Video by INQUIRER.net’s Ryan Leagogo
MANILA, Philippines—Eyebrows may raise but if there’s no Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal and Kidlat Tahimik, there could be no Adolf Alix, Raya Martin, Jon Red, Raymond Red and Lav Diaz. In the same breath, if there’s no Cinemalaya, there could be no Cinema One Originals, Sineng Pambansa and other independent film festivals in the country.
Amid the controversies and setbacks, Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival on its 10th year continues to grow in support of the brave and rogue talents in contemporary Philippine cinema.
Nestor Jardin, Cinemalaya Foundation president, said in a recent press con that the festival has come up with 118 full feature independent films and 96 short films, many of which have won awards in local and international competitions and festivals.
Coleen Garcia (right) in a scene from Gino Santos’ entry in the full-length category titled “#Y”. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/Cinemalaya Foundation
“Through the annual festival, Cinemalaya has showcased over 1,000 works by independent filmmakers including full feature films, shorts, documentaries, Filipino film classics, and art films,” he added.
He explained how Cinemalaya films have tackled unique and relevant stories and issues that would not normally be subjects of commercial cinema – social inequality, poverty, crime, religion, forbidden love, environment, culinary arts, children’s rights, family values, homosexuality, physical disability, folk tales, local media, youth issues, cultural community issues, politics, human rights, drugs, women’s issues, among others.
“To date, Cinemalaya has provided direct support for 164 Filipino indie filmmakers,” Jardin said.
For her part, Cinemalaya competition chairperson Laurice Guillen explained the grueling processes in selecting entries up to the completion of each entry.
Mara Lopez in director Ida del Mundo’s entry in the full-length category titled “K’na the Dreamweaver”. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/Cinemalaya Foundation
X means 10 fruitful years
Now on its 10th year and billed as “Cinemalaya X,” the 2014 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition premieres a crop of 25 new digital films on August 1 to 10 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, its main venue, and at satellite venues at Ayala Theaters in Greenbelt Makati, Alabang Town Center, TriNoma, and Fairview Terraces, the latest addition to Cinemalaya satellite venues.
The films are diverse in themes and subject matter that covering a range of genres, from coming of age stories, romance, epic, comedy and action.
Competing in the New Breed Full Length Feature category are:
• “#Y” by Gino M. Santos
• “1st ko si 3rd” by Real S. Florido
• “Bwaya” by Francis Xavier Pasion
• “Children’s Show” by Roderick Cabrido
• “ Dagitab (SPARKS)” by Giancarlo Abrahan V
• “K’na The Dreamweaver” by Ida Anita Q. Del Mundo
• “Mariquina” by Milo Sogueco
• “Ronda” by Nick Olanka
• “ s6parados” by GB Sampedro
• “Sundalong Kanin” by Janice O’Hara and Denise O’Hara
In the Directors Showcase, the entries are:
• “Asintado” by Louie Ignacio
• “Hari ng Tondo” by Carlitos Siguion-Reyna
• “Hustisya” by Joel Lamangan
• “Kasal” by Joselito Altarejos
• “The Janitor” by Michael Tuviera
In the Short Feature category, the entries are:
• “Asan si Lolo Me?” by Sari Estrada
• “Eyeball” by Christopher “Thop” Nazareno
• “Ina-Tay” by Chloe Anne A. Veloso
• “Indayog ng Nayatamak” by Joris Fernandez
• “Lola” by Kevin Ang
• “Mga Ligaw na Paru-paro” by Jann Eric “J.E.” Tiglao
• “Nakabibinging Kadiliman” by Paolo O’Hara
• “Padulong sa Pinuy-anan” by Fedwilyn Villarba Sabolboro
• “The Ordinary Things” We Do by David R. Corpuz
• “Tiya Bening” by Ralph Aldrin L. Quijano
Ricky Davao as a shoemaker in director Milo Sogueco’s “Mariquina” (full-length). CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/Cinemalaya Foundation
Special events and new festival features will be held to celebrate Cinemalaya’s 10th year milestone. These include the launching of the Cinemalaya X book, announcement of the Cinemalaya Logo Contest winner, the introduction of the Cinemalaya Achievement Award, Cinemalaya Film Forum, special exhibitions that will document the story of Cinemalaya’s first decade, and Cinemalaya X Retrospective.
