Cinemalaya Cinco: Stories from different angles

MANILA, Philippines - For several hours last Thursday, the best of the newest crop of indie filmmakers in the country trooped to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) to be with fellow cineastes and members of the media who momentarily shelved thinking how the Filipino entries in the Cannes are faring.

With the French film festival and the raging sex scandal of a starlet and a dermatologist farthest from their mental processing, the assembly at the Main Theater Lobby of the CCP was shown trailers of the 10 full-length films and 10 short-films vying for awards and honors in the 2009 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, dubbed this year as Cinemalaya Cinco because the country’s premier indie film competition is on its fifth year. This year’s festival runs from July 17 to 26 at the CCP, where another set of 25 new independent films will also be premiered.

Some journalists were overheard talking loudly about who among the mainstream film industry talents were brave enough to take a pay cut or no pay at all in sharing with the local indie filmmakers some of their sheen. They were delighted to see in flesh a matured Julio Diaz (appearing in 24K directed by Ana Agabin) and an ever-smiling Ricky Davao (Last Supper No. 3 by Veronica Velasco and Jinky Laurel). Diaz and Davao were among the most effective actors of their generation. Noted stage actor Jojit Lorenzo (also in 24K and Last Supper No. 3) quietly mingled with the crowd.

Celebrated director Celso Ad. Castillo makes a comeback, not as director, but as an actor essaying the role of Mayor Danilo Suarez in Pepe Diokno’s Engkwentro, a story of two brothers, the violence in their local community, and the Davao Death Squad.

Jaclyn Jose stars in Nerseri by Vic Acedillo Jr., Maricel Soriano appears in Last Supper No. 3, and Tessie Tomas is featured in Sanglaan by Milo Sogueco.

Although they were not present during the Cinemalaya Cinco launch, the following mainstream talents were listed in the roster of cast of several films: Andoy Ranay, (24K and Last Supper No. 3); Irma Adlawan, TJ Trinidad, Nonie Buencamino (Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe by Alvin Yapan); Robert Seña and Sugarfree (Dinig Sana Kita by Mike Sandejas and Robert Seña); Bayang Barrios (Engkwentro); JM de Guzman, Beverly Salviejo, Debraliz Valesoto and Mark Meily (Last Supper No. 3); Neil Ryan Sese (Mangatyanan by Jerrold Tarog); Lance Raymundo, Ynes Veneracion, and Tony Mabesa (Nerseri); and Ina Feleo and Joem Bascon (Sanglaan by Sogueco).

Dinig Sana Kita, a love story between a deaf boy who loves to dance and a troubled rocker woman, must be cited for its unprecedented move to feature a deaf actor in a lead role played by the dashing Romalito Mallari who has appeared in various stage productions either as an actor or a dancer. Dinig has also a group of deaf actor in its cast and ensemble.

In the short-film category, Angel Aquino appears in Bonsai directed by Alfonso Torre III; the veteran and gifted Nanding Josef in Musa by Dexter Cayanes; Carme Sanchez in Si Bok and Ang Trumpo by Hubert Tibi; Arnold Reyes in Ugat sa Lupa by Ariel Reyes; and Pinky Marquez in Wat Floor Ma’am by Mike Sandejas and Robert Seña.

CCP president Nestor Jardin announced that a new competition category open to directors from the mainstream film industry and who are willing to make independent digital films will start in the 2010 Cinemalaya edition.

Jardin said plans are being drawn to launch in the Philippines an Asian independent film festival. “We’re not resting on our achievements.”

A bit embarrassed, Jardin told the assembly some members of the media had to be politely turned down in attending the Thursday launch due to festival budgetary constraints. He said during the very first launch of Cinemalaya in 2005, the CCP Public Relations Office and Irene Obligacion Rada had to practically beg the media to attend. “We were relatively unknown then.”  

Laurice Guillen, Cinemalaya’s competition director, said the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival this year collaborates with the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NetPac) in launching the Cinemalaya-NetPac Prize, which is open to all full-length digital films that will have their Philippine premieres during the Cinemalaya Cinco.

 However, the Cinemalaya Cinco crop of full-length films in the main competition is not eligible to vie for this award.

A juror of international and local personalities will make the selection of the first Cinemalaya-NetPac Prize. NetPac is a global organization with 29 member-countries and is composed of critics, filmmakers, festival organizers, curators, distributors, exhibitors and film educators. It has film festival partners in Singapore, Pusan, Jeonju, Kerala, Kazakhstan and Osian’s Cinefan in Asia; Berlin, Locarno, Karlovy Vary, Rotterdam, Vesoul in Europe; Brisbane in Australia; Hawaii in the US; Antalya in Turkey; and Black Nights in Estonia.

The 10 films competing in the full-length category are 24K by Ana Agabin; Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe by Alvin Yapan; Astig by GB Sampedro; Colorum by Jon Steffan Ballesteros; Dinig Sana Kita by Mike Sandejas and Robert Seña; Engkwentro by Pepe Diokno; Last Supper No. 3 by Veronica Velasco and Jinky Laurel; Mangatyanan by Jerrold Tarog; Nerseri  by Vic Acedillo Jr.; and Sanglaan by Milo Sogueco.

Competing in the short-film category are Behind Closed Doors by Mark Philipp Espina; BLOGOG by Rommel Tolentino, Bonsai by Alfonso Torre III; Hulagpos by Maita Lirra Lupac; Latus by John Paul Seniel; Musa by Dexter Cayanes; Si Bok at ang Trumpo by Hubert Tibi; Tatang by Jean Paolo Hernandez; Ugat sa Lupa by Ariel Reyes; and Wat Floor Ma’am by Mike Sandejas and Robert Seña.

The winner of the full-length feature category will receive the Cinemalaya Balanghai trophy and an additional grant of P200,000, on top of the initial P500,000 production grant given to all full-length feature finalists. Winner of the short-feature category will receive P100,000 and the Cinemalaya Balanghai Trophy. Awarding is scheduled July 26 at the CCP.

On the sidelines of the Cinemalaya Cinco are sections featuring World Premieres and NetPac films, Lino Brocka Retrospective, Kids’ Treats, Gay/Lesbian films, The City in Focus, Women in Indies, Off Center and Documentary and Ani: Best of Last Year.

Among the films to be screened in the Brocka retrospective are Wanted: Perfect Mother, Tubog sa Ginto, Stardoom, Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, Tatlo Dalawa Isa, Maynila sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag, Insiang, Bona, Bayan Ko and Macho Dancer.

Slated to be held on July 21 to 22 at the CCP Little Theater is the Cinemalaya Film Congress with a theme Linking Digital Highways. It will assess the output of indie filmmakers in the last five years, gauge the growth of the indie film from a national perspective, its prospects for development in the future. Filmmakers, writers, critics, members of the academe and industry will speak at the congress. 

A new advertising campaign for Cinemalaya Cinco was created by Black Pencil Advertising, Inc. The ad campaign celebrates the fifth year of Cinemalaya which has become a major event in local filmmaking today. The ad campaign tags Cinemalaya as the “big, small film festival,” conveying the importance and impact of Cinemalaya on Filipino independent cinema.

Cinemalaya Cinco is presented by Cinemalaya Foundation, CCP, Film Development Council of the Philippines and Econolink Investments, Inc.