MANILA -- If there’s one major, happy development in the 19th edition of Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, it’s that each director in the feature-length category got a total of P2-million seed grant.

It’s the biggest so far in the history of the festival since it started in 2005. Back then, there was P500,000 seed grant in the same category.

This was confirmed by Cinemalaya Foundation president Laurice Guillen during the recent press launch last July 5, at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).

With the theme “ilumiNasyon” (illumination), it was also announced that the festival will run from August 4 to 13 at the PICC with satellite screenings in Trinoma in Quezon City, Ayala Malls by the Bay in Parañaque City and Glorietta in Makati City.

“In the previous years, the seed grant was P1 million for each filmmaker in the full-length category given by the Cultural Center of the Philippines. In the first 10 years, yes it was the Cinemalaya Foundation giving P500,000 seed grant for each filmmaker. CCP stepped in on its 11th edition,” said Guillen.

This year’s batch got P1-million additional grant from the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP). If we recall, this has been announced as early as last year during the awarding ceremony of Cinemalaya 18th by FDCP chairman and CEO Tirso Cruz III.

“So there’s a total of P2 million. The grant was given in tranches, mula sa first story treatment, to actual shooting hanggang matapos ang film. Compared sa previous years, mas malaki pa rin,” said Guillen.

For the 10 short film winners, each filmmaker got P100,000 for their finished films, she added.

“Yung P100,000 from FDCP for this year’s batch, it’s like a reward actually for being selected for their finished films,” she said.

Cinemalaya monitoring committee head Jose Javier Reyes, however, pointed out that even the P2-million seed grant isn’t enough. Being a filmmaker and scriptwriter himself, Reyes knows how much a producer has to shell out.

In the past Cinemalaya festivals, it is a common scenario for filmmakers to source out additional money, especially for post-production expenses, through crowd-funding and other means.

“We recognized na ang mahal gumawa ng films (expensive to make a film), hindi na kaya ng kahit pa P3 million, so malaking tulong ang FDCP to what CCP has been doing to Cinemalaya,” he said.

New venues

Since the CCP Main Building is being renovated until 2025, Cinemalaya found a temporary home in its immediate neighbor, the PICC.

Every time PICC was mentioned in his informal speech, Cinemalaya festival director Chris Millado deliberately in good humor changed the word “convention” to “cinema”. Thus, PICC becomes the “Philippine International Cinema Center.”

But that is not without basis. Millado recalled during his college years at the University of the Philippines Diliman in the late 1970s to early 1980s, he would travel from Quezon City to PICC to watch French, Italian and Swedish film festivals.

For the 10-day run, the Cinemalaya films will be screened at three meeting rooms -- Cinema Rizal or Meeting Room 1, Cinema Bonifacio or Meeting Rooms 2 and 3, and Cinema Felipe or Meeting Room 4. Fringe events and talkbacks will be held at Cinema Palma or Meeting Room 5.

The nearby Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez or CCP Black Box Theater will also be used for the screenings of entries for the Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video.

The theme for this year is “ilumiNasyon,” (illumination), according to Millado, reflects the festival’s goal to “challenge filmmakers and audience members beyond just skimming the surface and take deep dives to illumine the depths.”

“These might inform, reshape, and challenge the way we think through and experience this work in progress called the nation,” he added.

CCP president Margie Moran-Floirendo said: “We hope to retain the unique community spirit of the festival, which was one of the main considerations when we were deciding on the venue. If we look at the history of the convention center, PICC is quite conducive for film screenings, having hosted the Manila International Film Festival in the 1980s.”

It was also announced the exhibitions and filmmakers’ profiles will be on display at the Executive Lounge.

The 10 competing full-length films are as follows:

“Ang Duyan Ng Magiting (The Cradle Of The Brave)” by Dustin Celestino is described “a collection of interwoven stories about life and violence in the Philippines, following a college professor, a university chancellor, a social worker, a police chief, two students, two mothers, and a lawyer.”

“As If It’s True” by John Rogers is about “a fading social media influencer and a struggling musician exploit each other in a not-so-fake relationship.”

“Bulawan nga Usa (Golden Deer)” by Kenneth dela Cruz is a story about a man who “embarks on a soul-stirring expedition on a mystical mountain to look for the golden deer, and finds solace in an unlikely friendship with a spirited mountain boy.”

“Gitling by Jopy Arnaldo is a film about a film. The story revolves on “a young Filipina translator and a middle-aged Japanese director, who while creating the subtitles of a film, test the limits of language and understanding.”

“Huling Palabas (FIN)” by Ryan Espinosa Machado is about a young boy’s search for his long-lost father. The twist happens when “reality becomes mystified when two movie-like characters appear in his hometown.”

