Cavite

Mr. Dela Llana and Mr. Gamazon get into some locations that haven't been seen in the West since Lino Brocka's provocative, politicized Philippine melodramas of the 70's and 80's. NY TIMES

"A taut, stylish, minimalist thriller." NY POST

"landmark in diaspora cinema." VILLAGE VOICE

Pic departs from genre convention with an ending that delivers impressive impact. For a guerilla-style, no-budget Yank indie to even tackle issues of jihad terror and naive Western thinking is noteworthy in itself, but Gamazon and Dela Llana inflame the issues with a gutsy, athletic filmmaking package that shows what can be done with a minimum of tools. VARIETY

 ...guerilla filmmaking at its finest.  HOLLYWOOD REPORTER   

A button-pushing thriller...fresh and compelling to the end.  LA TIMES

A breathless, jugular thriller.  LA WEEKLY

I've seen Cavite three times now in the span of 36 hours, first to appreciate the thrilling bare-bones narrative (Blair Witch Project meets Phone Booth, only much, much better), then to marvel at the ingenuity of two young filmmakers spinning gold out of tinfoil, then to gawk at the masterful craft of a movie that looks as though it had been made by old pros.  DALLAS OBSERVER

...riveting film. PASADENA WEEKLY

...a hallucinogenic travelogue. LA CITY BEAT

Smart, tense, raw and uncompromising, "Cavite" throws you into a verité first-person nightmare with the bruising, single-minded intensity of "The Blair Witch Project" and the topical fervor of today's headlines. AUSTIN STATESMAN

A remarkable film that is interesting and appropriately contemporary in style as well as subject...Cavite is a thoughtful and skillfully developed story and a true Independent film. If you have a chance to see it, do.  FILMTHREAT

This film captures the essence of independent filmmaking by working with a non-existent budget and delivering a worthwhile film with an amazing message.  COMINGSOON.NET

Anchored by an excellent lead performance by (co-writer, co-director) Gamazon, "Cavite" throws your expectations to the wind and just hopes you'll come along for the ride. It's fast-paced and grittily entertaining, but never in that safe and generic way that most Hollywood thrillers shoot for.  EFILMCRITIC

Cavite is a must-see. ASIANWEEK

...astonishingly well-made thriller. KANSAS CITY STAR

...more absorbing, provocative and intense than most major studio films with multimillion dollar budgets. DAILY TEXAN

...the film effectively conveys the tension and terror of Adam's plight. AUSTIN CHRONICLE

a thought-provoking, edge-of-your-seat thriller... MOVIEHOLE.NET

Where this film differs from those more forgettable Hollywood thrillers is in it's setting: the film takes place in the Philippines, and the filmmakers use their story as an excuse to explore this culture in vivid, fascinating detail. In addition, they take the premise to places, narratively that no Hollywood film would ever dare go. The climax of Cavite is upsetting and honest, and completely elevates the film from the status of a traditional nail biter. AINTITCOOL

Dela Llana and Gamazon fashion a work that's both avant-garde and Hollywood... FILMMAKER MAGAZINE