Tulad sa mga nakaraang taon, simple ngunit makulay at makabuluhan ang naging pagdiriwang sa pagbubukas ng Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival and Competition noong Biyernes, July 9, sa Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
Ganap na ika-anim ng gabi nang pasimulan ang programa. Muling napuno ang lobby ng Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater) ng mga manonood na mga kabataang mag-aaral, taga-industriya ng pelikula, at iba pang sangay ng sining, at mga tagapamahala at kawani ng CCP. Kabilang ang PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) sa mga saksi sa naging kaganapan.
Nakalulugod, ayon nga sa pagkabanggit sa wikang Ingles ng CCP president at Ambassador Isabel Caro Wilson, sa kanyang opening speech, "to see so many young faces in our audience."
Dagdag pa ni Madame Wilson: "The excitement and enthusiasm for the Cinemalaya Film Festival and competition, which we are opening tonight, is part of it.
"At the very beginning, Cinemalaya was just a small event. But after all these—a short six years—I'm proud to say that it has made quite an impact... both in the industry and among film audiences, as well as in international film festivals. Cinemalaya has been one of the biggest crowd drawers at the CCP."
Laging bukas at sabay sa daloy ng mga pagbabago sa lipunan ang taunang Cinemalaya Film Festival and Competition. Ito ang unang taon na gaganapin ang Cinemalaya, sa loob ng sampung araw (Hulyo 9-18), sa ilalim ng bagong administrasyon ng Pangulong Benigno C. Aquino III.
Ito rin ang unang taon na may karagdagang limang pelikulang kalahok sa kumpetisyon, sa Directors Showcase category, bukod sa mga kumpetisyon para sa maiikling pelikula (Cinemalaya Shorts) at full-length features (New Breed). Last year, sinimulan din ang kumpetisyon para sa mga kalahok sa Netpac Awards, na itinayo naman ng Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema.
"This year's batch is the biggest number so far, with the addition of the Directors Showcase section, which features new independent films by veteran directors," banggit naman ni Nestor O. Jardin, dating pangulo ng CCP at isa sa mga tagapamahala ng Cinemalaya Foundation at ng Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).
"Tonight, we launched new works by 24 talented filmmakers, who are competing for this year's Balanghai Awards," dagdag pa ni G. Jardin.
Binanggit din niya ang kabuuang bilang ng mga pelikulang kalahok ngayong taon sa Cinemalaya.
"We feature a total of 132 indie films, consisting of 65 full-length features and 67 shorts [short films]. Of these, 31 films will be in competition under the New Breed, Directors Showcase, Cinemalaya Shorts and Netpac categories.
"These films were carefully chosen, by standards set by Cinemalaya," sabi pa niya. "What the filmmaker has to say, all the unique stories which reflect the Philippine experience, how the filmmaker wants to say it, or the filmic style and the innovative treatment used, and its public impact of how you, as audiences, will be affected by the film."
LAURICE GUILLEN'S SPEECH. Sa major press conference ng CCP noong July 16, hindi naka-attend ang premyadong filmmaker na si Ms. Laurice Guillen, chairperson ng Competition, dahil nasa ibang bansa bilang jurado sa isang international film festival.
Heto ang kabuuan ng kanyang speech noong opening, sa pagkalap ng PEP:
"Launching the competition is no easy task, despite the five years that Cinemalaya has [continuously done] in the competition, a process that takes an entire year, culminating in the month of July, and [wherein] the finished films are screened and judged. And despite the increase in audience viewership [and the] intention of good will, the challenges never seem to stop coming.