“Iti Mapukpukaw (The Missing)” by Carl Joseph E. Papa is about “the arrival of a familiar alien that untangles a mouthless young man’s memories.”

“Maria” by She Andes has this intriguing storyline: “Amid shrinking civic and democratic space, and a culture of impunity, three women named Maria are on a journey to see truth and fight for justice.”

“Rookie” by Samantha Lee and Natts Jadaone tells how “everything changes when an awkward teenager joins the volleyball team and falls for the volleyball team captain.”

“Tether” by Gian Arre explores how “after having a one-night stand, an arrogant playboy and a timid young woman discover that any kind of pleasure or pain they inflict on themselves can be felt simultaneously by the other person.”

Finally, the 10th full-length film in competition by Kevin Mayuga titled “When This Is All Over” is about “a disconnected desperate guy who forges a deal with a group of privileged misfits to plan a secret party at the height of a global pandemic, for a chance to escape his reality.”

The 10 finished short films in competition are as follows:

“Ang Kining Binalaybay Kag Ambahanon Ko Para sa Imo (These Rhymes And Rhythms Meant For You)” by Kent John D. Desamparado explores how “a grandfather and a child share final moments before they separate ways.”

“Golden Bells” By Kurt Soberano is about “a young Chinese-Filipino boy learns the trade from his father, which becomes his foundation in maintaining the family business for love and legacy.”

“Hinakdal (Condemned)” by Arvin Belarmino is about “a zombie family that gets their isolated ‘lives’ disturbed by a human being who attempts to steal their livestock.”

“HM HM MHM” By Sam Villa-Real And Kim Timan is described a story how “a young woman’s touch breathes life to a dollhouse where an all-too-familiar story replays.”

“Kokuryo: The Untold Story Of Bb. Undas 2019” by Diokko Manuel Dionisio is about “the search for the person who stole their cash prize from a gay beauty pageant tests the friendship between two transgender women.”

“Makoko sa Baybay (I Am Going To The Beach)” by Mike Cabarles is about “two brothers who hope to find the sea creature that killed their mother.”

“Maudi Nga Arapaap (Last Dream)” by Daniel Magayon story is about a nurse on a night shift whose action of dumping her mother’s possession attracts Batibat's wrath.”

“Sibuyas Ni Perfecto (Perfecto’s Onion)” by Januar Yap is “about an aging man who, while on an errand run, realizes he missed doing one very important thing”.

“Sota (Horse Caretaker)” by Mae Tanagon is about “two horse caretakers’ struggle to make ends meet amid the low-wage employment in the horse racing industry.”

“Tong Adlaw Nga Nag-Snow Sa Pinas (The Day It Snowed In The Philippines)” by Joshua Caesar Medroso is about two boys who, amid their fondness for snow and Samurai movies, face a world of violence and abuse.”

Diverse choices

Dennis Marasigan, CCP artistic director, said for those who will watch at the PICC, seats are assured for ticket buyers and festival passes holders. “If you buy a ticket, there will be a corresponding seat number. So you get to choose the most comfortable seats if you buy early,” he said.

A ticket is priced at P300 each for regular audience member while students get a discounted price at P200. Senior citizens, persons with disabilities and government employees can avail of P240 discounted ticket.

Millado said selected winning films from previous Cinemalaya festivals will be shown again. There will also be documentaries and animation titles.

Marasigan announced Reyes’ classic love story from 1993, the Aga Muhlach and Aiko Melendez-starrer “May Minamahal,” will be part of the Restored section.

Produced by Star Cinema, the restored version was made possible by the ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project. Though it has been made available on KTX since 2021, seeing it on the big screen with fellow movie goers will definitely be a more engaging and definitely a nostalgic experience.

Reyes told ABS-CBN News he was surprised of the announcement. As of press time, the presence of Muhlach and Melendez as well as the other stars of the film has yet to be confirmed.

WATCH:

There is an all-access festival pass priced at P3,500. For those who want to watch only the films in competition, the pass costs P2,500.

As of press time, screening schedules have yet to be announced at the CCP, Cinemalaya websites and social media pages. The awarding ceremony will be on August 13 at the PICC Grand Staircase.

Reyes told ABS-CBN News what’s wonderful in this year’s entries both in full-length and the shorts is that almost all of the filmmakers are from the provinces. Their stories talk about their unique experiences and visions from their homes.

He emphasized that this assures how diverse and exciting the festival will be for cineastes and film students out there who have been used to watching films on streaming platforms that mostly offer mainstream Hollywood fare and local escapist commercial titles.

Reyes said: “Mas bongga-bongga ngayon ang Cinemalaya, kaya don’t miss the festival. Go out and watch, support our new breed of filmmakers. They are the future. Kami (veterans), mga fossils na.”

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