MANILA -- It was a fitting moment when the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and the 23rd Udine Far East Film Festival announced Monday that they are paying homage to the late multi-awarded film actor and director Eddie Garcia at the Italian film fest from June 24 to July 2.

This week is the second-year commemoration of the passing of Garcia who succumbed on June 20, 2019 to accident-related injuries on the set of his last TV show.

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The Udine Special Tribute Section, dubbed as “Eddie Garcia: Life as a Film Epic (Ommagio a Eddie Garcia: La vita come un’epopea cinematografica),” will showcase five of the icon’s films, including “Pagdating sa Dulo,” the directorial debut of Ishmael Bernal (1971); “Bwakaw” by Jun Robles Lana (2012); “Rainbow’s Sunset” by Joel Lamangan (2018); “Anino,” a short film by Raymond Red (2000); and “Sinasamba Kita” directed by Garcia (1982, FAMAS Best Director winner).

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“Anino,” a gritty short film about social inequality in Manila directed by Red and winner of the Palme D'Or for Best Short Film at the 2000 Cannes International Film Festival, is a testament to Garcia’s legacy and generosity as an artist. He portrayed the hot-headed Mercedes Benz-driving rich guy stuck in traffic in the short film.

“It was a daunting and intimidating task to have Eddie in my movie," Red told ABS-CBN News in a virtual conference Monday. “I did not know him but I wanted someone imposing with a menacing power that only he could deliver. I told him I needed him.”

“He was a cool guy, early on the set and treated us as colleagues,” recalled Red, a pioneer in alternative cinema who reportedly spent his own money to produce “Anino” that eventually won in Cannes. “It was a privilege for us, including his co-stars Ronnie Lazaro and John Arcilla. And he did it for free!”

The Udine festival organizers disclosed that they actually wanted two more of Garcia’s films -- the landmark Lino Brocka movie “Tubog sa Ginto” where the late actor portrayed a closeted husband; and the Nora Aunor-starrer “Atsay” directed by Garcia.

“Unfortunately, I was informed about issues about its restoration and technical unavailability," Udine’s film programmer Max Tessier said at the virtual conference.

Sixty-three films from 11 countries (Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Macau, Myanmar and the Philippines) will be shown on-site at Udine at Cinema Visionario and Cinema Centrale, and online as well.

The Philippines “Fan Girl “by Antoinette Jadaone (2020) and “Anak ng Macho Dancer” by Joel Lamangan (2021) are among the 45 films in the Competition Section.

Grace Simbulan’s “A is for Agustin” will be screened under Documentaries Section (Out of Competition).

“We are grateful to the Far East Film Festival in Udine for propagating Asian films in Europe and supporting Philippine cinema once more," FDCP head Liza Dino said.

“It is an honor to have a total of eight films in the festival with a heartwarming tribute to our eternal icon Eddie Garcia to further his artistry and legacy.”

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