MMFF thriller ‘Nelia’ is 15 years in the making

The suspense-thriller “Nelia” has been in development for a long time, but why did the Metro Manila Film Festival 2021 entry take 15 years to complete?

Novice director Lester Dimaranan said: “Matagal nang nasulat ito ni Atty. Honey, 15 years ago pa. Actually, naalala ko, noong nilapitan ako ng A and Q para gumawa ng pelikula, iba dapat yung gagawin namin noon, e. ‘Tapos, nag-pandemic! Naayos na namin lahat para sa production ng pelikulang iyon tapos biglang naglockdown. So, nilapitan ako ni Atty. Honey, pinakita sa akin yung synopsis ng Nelia, and dun na nag-start yung pagbuo namin sa pelikula.” [“Atty. Honey wrote the screenplay for Nelia ː˔ ƘāÖũŭ Öėŋ̍ óŶŽÖķķƘ̇ R ũāĿāĿðāũ̇ when A and Q approached me to make a movie, we were supposed to do something different. Then, the pandemic happened! We’ve had everything set for the production of that ƩķĿ̇ ŶĞāł ŭŽùùāłķƘ ŶĞā ƩũŭŶ ķŋóĴùŋƒł was implemented. Then, Atty. Honey showed me the synopsis of Nelia, and that’s when we decided to make this ƩķĿ̧̍̚

Direk Lester describes his first full length film “Nelia” written by Atty. Nelanie Honey Quiño Marquez.

“Unique siya. Hindi siya iyong typical story ng Filipino movies na napapałŋŋù łÖŶĢł̧̍ ̙̦RŶ̪ŭ ŽłĢŨŽā̍ RŶ̪ŭ łŋŶ ŶĞā typical story that we see in Filipino movies.”

Produced by A and Q Films ProducŶĢŋł̇ Rłó̍̇ ̦pāķĢÖ̧ ũāƑŋķƑāŭ ÖũŋŽłù ŶĞā mystery of hospital room 009, where all the patients admitted to it die. A nurse working at the hospital, “Nelia” (played by global beauty queen and Kapuso actress Winwyn Marquez), will try to reveal the secret behind the deaths of Room 009’s patients.

̦pāķĢÖ̧ ŋƦāũŭ Ö ùĢƦāũāłŶ ŶÖĴā ŋł storytelling, and tackles themes that Öũā łŋŶ ŋĕŶāł ŭāāł Ģł DĢķĢťĢłŋ ƩķĿŭ̍ “Suspense thriller siya, maraming aabangan ang manonood. Maraming turn ng events na di mo akalaing gano’n pala, ganyan pala. PsychoķŋėĢóÖķ ƘŽłė ĿŋƑĢā ĴÖƘÖ ƘŽłė āƦāóŶ sa manonood, psychological din. Yung mga twists talaga, yung akala mong ito yung mangyayari magugulat ka na ĞĢłùĢ ťÖķÖ̧̇ ̙̦RŶ̪ŭ Ö ŭŽŭťāłŭā ŶĞũĢķķāũ that will keep viewers on the edge of ŶĞāĢũ ŭāÖŶŭ̍ RŶ ĞÖŭ ĿÖłƘ ŽłāƗťāóŶāù turns of events. The movie is psychoķŋėĢóÖķ̇ ŭŋ ŶĞā āƦāóŶ ŋł ŶĞā ƑĢāƒāũ Ģŭ also psychological. And the twists, just when you think the story is going in one direction, you will be surprised ŶĞÖŶ ĢŶ̪ŭ łŋŶ̧̇̚ ŭÖĢù 'ĢũāĴ dāŭŶāũ̍

“Nelia” is also the only film in the suspense thriller genre that has entered the upcoming 2021 Metro Manila Film Festival. “Malaking pasasalamat namin talaga sa MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority) na organizer ng MMFF na isa kami sa napili nilang pelikula this year. Napakalaking bagay po nito sa amin sa A and Q dahil nabibigyan ng pag-asa ang mga baguhan at indie ƩķĿĿÖĴāũŭ łÖ ŶŽķÖù łÖĿĢł łÖ ĿÖĴÖpasok sa mainstream. Sana ay suportahan ng ating mga kababayan ang mga pelikulang ipapalabas sa MMFF this year, lalong lalo na ang Nelia, dahil ito po ang pagbabalik natin sa mga sinehan ngayon pandemic,” [“We are really grateful to the MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority), the organizer of the MMFF, for choosing us to be part of the festival this year. This is a big thing for us at A and Q because it gives hope to novice Öłù ĢłùĢā ƩķĿĿÖĴāũŭ ķĢĴā Žŭ Ŷŋ ėāŶ ĢłŶŋ ŶĞā ĿÖĢłŭŶũāÖĿ̍ R Ğŋťā ŋŽũ ĕāķķŋƒ DĢķĢťĢłŋŭ ƒĢķķ ŭŽťťŋũŶ ŶĞā ƩķĿŭ that will be screened at MMFF this year, especially Nelia, because this is our return to the cinemas during the ťÖłùāĿĢó̧̇̚ ŭÖĢù 'ĢũāĴ dāŭŶāũ̍

“Nelia” will premiere on Dec. 25 in select theaters across the Philippines.

ŭĢùā ĕũŋĿ ķāÖù ŭŶÖũ ÂĢłƒƘł̇ ŶĞā ƩķĿ also stars Raymond Bagatsing, Mon !ŋłƩÖùŋ̇ ķĢ Dŋũðāŭ̇ œĞĢùŋ ˜ŋƗÖŭ̇ Öłù Juan Carlos Galano. (Manila Bulletin Entertainmernt)