12th edition of Cinemalaya unreels tomorrow

CARLOS Dala and Barbara Miguel in “1-2-3”

“If yours is a dying industry, you have to find ways to produce as much content to sustain it,” said film and TV director Laurice Guillen, explaining the main goal of the annual Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, which will open its 12th edition tomorrow.

“There are a lot of content to make as media continues to multiply and platforms change. We need new blood—that’s what Cinemalaya has been addressing for the past years,” said Guillen, who is also president of the Cinemalaya Foundation.

Nine full-length features and 10 short films will be screened this year from Aug. 6 to 14 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City and in selected cinemas in Makati, Taguig and Quezon cities, as well as in Cebu in the Visayas.

Carlo Obispo’s “1-2-3” will be screened at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo immediately after the 12th Cinemalaya’s opening ceremony at 6 p.m.

“It was originally on Cinemalaya’s competition shortlist for this year, but he (Obispo) pulled out because his cofinancier wanted an early production start.

The subject is sexploitation of minors,” Guillen explained. The film features Carlos Dala, Barbara Miguel, Therese Malvar, Sue Prado and Patricia Javier.

Asked why the movie was chosen as this year’s opening film, Guillen said: “It reminds me of Lino Broka’s ‘Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag;’ expect that the lead characters are children, and they are brother and sister. Carlo’s debut film was ‘Purok 7,’ which was an audience favorite in Cinemalaya (2013). In ‘1-2-3,’ we are happy to see his growth as a filmmaker, at the same time, that he retains his strong audience connection.”

Obispo said he had only hoped for “1-2-3” to be part of the 12th Cinemalaya as a regular exhibition. “I wanted it to premiere in my home country before it tours in different festivals abroad, but I’ve never imagined it to be the opening film,” he told Inquirer on Tuesday.

This year’s closing film, Gil Portes’ “Ang Hapis at Himagsik ni Hermano Puli,” will be screened on Aug. 13 at 9 p.m.

The nine finalists each received a cash grant of P750,000 from the Cinemalaya Foundation. Starting in 2015, the full-length feature category would have a two-year film production cycle.

Guillen said the finalists for the 2017 edition will be announced during the awards ceremony on Aug. 14. “That night, we shall also make the call for entries for the 2018 edition. The process of selection for that festival year will start in October,” explained Guillen.

When made to describe this year’s lineup of competing films, she answered: “I have not seen any of them as I am not anymore head of competition. The best screenplay is not necessarily the best film. I’m hoping it will still be like magic as in many of the past years.”

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