Aga Muhlach in a scene in with dark and shadowy lighting for “Uninvited”. —MENTORQUE PRODUCTION/ YOUTUBE

Its price is high enough to produce another movie,” said film producer John Bryan Diamante of the custom-built lenses that were used to shoot the thriller flick “Uninvited.”

The film is the first in the country to use the Cooke Anamorphic Full Frame Special Flare lenses that are specially made to fit the state-of-the-art digital cinema camera ARRI Alexa 35.

“Even on the technical aspect of the film, we made sure to give our all. Those who have seen the film said they noticed a big difference in its overall look,” said Diamante, CEO of Mentorque Productions.

Incidentally, the Mentorque-produced horror-thriller, “Mallari,” was the first to use the Alexa 35 locally. “Uninvited” director Dan Villegas, cinematographer Pao Orendain, and their crew at Project 8 Projects were the first to use it with the customized lens.

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“As to how much it cost us, let’s just say we invested a lot because the Filipino talent deserves to be showcased,” Diamante told Lifestyle.

The lenses are customized with some special features, explained Orendain, and anyone who orders them can choose from a range of customizable features that the British lens company, Cooke Optics, offers.

“I asked the rental house, CMB Film Services, if they could order these lenses for the film, and so they asked me to specify which features we wanted for the lenses. CMB purchased all the equipment, but with the lens specifications from me. Mentorque, through coproducer Project 8 Projects, rented them,” cinematographer Orendain explained.

“We understand that having a brilliant cast is not enough, that production value should be impressive, too,” Diamante added.

Assembling such a powerhouse cast obviously cost them a lot. It features Vilma Santos, Aga Muhlach, and Nadine Lustre as leads. Equally talented acts like Gabby Padilla, Elijah Canlas, Mylene Dizon, Lotlot de Leon, Tirso Cruz III, Ketchup Eusebio, and RK Bagatsing play support.

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Bent on exacting revenge, Eva Candelaria (Santos) gatecrashes the birthday party of Guilly Vega (Muhlach), the billionaire who brutally murdered her only daughter a decade ago and got away with the crime. The story, which happens in the span of a day, reveals dark family secrets and tackles disturbing themes.

Said Orendain: “Dan mentioned to me and Mic (Michaela Tatad-King), our production designer, that he wanted the mansion party scenes to look grand and opulent. So, I tried to contrast the glossy and rich lighting from those party scenes with very dark and shadowy lighting, helped along with tones I felt represented danger. We wanted to feel like the violence of the past and present all happened in the shadows hiding underneath the glitzy and glamorous facade of the extravagant party.”

“Uninvited” cinematographer Pao Orentain (left) and director Dan Villegas using the ARRI Alexa 35 camera with the Cooke Anamorphic Full Frame Special Flare lenses —CHA VILLEGAS

“Uninvited” is one of 10 entries to the 50th edition of the Metro Manila Film Festival, which will run from Christmas Day to Jan. 7, 2025.

“We want this to be seen by as many people as possible,” Diamante said, adding that with Warner Bros. as its distributor, he is hoping for the film to have simultaneous screenings worldwide. While it is compulsory for all local cinemas to screen only MMFF entries during the festival’s two-week run, Diamante said exhibitions abroad are permitted, too, “as long as they are screened in movie theaters and not streamed online.”

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Mentorque is working on eventually coproducing with Warner Bros, he added. “We know that we still have a lot to prove as a production company. Warner definitely has a major influence on how we do our films. They can’t just say ‘yes’ and put their logo there for nothing.”

Diamante said Mentorque is involved in talks with various companies. It hopes to produce an original series for a streaming platform. Its next film projectgold99, on urban legend and lost city “Biringan,” has proven to be very complicated, unfortunately taking a longer route in terms of preproduction. INQ

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