Quezon Province has lost another well-meaning and important film artist—Felino Tañada.
Felino, a scion of the famous and illustrious Tañada clan, was a native of Gumaca, Quezon but he opted to stay most of his time, especially in his midlife, in Lucena. It was in Lucena where he found his niche in the arts especially in filmmaking and TV productions.
Before Felino ventured into full-time moviemaking in the millennium, he was with the Advertising and Promotion (AdProm) Division of Vicor Recording Company when it was still owned and managed by Vic del Rosario and when his other half (in the Vicor portmanteau), Orly Ilacad created his own multimedia empire, OctoArts. It was the time entertainment writer Dave Rojo had just moved in to Vicor. “Sina Felino at ang nasira ko ring kaibigan na si Fred Samantela ang close na close (Felino and my late friend were closest to each other),” recalled Dave a day before he went back to his town of Panganiban, Camarines Norte.
Shortly, Felino went to the US to pursue a study on filmmaking at the University of California in Los Angeles. In the US, he made a film “Dreams of Glass: Sana’y Ngayon ang Bukas” in 1999 with Rey “PJ” Abellana and Sandy Andolong.
When he came back, he immediately put into practice assiduously what learned from his studies abroad. He made “Hanggang Dito na Lamang at Maraming Salamat” in 2007 with Nonie Buencamino and Jon Santos; “Lukaret” in 2008 with Glydel Mercado; “Fausta” in 2009 with Perla Bautista and Tommy Abuel; “Buenavista” in 2010 with Eddie Garcia, Luis Alandy, Lara Quigaman, Roy Alvarez, Ricky Davao; “Hermano Puli” with Jaymar Maningas and “High Life Stories” Part 1 in 2018 and Part 2 in 2020 featuring local actors from Lucena.
Felino and I had had so many memorable moments together. When he was marketing his “Hermano Puli,” he moved around all towns in Quezon to show it. I waited for him in Gumaca after his meeting with a principal of a school. Later, we went to Lucena in his car together while meeting on possible film projects.
When he organized a film festival in 2016 all available films made by Quezonian filmmakers, I was one of his point men who coordinated with some directors from Quezon like Eugene Asis, Real Florido, Ronald Rafer, Francis Villacorta, the family of Vicente Salumbides, among others. He invited Mel Chionglo and Gil M. Portes, all gone now, to attend the event as honorees for bringing Quezon in the national as well as international film map.
In the editing of Jowee Morel’s documentary film “The Mystical Land: Lucban The Story,” I had to see him and to borrow some footage from his films done in Quezon as location for the visual support of the doc.
Whenever I had free time, I visit him in Lucena. Now, only his memories are palpable.
According to events producer Vic Alcuaz, Felino died of COVID last August 25, 2021. Vic reminisced his past with Tañada with fondness especially when they had a dinner reunion at Café Roces in 2013 with all International Kumustahan Concert Tours artist and staff who were part of the shows in the late 1980s. Together with Vic and Felino were Dulce, Angelique Lazo, Sony de la Calzada, among others.
According to Mon Prena, an associate of Felino, two of the films the director had started, namely “Children of the Sun” and “The Heartbreak Kids,” won’t be made anymore.
Our deepest sympathies to the Tañadas!#