What to watch at Cinemalaya

Aparisyon

Directed by Vincent Sandoval

MANILA, Philippines - Set in a monastery in Rizal in the 1970s, Aparisyon examines the cloistered lives of the nuns as the political and emotional troubles of martial law trickle into their lives.

Stars Jodi Santamaria, Mylene Dizon, Raquel Villavicencio, and Fides Cuyugan-Asensio.

Why you should watch it: The film’s ensemble of actresses alone is worth the price of the ticket. This is also Mylene Dizon’s return to Cinemalaya after her award-winning turn in 100 (Cinemalaya 2008).

Ang Katiwala (The Caretaker)

Directed by Aloy Adlawan

Ruben takes a job as a caretaker of an abandoned property in Quezon City previously owned by a former president. As Ruben explores the life of the house’s previous resident, he seems to be slowly possessed by the spirit of this new hero.

Stars Dennis Trillo, Ronnie Lazaro, Angelina Canapi and Althea Vega.

BTW: Aloy Adlawan is a chemical engineer by profession. He has written several screenplays of horror films including Shake, Rattle, and Roll 12’s acclaimed “Punerarya,” The Road, and Aswang.

Why you should watch it: It presents a quasi-haunted house’s take on historic legacy. Also, a sweaty Dennis Trillo.

Ang nawawala (What Isn’t There)

Directed by Marie Jamora

Gibson Bonifacio has stopped speaking after the death of his identical twin brother. After studying abroad, Gibson returns to the Philippines for the holiday season. With only music as his form of expression, he tries to reconnect with his family and childhood friends, and finally takes a chance on a real relationship.

Stars Dominic Roco, Felix Roco, Annicka Dolonius, Dawn Zulueta, Buboy Garovillo, Jenny Jamora, Mercedes Cabral, Marc Abaya, Sabrina Man, Kelvin Yu, and Alchris Galura.

Sight and sound: Ang Nawawala features music from Sandwich, Pedicab, Ebe Dancel, Ang Bandang Shirley, Ciudad, The Strangeness, Outerhope, and Itchyworms, some of which wrote original songs for the film.

Why you should watch it: It’s a coming-of-age film with great music, by way of Wes Anderson, Mike Mills and Cameron Crowe.

Mga Dayo ( Resident Aliens)

Directed by Julius Sotomayor Cena

The film is about three Filipino immigrants: a journalist, a housekeeper and a photographer; as they grapple with the realities that transplanted them to Guam.

Stars Sue Prado, Janela Buhain, and Olga Natividad.

A day for the absent: Mga Dayo is the first Cinemalaya film entirely shot outside of the country. The film was inspired by the “resident alien” status in Cena’s green card.

Why you should watch it: As Cena puts it, “The film gives voice to many Filipino immigrants who sometimes become invisible in a foreign society.”

Diablo

Directed by Mes de Guzman

Lusing’s sons finally meet when one of their brothers gets stabbed by a drunken lunatic. The film deals with familial ties and the role of faith in the daily survival of a remote rural town.

Stars Ama Quiambao, Carlo Aquino, Althea Vega, Jose Escobedo, Arnold Reyes, Roeder Camañag, and Fredie De La Cruz.

Tropical gothic: Diablo is De Guzman’s first film with professional actors. He is based in Nueva Vizcaya where he shoots his films.

Why you should watch it: The nutjob collection of the matriarch’s sons: a pilgrim, an army lieutenant, a farmer, a schoolteacher, and a businessman make for a great familial tension.

Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino

Directed by Lemuel Lorca

Intoy is a tahong diver who is in love with Doray, a “babaeng hamog,” who has sex with fishermen in exchange for money or fish that she can sell. Despite the odds, Intoy bravely goes through life to get his own tahong cage, and finally snags Doray. Kalye Marino is a former American Naval Base in Sangley Point, Cavite.

Stars JM de Guzman, LJ Moreno, and Joross Gamboa

Short cuts: Gerry Geracio’s screenplay is based on Eros Atalia’s Palanca grand prize-winning short story.

Why you should watch it: JM de Guzman as tahong driver swimming in a sea of filth. Yes.

Oros

Directed by Paul Sta. Ana

Oros spotlights the common practice in impoverished urban areas where a fake wake is staged so people can earn money through illegal card games. The film follows characters who exploit the dead to make a living.

Stars Kristoffer Martin, Kristoffer Martin, and Tanya Gomez

Bringing back the dead: Kristoffer Martin plays a kasero who buys unclaimed bodies in funeral homes, and use it to stage the fake wake. An unclaimed cadaver is said to cost at least P10,000.

Why you should watch it: Oros explores one of the most grisly but arguably inventive ways that people earn money here. It’s a step deeper into the underbelly of the slums.

REquieme!

