ON ITS 12th year, Cinemalaya sets sail to new waters and will hold its first screening of independent film entries at Ayala Center Cebu from August 9 to 14.
In a press huddle held at Cebu City Marriott Hotel recently, festival director Chris Millado shared that Cinemalaya has always been imagined as a balanghay or a big boat, that sets sail to rough waters, embarking on a new journey in the field of filmmaking.
And this time, Cebu City will become its first destination outside of Luzon.
The Queen City of the South will serve as its harbor for six days, to screen 19 films competing for the full-length and short feature categories this year.
“We are exploring, finding and setting new sails, opening up, that’s why we are breaking the surface and rules this time,” Chris told
Cebu media.
With its thriving filmmaking scene, Cebu has always been the first choice to host the first screening of Cinemalaya outside Luzon. Cebuano independent filmmakers have been a stand-out in the local film industry.
In fact, this year a Cebuano film entitled “Get Certified” has been short-listed as one of the 10 films competing for the short feature
category.
Ara Chawdhury’s “Miss Bulalaco” also made it to the list for the exhibition screening for the independent film festival.
The Cinemalaya screening in Cebu will be from August 9-14. On its first night, Atom Magadia’s “Dagsin” (Gravity) that features the tearjerker love story of an elderly couple who survived World War II and Vic Acedillo Jr.’s “Lando at Bugoy,” a story of a school dropout father pursuing his studies with his son, who has grown to hate him, will open the film festival.
The directors of the two films competing for the full-length feature will grace the opening on August 9 and will get to interact with the audience in a talk-back session.
There will be free passes for the films “Dagsin” and “Lando at Bugoy” on the first night.
For the rest of the screening dates, tickets will be priced at P150. For more information about Cinemalaya, visit www.cinemalaya.org, www.culturalcenter.gov.ph. and the Facebook pages Cinemalaya and Ayala Center Cebu.
The nine entries competing for the Cinemalaya Full-Length Feature Film Category award are:
•“Ang Bagong Pamilya Ni Ponching” by Inna Miren Salazar and Dos Ocampo
• “Dagsin” by Atom Magadia
•“Hiblang Abo” by Ralston Jover
•“I America” by Ivan Andrew Payawal
•“Kusina” by David Corpuz and Cenon Palomares
•“Lando at Bugoy” by Vic Acedillo Jr.
• “Mercury Is Mine” by Jason Paul Laxamana
•“Pamilya Ordinaryo” by Eduardo Roy Jr.
•“Tuos” by Derick Cabrido.
The 10 entries in the Short-Feature Film Category are:
•“Ang Hapon Ni Nanding” (Nanding’s Afternoons) by Rommel
Tolentino
•“Ang Maangas, Ang Marikit, at Ang Makata” by Jose Ibarra Guballa
•“Bugtaw” by Noah Del Rosario
•“Butas” by Richard Cawed
•“Fish Out Of Water” by Mon A.L. Garilao
•“Forever Natin” by Cyrus Valdez
•“Get Certified” by Isaias Herrera Zantua
•“Mansyong Papel” by Ogos Aznar
•“Nakauwi Na” by John Relano, Patrick Baleros, and Luis Hidalgo
•“Pektus” by Isabel Quesada
Cinemalaya is a project of the Cinemalaya Foundation and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
An all-digital film festival and competition, it has been established in 2005 and aims to discover, encourage and honor cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers.
To date, Cinemalaya has supported and promoted the production of 127 full feature independent films and 106 short films.
