Ante

Gambling is a popular pastime in the Philippines, where corruption, fear and superstition form the wobbly pillars of society. LV is a woman with adult children who earns her money with an illegal gambling centre in her back garden. But things aren't going too well with the business - she has to pay out too much money - and her children aren't doing too well either. Her daughter is sought by a gang, her eldest, divorced son is trying to augment his paltry wages as a stable boy with illegal practices and the youngest son makes a bet about sex with his girlfriend.
Promising young film maker Adolfo Alix Jr films the sad story of the dysfunctional family rawly and without frills. Ante is Alix Jr's eleventh film since his prize-winning directing debut Donsol in 2006. His Aurora is also screened at the festival. At present he's working on two new films: Kalayaan (with support from the Hubert Bals Fund) and Porno.