Cinemalaya Archives

Sep282020 No Comments

Finding consciousness in the hums of isolation

by CHRISTINE JANINE T. CORTEZ FOR EVERY great defeat comes along a greater resurgence. It may not happen tomorrow or the day after that but like every other episode in a series of unfortunate events, eventually, things will make sense and all things will come to an end. Although it may seem that this pandemic has ended a lot of great opportunities, it is without a doubt that life must still go on. And in doing that, arduous but inevitable changes have to be made. Despite several changes in the industry, the creative people behind the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and the Museum Division, guaranteed seats for everyone as they unveiled this years' Cinemalaya film festival. They launched not one but two online events to celebrate the annual film festival. One of the two ...

Aug182018 No Comments

Pan de Salawal: The Irony of Pain

Letters

By RYAN PIOLO U. VELUZ FROM THE torpid state of slumber, Salvador (Bodjie Pascua) disturbs the serenity of night with gasps of pain as he urinates with struggle and droplets of blood. He looks up at the ceiling with tears in his eyes, contemplating his miserable life spent alone while enduring the torments of a chronic kidney condition. Depressed and unaided, he had attempted to end his life several times, but only stopped when a miracle appeared in the form of a mysterious little girl. Pan de Salawal is the debut entry of writer-director Anna Francesca Espiritu to the Cinemalaya film festival. The film revolves around a small community in Manila where a wandering child named Aguy (Miel Espinosa) transforms the depressing lives of sick people by, ironically, inflicting pain on th

Aug142018 No Comments

ML: Reliving the Pandemonium

Letters

By ADRIAN PAUL L. TAÑEDO photo from Cinemalaya’s official website TIME has taught people that the history of the Philippines is written with blood. Ever since colonial masters invaded the land, natives have taken up arms to try and defend it. All of this is written in the pages of history books and is widely accepted. However, injustices and atrocities to human rights that happened during the years of martial law are always being questioned by those who did not experience the regime of the wicked dictator. Some of these cynics decide to traipse upon the dark past of the country to uncover the truth—only to find out that, like so many others, they entered the void with no way to return. Directed by Benedict Mique Jr., ML is an entry to this year’s Cinemalaya film festival that tack

Aug142018 No Comments

Liway: A Celebration of Victorious Resistance

Letters

By RYAN PIOLO U. VELUZ photo from Cinemalaya's official website IN A confined arena of outlaws and insurgents, children are living under imperceptible chains of suppression that inhibit their freedom to prosper and taint the purity of their youth. Governed by their naivety, the children are indifferent to the reality of living inside a world of transgressions. However, through the steadfast love of a strong-willed mother, they survive each day with hope and faith that someday, evil will be vanquished. Kip Oebanda’s entry for this year’s Cinemalaya, Liway,’is a profound personal film set in the Marcos era. It reveals the experiences of a 7-year-old boy named Dakip (Kenken Nuyad) and his parents, Inday (Glaiza de Castro) and Ricardo (Dominic Roco) who are detained at Camp Delgado, a

Aug282016 No Comments

Kusina: Where the Heart Rests

Letters

IN TRADITION, Filipinos believe that there is life after death—an afterlife in which an individual’s identity and consciousness continue to exist even after the passing of a body. Kusina defamiliarizes Heaven as the holy realm that reveals all that is expected it would be like: a room where there is warmth and joy confined in intimate space—almost like a banquet celebrating one’s journey through life with the company of loved ones and savory dishes. Kusina is a treat to culinary drama. It revolves around the life of Juanita (Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo) who was born on a kitchen table. Her fate seems to be intertwined with that same room, where she discovers her devotion to cooking. The linear pace tracing from her youth to womanhood is faithful to the accustomed story-telling of a quint

Aug262016 No Comments

Cinemalaya Shorts A: Through the Glistening Scythe

Letters

LIFE HAS been man’s cornucopia of successes and misfortunes in the world. Yet it is only when he faces death that he realizes how precious and limited it is. The Shorts A division of the 12th Cinemalaya Film Festival focuses on this, compelling the viewers to reflect on their lives with its various exemplifications of death in all its forms. Bugtaw (Awake) The Ilonggo film Bugtaw brings to life Arman and Leo, two kids who have a common pastime—writing their dreams on notebooks and sharing them to each other every time they meet. One sunny day at the grasslands, after telling each other about what they have dreamt of the previous night, Arman gets chased by a rugged man who, he thinks, haunts the dark past about his family that he struggles to hide. Through animation, the produce

Aug252016 No Comments

Tuos: Breaking the Shackles of Tradition

Letters

MILES AWAY from the country’s capital region, where daily living includes mobile phones and honking of cars, lay various pre-Hispanic traditions that still survive up to this day despite the speeding influence of modernity. Cinemalaya 2016 Audience Choice Feature Film Tuos presents the clash between tradition and modernity by the use of allegories as an art drama. It tells of the ethnic customs and beliefs centering on the binukot or “kept maiden” still practiced today in Panay, Bukidnon. Written by Denise O’Hara, the story revolves around Pina-ilog, played by Philippine cinema’s Superstar Nora Aunor, who is an old binukot thrown at the crossroads between keeping their tradition alive and choosing the happiness of her granddaughter and successor, Dowokan, portrayed by Barbie Forteza

Aug152016 No Comments

Artlet alumnus wins award in Cinemalaya 2016

Scenes

AN ARTLET alumnus bagged the Audience Choice Award for short feature film in the 2016 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival awards night held Sunday. Independent film Forever Natin directed by Communication Arts graduate Cyrus Valdez won the award after making the most “impact” to the viewers. Valdez’ film portrayed the story of a lesbian couple who drafted a contract that will bind them for a limited period of time, although they were aware that their relationship will not last for good. Valdez told the Flame that the film is “timely” as it tackles issues concerning the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. “Ang criteria nila doon is how much a film has impacted them after watching and it’s overwhelming to know na film namin ‘yung pinili nilang pinak

Aug72016 No Comments

Cyrus Valdez: Making the Cut

Faces

HE THOUGHT, and there was nothing. Cyrus Jay Valdez and his team of 11 were down to filming their last few scenes of the short film Forever Natin. Time was running out. He was almost at his breaking point. Was he going to let the pressure get to him? “If I fail, then it’s going to be a stepping stone. A challenge is not a failure,” he says. “Everyone fails, and everyone should fail para makapag-progress because if you don’t fail hindi ka magpro-progress.” Cyrus only discovered that he had to fall in order to rise and be a step closer to his dream of sitting on a director’s chair, calling all the shots. Taking Control The world of show business was no secret to the young Valdez. It was there where his love for the industry began. He spent his childhood starring in movies