A bigger and better Cinemalaya is set to break the surface this 2016. Are your ready for the 12th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival?
With the theme “Break the Surface”, nine full length films and ten short features will vie for the Cinemalaya Award this year as it open in Metro Manila, Sta. Rosa and Cebu City this August. In Metro Manila, Cinemalaya opens at its main venue on August 5-14 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and at satellite venues at Ayala Cinemas in Greenbelt 3 and Glorietta, Makati, Trinoma and UP Town Center, Quezon City and Nuvali, Sta. Rosa. In Cebu, Cinemalaya will run from August 9-14 at Ayala Mall.
The nine competing full length films 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.
Meanwhile, the ten competing short films 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
Aside from competing Full Length and Short Films, Cinemalaya will also offer the following sections this year: Festival’s Best, Asian Showcase, Documentaries, Tribute to Francis Pasion and Cinemalaya Institute showcase. The Cinemalaya Campus, a major component of the Festival, will be held as well on August 9-10 at the CCP Little Theater while the Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video, which is considered the longest-running independent film competition of its kind in the ASEAN/Asian region, will have its 28th run also during Cinemalaya.
The Asian Section will feature award winning NETPAC films, namely: Child Of Debt by Umashankar Swamy (India/Kannada, 2015), Mina Walking by Yosef Baraki (Afghanistan/Canada, 2015 ), Motor Bicycle by Shameera Rangana Naotunna (Sri Lanka, 2015), Stranger by Yermek Tursunov(Kazakhstan, 2015), The Kids by Sunny Yu(Taiwan, 2015), Under Heaven by Dalmira Tilepbergen (Kyrgyzstan, 2015) and Until I Lose My Breath by Emine Emel Balci(Turkey-Germany, 2015). The Asian Section will also screen River Road by Li Ruijun(China, 2014).
The Tribute to Francis Pasion honors the life and work of the late Cinemalaya director who passed away in March 2016. His films Bwaya (Cinemalaya 2014 Best Film, Best Cinematography & Best Score), Jay (Cinemalaya 2008 Best Film, Best Editing, Best Actor) and Sampagita (2010 Cinemalaya Special Jury Prize) will be shown in this retrospective.
Lav Diaz’ Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis, which won the Silver Bear at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival, will be shown in the Special Screenings section, along with his Ang Araw Bago ang Wakas. The Special Screenings section will also spotlight the work of Jaclyn Jose, recently awarded Best Actress in this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and Nick De Ocampo’s historical documentaries Eiga and Gunita, among others.
The Cinemalaya 2016 Exhibit at the Bulwagang Carlos V. Francisco (Little Theater Lobby) will feature posters and memorabilia from the films selected for the competition.
Also new this year is the partnership of Cinemalaya and Eigasai Japanese Film Festival, through the Japan Foundation. As allied festivals, Cinemalaya and Eigasai will encourage film exchange, help in the promotion of both events, and contribute to audience building and film education. Under this alliance, Eigasai brings in two films – Ken and Kazu by Hiroshi Shoji and August in Tokyo by Ryutaro Nakagawa — to Cinemalaya’s Asian Section. Ken and Kazu will be the opening film of the Asian Section. Both films will be free admission. As part of Eigasai Film Festival, the CCP will host the screening of The Emperor in August by Masato Harada on July 8 at the CCP Little Theater.
Cinemalaya is a project of the Cinemalaya Foundation, the 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. To date, Cinemalaya has supported and promoted the production of 127 full feature independent films and 106 short films. Many of these films have won awards in local and international competitions and festivals. 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.
For more information about Cinemalaya, visit www.cinemalaya.org, www.culturalcenter.gov.ph and the Cinemalaya Facebook page or CCP Media Arts at telephone number 832-1125 local 1704-1705 and the CCP box office at 832-3704.