Rob Munday

When you picture the figure of a mother, what image comes to mind? While portrayals may vary around the world – shaped by tradition and expectation – certain universal stereotypes will certainly be found. Filipino filmmaker Sonny Calvento looks to challenge these perceptions with his TIFF-selected short Primetime Mother, which explores the story of a woman prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to provide for her sick daughter.

In an era where parenthood itself is increasingly framed as a competition, Calvento uses his short’s unusual premise to highlight these pressures. The film follows Minda, a mother forced to demean herself on a fictional reality program, My Amazing Mama, in order to win money for her child’s medical needs. Competing against other women in a series of humiliating challenges – including crying, posing, and dancing – Calvento not only reveals the exploitative dynamics of the entertainment industry, but also how routinely “women and mothers are stereotyped”.

Drawing on nearly a decade of experience within the television industry, Calvento infuses Primetime Mother with both authenticity and critique. Its shifting aspect ratio reflects the contrast between the perspective of the contestants and the gaze of the television cameras, creating a playful yet unsettling aesthetic. By situating the narrative within a reality game show, Calvento’s short not only entertains but also offers a timely commentary on the blurred line between fiction and reality – a boundary that continues to erode as our relationship with technology deepens.