Directed by Loy Arcenas

Another film that deals with a death and a funeral, REqueme! (no, that’s not a typo) is a black comedy that dives into the bizarre traditions of celebrating the dead and how some people claim relations to famous people, even murderers, to achieve some sort of small-town fame.

Stars Shamaine Buencamino, Rez Cortez, Paul Jake Paule, Lou Veloso, Lilia Cuntapay, and Anthony Falcon.

Fashion forward: The film is inspired by Gina Apostol’s short story “Cunanan’s Wake,” a fictional story surrounding the death of Versace’s alleged murderer, Andrew Cunanan.

Why you should watch it: Loy Arcenas’s irreverent humor screws yet another Filipino tradition and how a media sensation affects the lives of ordinary citizens.

Santa Niña

Directed by Emmanuel Palo

A father unexpectedly digs up the body of his two-year-old daughter buried 10 years ago in a desolated lahar region. Her body is believed to be a source of miracles and the father urges the church to declare her a saint.

Stars Coco Martin, Alessandra da Rossi, Angel Aquino, Irma Adlawan, and Anita Linda.

Return to form: After starring in successful teleseryes and a rom-com vehicle of his own, Coco Martin finally returns to independent films, even if it means losing more hours of sleep.

Why you should watch it: Nothing says “‘90s throwback” more than a film with miraculous cadavers, lahar, and religious nutjobs. The breathtaking shots of the lahar areas are something to look forward to.

The Animals

Directed by Gino Santos

Set in the ecstasy-riddled parties of the ‘00s, The Animals tracks the lives of affluent high school students as they crash and burn in a matter of 24 hours.

Stars Albie Casino, Dawn Balagot and Patrick Sugui.

Horror stories: Gino Santos’s debut film is rated R-16 by the MTRCB and runs on plenty of alcohol, drugs, and even rape.

Why you should watch it: We finally have our own version of Skins.

Bwakaw

Directed by Jun Lana

An aging gay man, who came out of the closet at the age of 70, reexamines his life as he adopts a stray dog.

Stars Eddie Garcia, Rez Cortez, Gardo Versoza, Joey Paras, Allan Paule, Armida Siguion-Reyna, Beverly Salvejo, Soxie Topacio, and Luz Valdez.

Young folk: Jun Lana is the youngest inductee of the Palanca Literary Awards Hall of Fame. His filmography includes screenplays for landmark Filipino films such as Jose Rizal and Muro Ami.

Kalayaan

Directed by Adolf Alix Jr.

Kalayaan follows the lives of the soldiers stationed in the military installation in the Kalayaan islands as they deal with the psychological repercussions of long periods of isolation.

Stars Ananda Everingham, Luis Alandy, Zanjoe Marudo, Rocky Salumbides and Angeli Bayani.

Body of work: This project took five years in the making and was supposed to be shot in the Kalayaan islands. Due to some constraints, the film was shot instead in Palawan.

Why you should watch it: Remember last week’s Ananda Everingham Supreme spread? Now, imagine that with lush visuals projected in a theater screen.

Kamera Obskura

Directed by Raymond Red

Raymond Red’s Kamera Obskura is about a fictitious silent expressionist film discovered recently by film archivists. This is Red’s tribute to Philippine cinema’s lost heritage.

Stars Pen Medina, Joel Torre, Nanding Josef, Ping Medina, and Lou Veloso.

Manila skies: Kamera Obskura is an expan sion of Raymond Red’s short film from the 2006 omnibus Imahenasyon. It acts as a thesis that aims to “to conjure up a film from a period that did not really exist in Philippine cinema’s historical cultural heritage as we know it, such as a pseudo-expressionist/experimental Filipino cinema of the silent film era.”

Why you should watch it: With the hysteria brought about by The Artist’s Oscar win, it’s about time a film legitimately paid homage to the great silent era of filmmaking.

Mga Mumunting Lihim

Directed by Jose Javier Reyes

A death threatens a friendship between four women who have been tightly knit since high school.

Stars Judy Ann Santos, Iza Calzado, Janice de Belen, and Agot Isidro.

Personal histories: Jose Javier Reyes dedicates the film to one of his close friends, Don Escudero, who died of colon cancer last year.

Why you should watch it: It’s always great to have Juday back on the big screen, especially in a non-newlywed or housewife role.

Posas

Directed by Law Fajardo

A small-time snatcher gets caught in a web of corruption and bureaucracy. Posas is a hard look at our country’s justice system and the process of corruption embedded within.

Stars Nico Antonio, Bangs Garcia, John Lapus, Susan Africa, and Art Acuña.

Great expectations: Posas follows the success of Law Fajardo’s Amok which won Best Editing and Best Sound in last year’s Cinemalaya. It was one of the most-talked-about films of the festival.

Why you should watch it: A Law Fajardo film with crooks and thieves is always bound to be shocking and gritty.