Filming Faith

CEBU, Philippines - A two-time third placer in the Video Documentary contest finally won first honors this year, while a first-time participant from Baguio City took home the grand prize in the Short Film category during the Sinulog 2011 Video Documentary and Short Film Competition Awards Night last Jan. 29 at SM Cinema 2.

Charmaine Maristela-Cagang’s “Images of Faith” beat out eight other documentary entries in bagging the Best Picture, Best Editing, Best Cinematography and Best Director awards. The former Lumad Basakanon dancer and now full-time mom also fielded films for 2009 and 2010, managing a top three finish in both instances.

“It’s a fantastic feeling, although I’m not after the awards because every project that I create for Sinulog is not for me but for the Señor Sto. Niño. I just hope that I am able to send the message of faith through my works,” Cagang told The FREEMAN. Visibly overwhelmed as she repeatedly ascended the stage to claim her trophies, she recalled in her speech how she started out without her own video equipment and sans any filmmaking background as she was a Biology graduate.

Her 10-minute docu focused on two stories that showed Cebuanos’ deep faith in the Sto. Niño. The first was about Barangay Basak Pardo which fielded two contingents during the Sinulog grand parade—from Pardo Elementary School and Basak Pardo Night High School. What piqued her interest was Barangay Captain Dave Tumulak’s faith that they could pull through and financially support two contingents, when other barangays have a hard time sponsoring even one.

The second topic featured the Devotee City, a temporary shelter area provided by the Cebu City government for out-of-town devotees who cannot afford to pay for their own lodging. Cagang interviewed an old woman residing in one of the container vans who came all the way from Pinamungajan without a single peso in her pocket. It is this strong faith of risking everything just to pay homage to the Sto. Niño and knowing that in one way or another she will be able to return home, that touched Cagang enough to share the story in video form.

“As much as possible, I would stick to my story. There are times I am tempted to include a shot that’s beautifully taken, but if it’s not connected to the story, I don’t use it. I think that’s the reason I keep on placing in the top three. And I always have my story narrated in Cebuano. I never do it in English, unlike other entries, because we are in Cebu and so that foreigners could hear our language first-hand. Anyway, there are subtitles to guide them,” added Cagang. She is planning to submit another video documentary next year, plus a short film entry.

“Pagtuo” by Gerald Piodos (who was also named Best Narrator) was adjudged second place, while “Rhythm and Blushes of January” by Arneil Dawal came in third.

Out of 18 submissions, John Anthony Imson’s “Ukit” got the judges’ nod to claim the Short Film category’s top prize. The International Academy of Film and Television (IAFT) graduate also won Best Director.

Born and raised in Baguio City, Imson migrated to Manila after high school to attend one of the capital’s top universities. Years later, he decided to revisit his passion for filmmaking by enrolling at IAFT. After graduating at the Mactan film school last December, he and his friends began work for “Ukit.”

“This is the first time for me and my crew to join the Sinulog filmmaking contest or any other contest. My only other experience in filmmaking was when I was in IAFT school. The most experience I got was doing my thesis film which I shot in Manila, with Epy Quizon as my actor,” Imson said.

“Ukit” is a poignant story of a religious and uptight uncle and a very energetic kid, forced by circumstances to live together. Uncle Vicente is a guy who lives a solitary life. His hobby is carving Sto. Niño images out of wood. Lito, his nephew, does everything a little kid would do. One day, Lito accidentally drops the Sto. Niño from his uncle’s small altar, causing the uncle to treat him with indifference.

As the days unfold, their struggle gets worse, but their true characters slowly surfaced. Lito understood his uncle’s feelings so he started to change to the point of wanting to impress Vicente.

Vicente notices a wound on Lito’s hand which made him explode in anger and pour out all the problems that the unwanted kid caused him. Lito is hurt by the harsh words and runs out of the house and into the cornfields. When Vicente went to his room to contemplate, he notices a poorly-made Sto. Niño carving under his pillow. He finds drops of blood that dried up on the surface of the wood. Lito, after all, was trying to reach out to his uncle.

Vicente then searches for Lito, whom he finds in the middle of the field—scared and lost. The moment they found each other was like a father finding his long lost son, and there is a silent reconciliation between Lito and his uncle as they embraced each other in relief. 

“Biyahe” of Peter Ian Mancao was second place. It was also awarded Best Screenplay for Angelo Agojo and Mancao.

Third place went to “Regenesis” of John Lindsey Banaynal. It also won Best Story for TF photojournalist Aldo Nelbert Banaynal; Best Musical Scoring by John Darcy Aguejo; Best Production Design by Prudencio Gemarino; and Best Special Effects by John Lindsey Banaynal and Chris Francis Marabiles.

Aldo Banaynal was glad to share that one of the judges, Cinemalaya division chief Edward delos Santos Cabagnot, approached him to say that he wanted to include his short film for Cinemalaya 2011. The sci-fi piece portrays a destroyed Cebu caused by its citizens’ wanton abuse of the environment and how the Sto. Niño helped bring back life to our dead earth. Ricky Ballesteros of Sinulog Foundation is also planning to show “Regenesis” during next year’s Sinulog grand finale, as it suits Sinulog 2012’s futuristic theme.

The other citations were Best Editing and Best in Cinematography for “Hilot” by Franz Arrogante; Best Child Performer for Ker Ortiz in “Ukit”; Best Supporting Actor for Edgar Jugadora of “Biyahe”; Best Supporting Actress for Juana Tundal of “Hilot”; Best Actor for Chicoy Romualdez of “Ukit”; and Best Actress for Phoebe Kaye Fernandez of “Biyahe”.

The first, second and third placers for both Video Documentary and Short Film Categories took home P50,000, P30,000 and P20,000 pesos, respectively.

Judges were Cebuano heritage advocate Ron Henri Tan; film producer and director Joanna Vasquez Arong; Cinemalaya officer Edward delos Santos Cabagnot; Cultural Center of the Philippines president Nestor Jardin; and indie filmmaker Victor Acedillo, Jr.

In the same evening ceremony, the top 10 winners for the four categories in the Photo Competition were also awarded, including TF photojournalists Reynan N. Villena who took the first and fourth places in the Sidelights category; and Banaynal who placed second over-all.

The Literary contest resulted with only one winner named: Sam Harold Nervez, third place in both Poetry and Essay. Ballesteros said no second and first place winners were announced for both Poetry and Essay because the other entries did not pass the judges’ standards. (FREEMAN)