Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival

Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival
Festival logo
Location	Manila, Philippines
Number of films	10
Language	Filipino and other Philippine languages
Official website

The Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival is a film festival in the Philippines held annually in the month of July at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Its aim is the development and promotion of Filipino independent film. The film festival is organized by the Cinemalaya Foundation, with the support of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Econolink Investments, Inc.

Each year, the Festival awards grants of Php 500,000 (USD 10,000~) to ten independent filmmakers. These ten "finalists" are culled from hundreds of submissions from all over the Philippines. Their films debut at the festival, together with in-competition short films, as well as various out-of-competition works.

The festival organizing committee is headed by veteran Filipino director and actress Laurice Guillen. The organizers hope that through the festival, young filmmakers will be able to "express their own concepts freely and not be limited by the industry's present condition, where artistic integrity is sacrificed in the pursuit of commercial success."^{[1][dead link]}

The 4th Festival 2008

The dancers were moving through the crowd, with flashlights on their wrists and leaving little gold footprints all over the floor of the Cultural Center of the Philippines

The 2008 (4th edition) of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival with theme Anong Kwento Mo? (Filipino, "What's your story?") showcased eight competing full-length entries and ten competing short films from July 11-20, 2008.^[2]

The full-length line-up consisted of:

• 100 by Chris Martinez
• Baby Angelo by Joel Ruiz and Abi Aquino
• Brutus by Tara Illenberger
• Concerto by Paul Morales
• Huling Pasada by Paul Sta. Ana
• Jay by Francis Pasion
• My Fake American Accent by Onnah Valera and Ned Trespeces
• Ranchero by Michael Cardoz
• Namets! by Jay Abello
• Boses

Starring in the full-length entries were Filipino celebrities Mylene Dizon, Eugene Domingo, Tessie Tomas, TJ Trinidad, Ryan Eigenmann, Baron Geisler, Coco Martin, Ces Quesada, and Meryll Soriano. Adolfo Alix Jr.’s Adela opened the 2008 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.^[3]

In 2008, the finalist-filmmakers received an additional Php 100,000 from the Film Development Council of the Philippines, in addition to the Cinemalaya grant. Ranchero had been chosen to take part in the Paris Project of the Festival Paris Cinema in July.^[4]

Jury

The jury members were:

• Cesar Montano, film actor
• Lito Zulueta, film critic and writer
• Ansgar Vogt, Berlin International Film Festival programmer
• Kim Ji-Seok, co-founder and program director of the Pusan International Film Festival
• Max Tessier, Asian and Japanese cinema expert and artistic consultant for international film festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival

Cinemalaya Cinco 2009

In July 2009, the following ten finalists were screened:

• 24K by Ana Agabin
• Ang Nerseri (The Nursery) by Vic Acedillo, Jr.
• Ang Panggagahasa Kay Fe by Alvin Yapan
• Astig (Mga Batang Kalye) by GB Sampedro
• Colorum by Jon Steffan Ballesteros
• Dinig Sana Kita by Mike Sandejas
• Engkwentro by Pepe Diokno
• Last Supper No. 3 by Veronica Velasco and Jinky Laurel
• Mangatyanan (The Blood Trail) by Jerrold Tarog
• Sanglaan by Milo Sogueco

In this edition, director-producer Pepe Diokno, at 21 years, became the youngest person to ever win a Cinemalaya grant. His film, Engkwentro also became Cinemalaya's most successful release, taking two major awards at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival, including the Lion of the Future - "Luigi de Laurentiis" Award for Debut Film and the Horizons Prize - Best Picture - with Diokno becoming the youngest Filipino to win at the world's oldest film festival.^{[citation needed]}

Cinemalaya on TV

Since 2005, ABC 5 has been the only Free TV Channel that premieres Cinemalaya. It is seen every Tuesday at 7pm.

External links

• Official Website
• Cinemalaya 2008 complete schedule

References

1. ^ "Inq7.net:Global Nation". http://www.inq7.net/globalnation/sec_sho/2004/aug/09-03.htm. 
2. ^ "PEP: Cinemalaya 2008 screens 10 films, July 11-20". GMANews.tv. 2006-06-16. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/101419/PEP-Cinemalaya-2008-screens-10-films-July-11-20. Retrieved 2009-10-12. 
3. ^ San Diego, Jr, Bayani (2006-06-16). "‘Adela’ is Cinemalaya opening film July 11". Inquirer.net. http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20080616-142873/Adela-is-Cinemalaya-opening-film-July-11. Retrieved 2009-10-12. 
4. ^ San Diego, Jr, Bayani (2006-06-09). "All-star cast in Cinemalaya ‘08". Inquirer.net. http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20080609-141524/All-star-cast-in-Cinemalaya-08. Retrieved 2009-10-12.