"The world will be watching." That's the theme of this year's ad campaign of DDB Philippines promoting the sixth edition of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. Indeed, filmmakers and festival programmers all over the world are looking forward to the nine-day festival that promises to present cinematic works of Filipinos that offer fresh insight without compromising artistic integrity.
In this year's edition, a total of 24 films will be competing in the New Breed category and Director's Showcase category. The New Breed category features nine full-length filmsand10 short-feature films.
The Best Full-length Feature Film will receive a prize of P200,000 and the Balanghai Trophy. The Best Film in the Director's Showcase category will receive P300,000 and the Balanghai Trophy. The Best Short Feature Film will receive P100,000 and the Balanghai Trophy.
The festival will run from July 9-18 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The awarding ceremony will take place on July 18 also at the same venue.
STARS IN ATTENDANCE. The main lobby of the Cultural Center of the Philippines was jampacked with guests and celebrities yesterday, June 16, as the 24 competing films were presented in simple ceremonies.
Joel Lamangan's Sigwa (international title: Storm) is one of the most star-studded films in Cinemalaya 6. His film has two sets of actors to depict a story involving activists who lived during the First Quarter Storm of 1970. (CLICK HERE to read related article.)
Dawn Zulueta, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Tirso Cruz III, Marvin Agustin, Megan Young, Ayen Munji-Laurel, and Mon Confiado took the time to grace the event and show their support for Direk Joel.
Joem Bascon, Manuel Chua, Alwyn Uytingco, Maxene Magalona and Dominic Roco are among the young stars who will appear in the action-drama film Rekrut.Inspired by true events, Rekrut shows the training undertaken by military recruits (who are trained in the film by Emilio Garcia).
Meryll Soriano is cast as a DVD vendor who sells her kidney for the Cinemalaya entry Donor (previously titled Isang Pirasong Buhay).
The lead stars of the road movie Two Funerals, Tessie Tomas and Xian Lim, were also at the CCP with their director Gil Portes.
For the period film Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio, Lance Raymundo and 2008 Bb. Pilipinas-World Danielle Castaño are cast as Emilio Aguinaldo and Gregoria de Jesus, respectively, in the Mario O'Hara film.
LJ Moreno is one of the stars in The Leaving, a film about Filipino-Chinese living in Chinatown.
Irma Adlawan is the mayoralty candidate in the film Vox Populi (Siya ang Meyor Ko!).
BRIDGING THE GAP. The annual event has attracted a growing number of supporters and it reflects in the figures disclosed by Cinemalaya President Nestor Jardin. He points out that there has been a 54 percent increase in audience attendance annually ever since Cinemalaya was launched in 2005.
In 2005, the first batch of films were watched by 8,000 people in CCP and in the following year, the audience grew to 15,000 moviegoers. In 2007, the figure grew to 24,000, and in 2008, the attendance reached 30,000 viewers. Last year's edition dubbed Cinemalaya Cinco reached a phenomenal attendance of 42,000 moviegoers. This year, the organizers are hoping 50,000 moviegoers will attend the Cinemalaya filmfest from July 9-18.
The former President of CCP stressed that the Cinemalaya's biggest contribution to Philippine cinema is "to bridge the gap between the indie film sector and mainstream movie industry so that we can both help each other."
In his speech, Mr. Jardin referred to Tonyboy Cojuangco as the "godfather" of Cinemalaya when it was conceptualized in 2004 and launched in 2005.
Mr. Cojuangco, chairman of the CinemalayaFoundation, points out future plans for the annual event. "Hopefully one day, we can have a category where we will allow veterans and new directors to compete and see what they can come up with."
Festival director Laurice Guillen was unable to attend that day because she is in Spain to serve as a jury member of a film festival there.
Here are the five films competing in the Director's Showcase category:
Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio by Mario O'Hara
Donor by Mark Meily
Pink Halo-Halo by Joselito Altarejos
Sigwa by Joel Lamangan
Two Funerals by Gil Portes
Pink Halo-Halo shows how the war in Mindanao will rob the innocence of a young boy from Masbate. Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio is a historical film that will shed light on the life and death of the Supremo of the Katipunan. Sigwa (which translates to Storm), spans 40 years of Philippine social unrest. The ensemble film is a composite of the lives of activists who survived the First Quarter Storm of 1970, the series of protest actions against the regime of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Two Funerals is about a grieving mother who goes on a road trip to reclaim her daughter's body.
Here are the nine full-length films competing this year:
Halaw by Sheron Dayoc
Limbunan by Gutierrez "Teng" Mangansakan II
Magkakapatid by Kim Homer Garcia
Mayohan by Dan Villegas and Paul Sta. Ana
Rekrut by Danny Añonuevo
Sampaguita by Francis Xavier Pasion
Si Techie, Si Teknoboy at si JuanaB by Art Katipunan
The Leaving by Ian-Dean Loreños
Vox Populi by Dennis Marasigan
Limbunan is a glimpse of the hidden world of the "limbunan" where Maguindanaon brides-to-be are kept away from public view. Halaw is the journey of Badjao siblings as they attempt to make the illegal crossing to the island of Sabah. Mayohan is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of Maytime festivites in Quezon province. Magkakapatid is about a family, torn apart and brought together by tragedy. Rekrut is about the friendship of a devout Muslim and a Christian who belong to an elite group of young military recruits. Sampaguita, National Flower traces the journey of the sampaguita flower from buds plucked in the province to their final destination in the city where they are sold by street children. The Leaving depicts the social, moral and cultural issues that the new generation of Tsinoys must deal with. Vox Populi (Siya Ang Meyor Ko!) follows the campaign trail of a woman candidate on the last day of the campaign period.
Here are the 10 films competing in the Short Film category:
Boca by Zurich Chan
Breakfast with Lolo by Steven Flor
Dalaw by Janus Victoria
Despedida by Borgy Torre
Faculty by Jerrold Tarog
Harang by Mikhail Red
Hay Pinhod Oh Ya Scooter by Hubert Tibi
Lola by Joey Agbayani (animated film)
P by Milo Tolentino
Wag Kang Titingin by Pam Miras
Aside from the screenings, Cinemalaya will pay tribute to LVN Studios with a retrospective of LVN films. The Cinemalaya Film Congress will be held on July 13-14 at the CCP Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (Little Theater). This year's theme will be "Liberating the Indie Film 2000-2009."
The Cinemalaya/NETPAC competition will run parallel to the main competition but the organizers have yet to announce the films that will compete this year.