Mystica, Kelley Day, taboo: Directors spill what to expect from Cinemalaya 2021

MANILA, Philippines — Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) artistic director and Cinemalaya festival director Chris B. Millado noted how technically superior all the competing short films are at the 17th Cinemalaya Film Festival.

"The technical quality of the films is quite superior in terms of visuals, composition, camera work, and even sound. I think it's because the digital way is available for everyone so our new filmmakers are kapadong-kapado ang filmmaking," Millado said at the annual filmfest's virtual launch held recently.

The Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. President Laurice Guillen also noted how the shorts are "becoming a very, very important format."

Cinemalaya returns this year, running from August 6 to September 6, with all 13 competing films streaming on Ktx.ph.

"Listening to them talk earlier, I noticed the emergence of the social responsibility theme from the descriptions of their films. It's not something experimental, or even whimsical. Even if they're talking about folklore, somehow there's an issue. That's the new ground that Cinemalaya would like to break," she noted.

The directors briefly described their entries.

'An Sadit na Planeta' (The Little Planet)

Director Arjanmar Rebeta noted the irony of how the pandemic made the world smaller. It follows the adventure of a young man as he explores a "little planet."

"Marami tayong hindi nagawa at hindi tayo nakalabas kung kailan naman lumiliit ang ating mga planeta, saka naman tayo nakakaranas ng mga lumalaking problema, pag-aalala o mga pagdududa. Para ito sa mga may pinagdadaanan ngayon, may pinagdaanan noon o may mga pagdadaanan pa," he explained.

'Ang Mga Nawawalng Pag-asa at Panlasa' (The Lost Hopes and Flavors)

It's a short that's bound to entice the palate with Ilocandia's known dishes such as Poqui-Poqui (grilled eggplant with scrambled egg), Igado (liver and pork braised in a rich sauce) and Dinengdeng (vegetable dish similar to the Tagalog's pinakbet) on the spotlight.

Kevin Jay Ayson directs and edits the documentary that aims to find that "pagkaing Iloco" in the midst of a pandemic.

'Ang Pagdadalaga ni Lola Mayumi'

Shiri De Leon is passionate about breaking the taboo on the topic of sex. The MINT College student noted that sex remains a hushed-about topic and "Ang Pagdadalaga ni Lola Mayumi" hopes to open the conversation.

Actress and indie stalwart Ruby Ruiz stars as Lola Mayumi who decides to one day throw caution to the wind and hire a callboy.

"She believes that men are men who are after women's bodies for their own pleasures. She always kept that belief. She solidified it in her heart until she became old. She purposely blinded herself from knowing what it really feels like to be physically intimate with a man. Despite that belief, she is still a woman and a part of her belief, hopes that maybe not all men are what she thought of them. She thought that maybe she should experience physical intimacy," De Leon said.

'Ate O.G.'

This is among the films which has a cast that has family members acting in it. Kevin Mayuga's first entry at the Cinemalaya tells the story of an aging househelp who finds herself going through an unexpected and uplifting experience. 

"I was making the film because I was going through feelings of privileged guilt and anxiety. (It is about) domestic struggles and how we all cope with it. Medyo deep pala. It's a little slow cinema at first but stick around and it'll be rewarding," Mayuga said.  

'Beauty Queen'

Set in Pampanga during World War II, Myra Aquino's "Beauty Queen" tells the true story of Remedios Gomez, also known as Kumander Liwayway, a young beauty queen whose father was killed. She joined the resistance army and rose in the ranks to eventually become a commander.

"I wrote and directed this film not only to connect with my grandparents and their generation but also because stories of war and rebellion are not often told from the point of view of women, particularly Filipino women," Aquino noted.    

'Crossing'

Director and producer Marc Misa was lucky to have shot his film before the pandemic struck. "Crossing" tells the story of a desperate man who thought of robbing a bus and ended up questioning himself whether he wants to be a hero or a villain to his fellow passengers when two other robbers beat him to it.

"Crossing" was supposed to be the climax of a film but was condensed into seven minutes and 44 seconds.

"The story leads the audience to make presumptions on whether the character is good or bad. In the end, the story puts a mirror in the face of the audience that shows them how wrong their presumptions were," Misa explained.

'Kawatan Sa Salog' (A Toy in the River)

Alphie Velasco wrote the tale of mischievous child Santi while he was staying in his mother's hometown in Caramoan.

"Ito ay tungkol sa isang bata na napunta sa isang isla kung saan nagkalat ang mga basura sa tabing dagat at may mga palatuntunin at tradisyon siyang dapat sundin upang makabalik siya sa kanyang ama," Velasco said.

'Kids on Fire'

Kyle Nieva's imagination went on hyperdrive when he wrote his story about a boy who joins a religious camp and discovers his role in the prophesied return of God.

The apocalyptic coming-of-age, dark comedy premiered in Busan, South Korea and stars Mystica.

'Looking for Rafflesias and Other Fleeting Things'

James Fajardo's entry tells the story of teenage boy Gubat who believes in tikbalang (Filipino folklore humanoid creature with the head and hooves of a horse). He searches for it in the mountains even though his community fears it, blaming it for the killings that happened in his village.

On his quest to find the tikbalang, he meets an American botanist who is looking for Rafflesia, a genus of parasitic flowering plant.

"The purpose of this film is to explore the act of weaponizing Filipino beliefs and folklore and mythological creatures in order to serve the interest of the ruling class. At the same time, it also illustrates the process of queering folklores in our country," Fajardo remarked.

'Maski Papano' (I Mask Go On)

What happens when an inanimate mask turns into a humanoid? What will it discover in its new state as an entity that is able to feel?

Che Tagyamon and Glenn Barit's "Maski Papano" tells the story of a disposed mask as it starts to look for its previous owner.

'Namnama En Lolang' (Grandmother's Hope)

Jonnie Lyn P. Dasalla is another first-time Cinemalaya finalist who cast her relatives and friends and shot her entry with a smartphone.

"It gives a feeling of isolation as the story revolves around the life of Lolang Kayag who is left alone to take care of her baby grandson during the lockdown. This film aims to bring a message of hope," she said.

'Out of Body'

What happens when a model expects to walk in a commercial shoot to project in front of camera only to experience a macabre turn of events?

This is the question Kelley Day tries to answer as she plays the lead in Enrico Po's "Out of Body."

'The Dust In Your Place'

Career and friendship are on the line when a comic strip artist tells her writer the truths about his relationships in David Olson's "The Dust In Your Place."

"She confronts him after noticing a weird pattern with all of his previous relationships including his current relationship. She tries to explain to him what the problem is. They begin to have a conversation and in turn they revisit their own history and past together as friends. They realize that their friendship and career might be at stake," Olson said.

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