Cinemanila festival director Amable "Tikoy" Aguiluz VI suggested some of entries to be included in this year's Digital Lokal section but he revealed that they have a screening committee in charge of choosing the finalists. A total of P1 million will be given to the winners.

This year's edition will feature exhibit over a hundred films from 35 countries, seven films will compete for the international category, seven films will contend for the Southeast Asian competition, while six locally produced entries will contend in the Digital Lokal section.

Briccio Santos is the director of Ala Pobre Ala Suerte, which roughly translates to Hard Luck. This film depicts the life of Helen, played by Aiza Marquez (center). Set during the Lenten season, the young girl travels to a government housing project called Southville to verify her legal rights to a unit in the said project.

In the movie Ala Pobre Ala Suerte, Southville is the place where the "riles" community was forced to transfer. The film is a follow-up of Briccio Santos' 2005 film Ala Verde Ala Pobre.

Carnivore tells the tale of a probinsiyano neophyte named Lino Lucero (played by Carlo Aquino, blindfolded). This sociodrama thriller is directed by Ato Bautista, who also helmed Blackout. He considers this as his commentary on idealism, corruption, ambition and survival in this jungle of a city.

Carnivore attempts to illustrate the roots of the vicious cycle of endless struggle for importance, recognition, and power.  

"This film is a commentary on power struggle, on the dog-eat-dog society that we live in," says Direk Ato about his film.

Carnivore is related to Mike de Leon's movie Batch '81, which showed the initiation of eight neophytes of the Alpha Kappa Omega fraternity. In Carnivore, Direk Ato depicts the initiation rites of Sigma Omicron Sigma, the rival frat of AKO. Empoy Marquez (right) is the fratlord of Sigma, the frat that Carlo Aquino's character wants to join.

Imburnal, directed by Sherad Anthony Sanchez, is set in a body of water called Punta Dumalag.

Aside from being part of Cinemanila, Imburnal is also one of the entries of the 2008 Cinema One Originals digital film fest, which will take place on November.

Paolo Herras directs the entry Ang Manghuhula (The Fortuneteller).

An outcast and failed fortuneteller Messina (Eula Valdes, left) returns home to save her daughter Claire (Glaiza de Catro, not in photo) from the fate she herself escaped--the town's next fortuneteller; a fate handed down from mother to daughter.

Messina seeks the help of Rachel (Bella Flores, right) to enhance her gift of prophecy.

Messina finds her daughter caught in debt and the squabble of a petty syndicate running a band of fortunetellers for the unwary, desperate answer seekers. The only way to save her daughter is to embrace a gift she has vowed to give up; the ability to see the future no matter how bleak and inescapable. In the process, her life is placed in danger when she becomes the target of the syndicate.

Coco Martin is cast as the son of Jaclyn Jose in the entry Next Attraction. Directed by Raya Martin, this is his follow-up movie after Now Showing.

Coco Martin (in photo) will have a sexual encounter with Paolo Rivero in the movie Next Attraction. This is their second film together after Daybreak.

Jodi Sta. Maria is cast as Narcisa Dalangin, a.k.a. Sisa, in the indie film Sisa. Directed by CJ Andaluz, this period film expands upon the character of Sisa from Jose Rizal's novel Noli Me Tangere. 

Sisa is the story of a mother and a battered wife who loses her senses after many tragic events had transpired: the death of her grandmother, being raped, losing her lover and her other son Crispin, losing her dreams and eventually, her mind.

Direk Paolo Herras is a copywriter by day and a filmmaker by night. He got the idea for The Fortuneteller when he consulted a manghuhula for one of his classes in the University of the Philippines.