People Power Bombshell is the result of found footage of an unfinished film by prolific Filipino director Celso Advento Castillo. Heralded as the saviour of Filipino cinema in his homeland, Celso Advento Castillo made many diverse films across genres, including ‘bomba’ films – erotic dramas with moral tales. In the 1980s, he was making a film with the promising young actress Liz Alindogan, but due to financial difficulties the film was never completed. The film was also being shot at a time when the People Power Revolution was taking hold. It was from under Alindogan’s bed that the reels of footage were recovered. 30 years later, John Torres set about mixing this footage with new footage, together with a new soundscape including interviews with the original cast and crew. The result is a unique piece of work, recalling the experiences and memories of the cast and crew as if from an imagined script, while Alindogan reveals the difficulties she encountered, never having truly realised her dream of becoming a film star in the 80s.

Official Festival Selections:
International Film Festival Rotterdam 2017
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema 2017
Singapore International Festival of the Arts 2017
Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival 2017

John TORRES (1975, Philippines) is currently one of the most promising young Philippine filmmakers. In 2006, Torres’ work received special attention in Rotterdam in the short film programme Philippine Super Heroes, in which four of his shorts were shown. His feature debut Todo todo teros (2006) won several prizes at international festivals. His third feature film Refrains Happen Like Revolutions in a Song had its world première at IFFR in 2010, as does Lukas the Strange.