Sigrid Bernardo returns to prestigious Fantasporto fest with ‘Pushcart Tales’

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It was in 2020 when Sigrid Andrea Bernardo last screened a film at Fantasporto, an international film festival held annually in Porto, Portugal. It was for the drama thriller Untrue, which copped the best actress award for the performance of its star, Christine Reyes.

At the time, though, onsite participation in the festival wasn’t possible for the Filipino director. But this year, she returns to the prestigious fantasy/horror-oriented film festival for her latest title, Pushcart Tales.

“I feel incredibly honored and privileged,” Bernardo tells me. “This year, I’m even able to attend the festival myself, which makes it all the more special. I can’t wait to share this experience with everyone.”

Pushcart Tales first competed in last year’s inaugural edition of Puregold Cinepanalo Film Festival, where it won a slew of awards, including best director, best ensemble, and a special jury prize. It will also make a comeback at Cinepanalo’s sophomore edition this March 2025, as part of the festival’s revisited section, screening all full-length titles from the 2024 slate.

The movie’s ensemble includes Shamaine and Nonie Buencamino, Elora Españo, Carlos Siguion-Reyna, Therese Malvar, and Harvey Bautista. Photo courtesy of Ian Marasigan

The movie centers on six individuals forced to take shelter in a grocery store due to a raging storm, an unlikely situation that, through a concentration game, leads them to wrestle with stories of bottled-up pain and grief. The premise is nearly theatrical, and the result is an intimate yet derangedly funny portrait of maintaining or outgrowing relationships, from familial to romantic.

It gathers a solid cast: Shamaine and Nonie Buencamino, Elora Españo, Carlos Siguion-Reyna, Therese Malvar, and Harvey Bautista. 

Production began on January 23, 2024, lasting eight days, before the film premiered at Cinepanalo on March 15, 2024. Bernardo says working on the film “was an intense but rewarding process.” “I worked on the material for about a week, immersing myself in the dialogue to ensure it resonated deeply.”

Pushcart Tales joins another Filipino feature at Fantasporto’s 45th edition, Chito S. Roño’s haunted house horror Espantaho (Scarecrow), starring Judy Ann Santos, following its run in last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival.

Ahead of the festival’s run from February 28 to March 9, I spoke to Bernardo about the making of the movie, her theater roots, and her penchant for disaster cinema. The conversation has been condensed.

The crew behind ‘Pushcart Tales.’ Photo courtesy of Ian Marasigan

I find the game in the movie’s second act so interesting. I feel like the concept could even work on stage. How did you come up with that game? Was it inspired by theater, considering your background?

The game we used is actually quite popular from the ’90s. It’s a sort of concentration game, good for breaking the ice and sharpening your mind. 

I graduated from Dulaang U.P. with a major in performance, and I’ve been a scholar at Tanghalang Pilipino, so I have a strong theater background. I believe this concept could work wonderfully on stage too. In fact, my experiences in theater often weave their way into my films, shaping the stories I want to tell. Theater influences my films a lot; I bring that spirit with me into every project I work on.

As a follow-up to that, do you ever miss working on theater?

Absolutely! I miss it dearly, whether I’m directing or acting. Acting in theater serves as a beautiful release for me. However, theater demands a significant commitment of time, and the unpredictable nature of film often means I have to choose one over the other. Yet, every time I make a film, I draw from my theater roots. The discipline I learned in theater, combined with the freedom of imagination it offered, profoundly shapes my filmmaking journey.

Since the project was under Cinepanalo, was the filming location a deliberate decision? 

While it wasn’t a requirement from Cinepanalo, I made a thoughtful choice in selecting the filming location. I am truly grateful that a grocery store like Puregold is willing to support cinema by producing a film festival. It’s amazing to see a business invest in the film industry in such a meaningful way. Choosing a grocery store as our setting is my way of expressing gratitude to the festival for their commitment to supporting filmmakers. It symbolizes appreciation for those who uplift our industry, and I wanted to honor that through our film.

‘The discipline I learned in theater, combined with the freedom of imagination it offered, profoundly shapes my filmmaking journey,’ says Sigrid Bernardo. Photo courtesy of Ian Marasigan

The material also demands a lot from the ensemble. I’m curious, what was it like trying to harness the performances of your actors in a way that they all work as a unit but each portrayal still shines through?

We held readings and workshops as an ensemble, which really helped us all connect. I’m so thankful my actors are professionals; they understood the importance of these workshops for building chemistry. Most of them come from theater, and having worked with some before, there was a strong sense of trust in my process. It was crucial that we worked on the group’s chemistry, but I also devoted time to focus on each actor’s individual character. I always made it a point to discuss my vision for the characters with them, keeping open communication and collaboration at the forefront.

Were there any movies or other works that served as visual motivations for Pushcart Tales?

Interestingly, there weren’t any specific visual inspirations. Instead, I challenged myself to be playful and creative, crafting something engaging and unpredictable within a limited timeframe and budget. My theater training taught me to be resourceful and to make the most of the space and resources available to tell a compelling story.

Apart from being a story about relationships, the film also mines climate issues. I wonder, have you always been drawn to directing disaster films?

Yes, I’ve always loved disaster movies — anything about the end of the world or a zombie apocalypse has captured my imagination. It’s always been a dream of mine to direct one. However, I recognize that these types of projects require a substantial budget. Most of the projects offered to me have been dramas or romance, but I really hope to explore thrillers, adventures, and action films in the future, including those with apocalyptic themes.

It’s been two decades since you had your directorial debut at Cinemalaya for the short film Babae. How do you think your sensibilities as a director and storyteller have changed since?

Reflecting on my two-decade journey since my directorial debut at Cinemalaya with the short film Babae, I’ve learned so much about filmmaking techniques. Filmmaking is an ongoing learning journey for me, and I’m grateful to work alongside talented colleagues from whom I continue to learn. Despite this growth, I always return to the essence of why I started making films in the first place. I always return to my core sensibilities of storytelling and the urge to convey meaningful messages through each film as if it were my last. It’s crucial for me to remember where I began, with nothing but a story to share. I always ask myself what I want to say and convey to the world through my films. – Rappler.com