Eight instead of nine full-length feature films will be competing for this year's winner of the Gawad Balanghai trophy and P200,000 cash prize in the third edition of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. The awarding ceremonies will take place this Sunday, July 29, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Jason Abalos and Ina Feleo play contractual workers in Endo, a film directed by Jade Castro.

In Gulong, Gary Valenciano (rightmost) plays a father to two boys who embark on a quest for an old bicycle. This film is directed by Jeanne Lim and Socorro Fernandez.

In the small Ivatan village of Chavayan in Sabtang Island, Batanes, Peping (played by Rico Mark Cardona, in photo) must find his family's kadin (goat) or else face the risk of going hungry. Adolfo B. Alix, Jr. of Donsol fame helmed this project.

Emilio "Jay" Abello VI thought of making a period film inspired by a true incident involving a provincial post office in Negros that simply stopped working at a pre-texting era when people tend to be completely dependent on the mailing system. In the movie, Karylle plays Karen, a housewife whose happiness depends on the arrival of her husband's letters.

Set in the martial Law in the '80s, Pisay is a semi-autobiographical movie of Auraeus Solito. He tells the story of six high school scholars of the Philippine Science High School.

Frank Garcia is one of the actors in Sinungaling na Buwan (Liar Moon). Ed Lejano voluntarily pulled out from the competition when technical difficulties hindered the creation of the film.

A strange disease robs a gifted painter of the gift of creation. He contemplates ending it all but Fate has other plans for James in the movie Still Life. It is directed by Katrina Flores.

Ten-year-old Karl Balingit plays Ebet, the lone witness and the storyteller in the Cinemalaya entry Tribu. This gritty film shot in Tondo, Manila, is directed by Jim Libiran.

Sid Lucero and Ricky Davao help investigate the mysterious death of a young village lass in the movie Tukso. Dennis Marasigan, artistic director of Tanghalang Pilipino, directed this film.