The Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival has kicked off its 20th year with an opening night celebrating the wide variety of uplifted Filipino voices within the two decades of its run.
Hosted by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the annual film festival showcases the work of upcoming and renowned Filipino filmmakers, which revolve around the various narratives aiming to shed light on societal issues and amplify the voices of those unheard. While the usual venue at the CCP Complex is under renovation, the screenings for the films will be conducted in selected Ayala Malls cinemas.
Gracing the red carpet for the opening night last Aug. 2 at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay were filmmakers who have competed in the previous iterations of the film festival as well as the cast and crew of the films competing this year. Renowned figures of the film industry such as National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee and Golden Globe Awards and BAFTA Awards nominee Dolly De Leon also walked down the red carpet.
Serving as the opening film was Sheron Dayoc’s The Gospel of the Beast, which stars Jansen Magpusao and Ronnie Lazaro. The opening program also showcased the directors and the trailers of the films which will compete in the film festival’s full-length and short film categories.
Speaking on the film festival’s milestone, Cinemalaya president Laurice Guillen asserted its persevering goal throughout each year’s edition.
“The heart of Cinemalaya lies in our commitment to nurturing and showcasing the voices of storytellers. Our mission is to empower filmmakers to help them find their unique voice and vision and to amplify their stories to enrich the lives of those around us,” said Guillen.
“It is through the individual experiences captured in film that we can create meaningful connections, spark conversations, and foster a deeper appreciation of the diverse narratives that make up our world,” she added.
The films competing in the full length competition are Alipato at Muog by JL Burgos, Kono Basho by Jaime Pacena II, An Errand by Dominic Bekaert and Serge Lacuesta, Love Child by Jonathan Jurilla, Balota by Kip Oebanda, The Hearing by Lawrence Fajardo, Gulay Lang, Manong! by BC Amparado, The Wedding Dance by Julius Lumiqued, Kantil by Joshua Caesar Medroso, and Tumandok by Richard Jeroui Salvadico and Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay.
For the short film category, the competing films are Ambot Wa Ko Kabalo Unsay I-Title Ani by Rey Anthony Villaverde, Primetime Mother by Sonny Calvento, All This Wasted Space by Cris Bringas, Mama by Alexandra Brizuela, Pamalandong sa Danow by Breech Asher Haran, I Was Walking on the Streets of Chinatown by Ryan Capili, An Bagas sa Dalan by Mariel Ritchie Jolejole and Roniño Dolim, Cross My Heart and Hope To Die by Sam Manacsa, Abogbaybay by P.R. Monencillo Patindol, and Mariposa by Melanie Faye.
Apart from the main competition, Cinemalaya also has the 36th CCP Independent Film & Video Competition and Festival as well as film premieres for Doy del Mundo and Ida del Mundo’s Brocka x Bernal, Sean Devlin’s Asog, Joel Lamangan’s Lola Magdalena, Joselito Altarejos’ Guardia de Honor, Luisito Ignacio’s Abenida, and Kyla Danelle Romero’s Transients. Thailand film Solids by the Seashore by Patiparn Boontarig and DitO by Takashi Yuki will also be premiering as part of the Visions of Asia category.
Digital classics and documentaries will also be showcased along with the films that won the Best Picture award at the Puregold Cinepanalo Film Festival and the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival which were Under A Piaya Moon by Kurt Soberano and Firefly by Zig Dulay. Tributes for the figures in Philippine cinema who have passed on such as Armando Lao, Jaclyn Jose, Fernando Poe Jr., and Teddy Co will also be shown.
Also serving as part of the film festival are several exhibitions at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay Cinema Lobby such as the Cinemalaya 20 Competition Films Exhibit, Portrait Photos by Nap Jamir, and the Cinemalaya Festival Filmmakers & Posters (Video Exhibit). There will also be book launches at the Japan Town in Ayala Malls Manila Bay for Clodualdo del Mundo Jr.’s “Disconnected Media & Other Essays as well as the When East Meets East book edited by Philip Cheah on Aug. 5 while The Archival Afterlives of Philippine Cinema by Bliss Cua Lim on Aug. 9.
The film festival runs until Aug. 11 in select cinemas in Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Ayala Malls TriNoma, Market! Market!, UP Town Center, and Greenbelt, with special screenings at The Metropolitan Theater. Tickets are priced at P300 for regular tickets, P200 for students, and P550 for A-Luxe tickets.