The achievements of Cinemalaya over the past ten years are summed up in the Festival’s theme: “A Decade of Connecting Dimensions”. The theme highlights Cinemalaya as a flourishing network of individuals, groups and institutions with a common goal of developing and promoting Filipino independent filmmaking.
Milestones
August 2004—Cinemalaya is launched during a press briefing in Makati City.
July 12 to 17, 2005—1st Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival is held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines under the auspices of the CCP, Film Development Council of the Philippines, UP film Institute and Dream Network.
November 2005—Auraeus Solito’s “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” wins best film at the Montreal World Film Festival and later, the best film at the 2006 Gawad Urian.
December 2005—Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. is established with Antonio O. Cojuangco as chairman, Nestor O. Jardin as president and Laurice Guillen as vice-president.
July 17 to 23, 2006—2nd Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival; Audience count increases from 8,440 to 15,373 – an increase of 82 percent.
August to September, 2006—Cinemalaya undertakes it first national outreach tour covering nine cities all over the country.
July 20 to 29, 2007—3rd Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival;
Cinemalaya Philippine Premieres section is launched.
July 11 to 20, 2008—4th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film festival; Cinemalaya Kids’ Treat is launched; Cinemalaya Restrospective is launched featuring the works of Manuel Conde.
July 17 to 26, 2009—5th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival;
NETPAC award is launched for Cinemalaya Philippine Premieres.
September 2009—Pepe Diokno’s “Engkwentro” wins the Grand Prize, Orizzonti Award, and Luigi De Laurentiis Lion of the Future award at the 66th Venice International Film Festival.
July 9 to 18, 2010—6th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival; Directors Showcase is added as a new competition category for veteran directors. Cinemalaya celebrates its 5th anniversary with a retrospective exhibit.
July 15 to 24, 2011—7th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival; Cinemalaya partners with Ayala Malls Cinemas and Greenbelt 3 Cinemas become additional venues for the Festival; Cinemalaya Documentaries and Focus Asia sections are launched; IFC’s Film Financing Forum is launched.
October 2011—Loy Arcenas’ “Nino”, 2011 Cinemalaya New Breed Jury Prize Winner, is co-winner in the New Currents category at the Busan International Film Festival.
November 2011—Jeffrey Jeturian’s “Bisperas”, 2011 Directors’ Showcase Best Film, wins the Best Film award in the Asia-Middle East section of the 24th Tokyo International Film Festival; Cinemalaya sa Gapo is launched at the Olongapo City Convention Center.
July 20 to 29, 2012—8th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival; TriNoma Cinema in Quezon City is added as venue thus increasing the total festival venues to 8.
July 26 to Aug. 4, 2013—9th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival; Ayala Town Center in Alabang is added as venue increasing the number of festival screens to 10; Viewership shoots up to 82,322.
October 2013 –Hannah Espia’s “Transit,” winner of Best Picture in the New Breed category of the 9th Cinemalaya Festival, is chosen by the Film Academy of the Philippines as the Philippines’ entry to the 2013 Oscar Awards foR Best Foreign Language Film joining other Cinemalaya films which have been chosen as official Philippine entries in previous years:
2006: Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros
2007: Donsol
2011: Ang Babae sa Septic Tank
2012: Bwakaw
Nora Aunor in director Joel Lamangan’s “Hustisya” for the Directors Showcase category. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/Cinemalaya Foundation
Cinemalaya is a project of the Cinemalaya Foundation, Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Ayala Malls Cinemas. Established in 2005, Cinemalaya is an all-digital film festival and competition that aims to discover, encourage and honor cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers.
For more information about Cinemalaya X, visit www.cinemalaya.org, www.culturalcenter.gov.ph and the Cinemalaya facebook page.
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Those who made it to Cinemalaya 2014