Pormal na binuksan kahapon, July 15, simula sa ganap na ika-6:30 ng gabi, ang 7th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Festival 2011, sa pamamagitan ng simpleng palatuntunan na taun-taon ay isinasagawa sa lobby ng Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater) ng Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), sa Roxas Boulevard Pasay City.
Nagbigay ng masiglang opening remarks si Ms. Emily Abrera, CCP Chairman. Muli niyang ipinahayag ang malaking naging pagsulong ng Cinemalaya Film Festival, mula sa pagsisimula nito noong 2005 hanggang sa kasalukuyang taon; at ang mga natatanging lineup ng mga pelikulang mapapanood, sa iba't ibang kategorya.
"Fifty one films are in competition, [belonging to the] New Breed full-length feature categories, Short feature categories, Directors' Showcase, and NETPAC (Network for the Promotions of Asian Cinema) premieres," pagtukoy ni Ms. Abrera.
Sinundan iyon ng pormal na pagpapakilala ni Ms. Laurice Guillen, Competition Committee Chairman, sa mga kalahok na filmmakers sa Short Features, New Breed, at Directors' Showcase categories, ng Cinemalaya 2011.
Ang pagpapakilala ni Guillen sa mga competing filmmakers ay isinagawa matapos ang pagpapalabas ng mga piling tagpo, o trailers ng mga film entries.
MESSAGE. Ang mensahe ni Nestor O. Jardin, Festival Director, bilang panghuling tagapagsalita, ang nagpahayag ng kumpletong nilalaman at kabuuang saysay ng binubuksang independent film festival.
Narito ang kabuuan ng mensahe ni G. Jardin:
"Inilunlunsad natin ngayong gabi ang ika-pitong edisyon ng Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
"Sa susunod na siyam na araw, magkakasama-sama na naman tayo, upang panoorin ang mga pelikula na malayang nagsasaad ng iba't ibang kuwento ng katotohanan; at hinagpis, kalayaan, nakaraan, karangyaan, [at] pagkamapusok...
"Mga kuwentong hindi natin kalimitang nakikita sa pelikulang Pilipino.
SEE THE UNSEEN. "'See the Unseen' is Cinemalaya's theme this year," patuloy ni Jardin. "Themes that tell us stories about the infinite Filipino life experience; themes that boldly portray the good and the bad in our society; themes that depict our rich cultural heritage.
"This year, we are featuring a total of 181 independent films; 65 full-length and 116 [shorts] from all over the country.
"51 of these films are in competition, for the New Breed, Directors' Showcase and NETPAC Philippines' premieres.
"We're very excited about this year's festival, because of the new things that are being introduced in Cinemalaya, for the first time:
"First, we're going to have simultaneous festival screening, at the CCP and Greenbelt Cinemas, courtesy of Ayala Theaters Management.
"This will allow for more screenings of the festival films and accommodate the growing number of Cinemalaya audiences.
"Second, for the first time in Cinemalaya, we will open a new section called Focus Asia, featuring indie films from Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
