THOUGHTS ON CINEMALAYA 2019
There’s something about films festivals, particularly indie festivals, especially Cinemalaya, that feels rewarding
Spider-Man: Far from Home has taken control of most cinemas and I regret that I cannot review it as I have fallen asleep in some parts of the movie. Sorry, Spidey fans. But it’s the type of movie that most people will see, anyway, regardless of negative reviews.
So I will be talking instead about my thoughts on the upcoming Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, which will happen between 2 and 13 August at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and in select Ayala Malls in and out of Metro Manila.
On 9 July 2019, Cinemalaya held a presscon at the CCP’s main lobby. Filmmakers and the stars of their movies gathered together
to introduce their entries in competition this year. There are 10 full-length feature films and 10 short films in competition.
It’s exciting, really. There’s something about film festivals, particularly indie festivals, especially Cinemalaya, that feels rewarding. It is a break from mindless popcorn entertainment, a break from blockbuster films.
It’s not that mainstream big-studio films are bad — they are also essential for our escape; to indulge yourself in superhero fantasies in empty afternoons and boring evenings, enjoy fast-paced, CGI’d visual extravaganzas, weep in melodramatic love stories and sing along to musical-fantasia biopics.
It’s just that indie films, for me, are more satisfying to the soul. They are provocative. They chiefly showcase the personal artistic vision of the filmmaker, and more often than not, they are bold commentaries. They are films of artistic integrity. Insightful and sharp. They tackle deeper human conditions, explore the unexplored, transport us to realities we thought do not exist. They are more character-driven and soulful. Raw and candid. Naturalistic dialogue. Fresh faces. That’s the beauty of independent cinema.
This year, Cinemalaya celebrates its 15th year of independent cinema, and it has come a long way. It has evolved.
Mainstream A-listers began trickling into the festival some time ago, and personally I do not mind. These actors and actresses also hunger for a different type of projects, desiring to break free from the formulaic scripts common in commercial films. This is where they get to mold their craft as artists, challenge themselves in roles they’ve never played before. And it also gets us curious to see them playing unconventional characters.
Popular celebrities starring in indie films are also conduits for the masses to watch an independent film. It is a gentle way of converting them to a more subversive type of cinema. Lure them with their idols and ferry them into watching stories that they normally wouldn’t care to see. Because let’s face the truth: most people only pay for movies that star their idols.
This year, Iza Calzado is back. In last year’s Cinemalaya, she played a lesbian mother in Perci Intalan’s Distance. It’s a powerful movie, all subtlety and nuances. This year, Calzado returns to star in
Pandanggo sa Hukay — this time as a midwife and breadwinner looking for better opportunities abroad.
Xian Lim is also in this year’s festival — but this time behind the camera. The handsome mainstream actor directs his first full-length film called Tabon, a crime-thriller. What I am most excited about is
ANi, a coming-of-age sci-fi film set in 2050 Bicol by Kim Zuñiga and Sandro del Rosario. It’s not every day you get to watch science-fiction in the Philippine film industry.
Another curious entry for me in the full-length category is Belle
Douleur, because lawyer-producer Joji V. Alonso is directing for the first time. After producing 32 feature films, including NETPAC awardee, the 2006 Kubrador and the country’s Oscar entry in 2011
Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, she now takes artistic helm. And one is naturally curious about her directorial style and vision after years of producing films.
Jon Denver Trending by Arden Rod Condez is also a priority of mine as it tackles the ugly side of social media, such as cyberbullying and the culture of “bandwagonning.” A boy in the province is accused of stealing an iPad, and after his accuser’s persistent harassment, the boy snaps and becomes violent. His assault is captured in video which soon becomes viral online. Naturally, when we see an assault happen on video, we are enraged. But what is the story behind that viral video? What provoked it? Words can kill the spirit and physical violence will always get you in trouble.
During the presscon, I noticed a bunch of balloons made to look like eyeballs floating in the red staircase of the CCP main lobby. The festival has not revealed this year’s theme. Yet. Just a cluster of eyeballs. Does it inspire to open one’s eyes to the truth? Does it encourage you to have as many eyes — meaning, as many perspectives — as you can? Does it urge you to see as many films as you should? An all-access pass, by the way, costs P4,000. This golden ticket will give you access to all screenings of films in competition and exhibition films, qualifies you to the Priority Lane entries in CCP, and you get a free official T-shirt.
They have different types of passes, including a Barkada Pass where you pay P1,500 for you and four more people so you can watch together at the Devant Screening Lounge of your choice of one film in competition. Pretty expensive to indulge in the festival, but Cinemalaya is running a contest in their social media accounts if you want to win free passes.
Last year, I had the privilege of being accredited by Daily Tribune as a Cinemalaya correspondent and was given my media pass. I spent three days watching all 10 full-length films — a feat that I am proud of until today. For the first time in my lifetime, I completed 10 films in competition at a film festival. Traveling to CCP from where I live was no joke. It was expensive, too. But worth it. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had in a festival. My most favorite entry that year, the emotionally rich Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon
even won Best Picture. I just regret that I didn’t have time left for the short film category.
So, let us hope that this year’s Cinemalaya is better than last year, as we celebrate works of both upcoming and veteran filmmakers and actors. While we love our usual Hollywood films and international cinema, I urge every movie lover to equally support Philippine cinema. Try it, if you haven’t yet. Like the floating eyeballs that symbolize this year’s festival, let us open our eyes to as many stories of our identity and culture as Filipinos.
Fifteenth year
Highlights
They are provocative. They chiefly showcase the personal artistic vision of the filmmaker, and more often than not, they are bold commentaries.
Eyeballs and other things