Topakk Director, Mr. Richard Somes, was joined at the premiere by the film producers, Ms. Jossette C. Atayde, Mr. Wilfredo Manalang,

and Mr. Michaelangelo Masangkay; and cast members, Mr. Arjo Atayde and Mr. Enchong Dee.

Following the successful opening of award-winning director Lav Diaz’s film, Essential Truths of the Lake, another Filipino film took center stage at the 76th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland.

Mr. Richard V. Somes’ film, Topakk  (Triggered), premiered on 07 August 2023 at La Sala, featuring in the non-competitive Fuori Concorso section of the film festival.

At a public event following the screening, Mr. Somes said that he was inspired by the action movies in the 1980s in creating Topakk. The film, he added, was an exploration of the action film genre by reviving the old school Filipino action film style. This involved hand-to-hand martial arts combat while incorporating contemporary visual effects to have greater impact on the audience’s senses.   

Mr. Somes said that he hopes to capture interest of the international film community and showcase Philippine cinema to a broader audience.

The Locarno Film Festival runs until 12 August 2023.