst others are the celebrities who are participating in the auction.
To stand out amongst 67 entries is a tall order but with Filipinos' industriousness and charm, Ploning will hopefully grab the Oscars attention and be part of the top five, and hopefully the win, too. Wishful thinking? nah! If we dream, dream big!
Go Ploning! Go Pinoy!
To know more about the movie, please visit the movie's official site:
http://www.ploningthemovie.com/
Source: abscbnNews and asianjournal