Rogue.ph

In the secret lair of a popular bookstore, Yvette Tan—one of the winners of the 2nd Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards—dines with her idol, fantasy author Neil Gaiman, who planted her a knee-numbing kiss on the cheek only a few hours before and complimented her on her short story. For someone immune to the glamor that surrounds celebrities, Tan finds herself in rare moment of weakness.

In 2006, Alexis Tioseco was named by The Philippine Star as one of the most important young people in the country today. Although not a filmmaker himself, his efforts to promote local cinema have been more significant in that he has fostered an interest and put into context the work of Filipino directors such as Lav Diaz and Raya Martin to name a few—for both local and foreign audiences. During one film festival, he met Nika, an equally passionate editor of a film journal in her native Slovenia, and fell in love. For this issue, Tioseco writes her a letter, detailing not only their relationship and the difficulties of living apart, but also why he cannot leave Philippine cinema alone . . . especially to the critics or the filmmakers themselves.

Collecting art can sometimes be an intimidating, even frightening, endeavor, especially for dilettantes and pretentious wannabes. But Rina Ortiz, in her over ten years of collecting and evolving, dispels all fears and sums it up neatly: If it feels nice, don’t think twice. Buy what you love, she urges; learn as much as you possibly can and allow your tastes to evolve—guilt-free; sell what no longer moves you.