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John Denver Trending

Friday November 8, 2019 @ 3:30 pm | TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 3 View Map

Philippines 2019 Rated R 96:00 Tagalog and Kinaray-a with English Subtitles Canadian Premiere Drama Buy Tickets

John Denver Cabungcal is determined to pass 8th grade while helping his widowed mother make ends meet. After a school performance rehearsal, however, his life is upended after one of his classmates accuses him of stealing his iPad. This has not been the first time that he has been accused (and caught) for stealing, but John Denver is mad, because this time, he’s innocent. He snaps and gets into a fight with his accuser, but his accuser is popular, and his friends have recorded the assault and posted it on social media. The weaver town of Antique goes into a frenzy, and John Denver and his mother are caught in the vicious social media aftermath that cannot be undone.

Director Arden Rod Condez, who also hails from Antique, based the film on several true stories circulating on social media today. Shot with almost all non-professional actors, speaking in Antique’s native tongue Kinaray-a, John Denver Trending’s message is universal in its distressed signal on the safe spaces social media fails to provide for people coming of age.

– KE

Credits

Cast

Jansen Magpusao
Meryll Soriano
Glenn Mas
Sammy Rubido

Director's Bio

Arden Rod Condez

Arden Rod Condez hails from Pandan, Antique, Philippines. He has been a writer of ABS-CBN Corporation for almost 15 years. He is a graduate of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas with a degree in Broadcast Communication. He took a second major in literature, specializing on the Western Visayas in the Philippines, where Condez is from. John Denver Trending is Condez’s directorial debut and is based off of his Palanca Award winning story of the same name.

Recognition

OFFICIAL SELECTION

2019 Busan International Film Festival

2019 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival

Preceded by Respect by Pjay Gutierrez, the Audience Choice winner from Reel Asian’s See Yourself Here social media contest

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Content Warning: This film contains scenes that depict suicide which viewers may find triggering

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With Support From

Community Partner

Community Supporter

Workman Arts

Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival

401 Richmond Street West, The Commons (Suite 448)
Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3A8
Canada

T: (416) 703 – 9333
info@reelasian.com

Charitable number: 870021383RR0001

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"Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival" and "Reel Asian" are registered trademarks of Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival.
Charitable number: 870021383RR0001