10th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival

The 10th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, also billed as Cinemalaya X was held from August 1–10 of 2014 in Metro Manila, Philippines. The achievements of Cinemalaya over the past ten years are summed up in the festival’s theme: A Decade of Connecting Dimensions. The theme highlights Cinemalaya as a flourishing network of individuals, groups and institutions with a common goal of developing and promoting Filipino independent filmmaking.^[1]

The achievements of Cinemalaya over the past ten years are summed up in the Festival’s theme: A Decade of Connecting Dimensions. The theme highlights Cinemalaya as a flourishing network of individuals, groups and institutions with a common goal of developing and promoting Filipino independent filmmaking. Special events and new Festival features will add to the excitement of Cinemalaya X. These include the launching of the Cinemalaya X book, announcement of the Cinemalaya Logo Contest winner, the introduction of the Cinemalaya Achievement Award, special exhibitions that will document the story of Cinemalaya’s first decade, a Cinemalaya X Retrospective. The Cinemalaya X book is a commemorative publication chronicling the history of Cinemalaya and its contributions to Philippine cinema. The book will be launched on August 3, 2014 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.^[2]

The book, Cinemalaya Foundation president Nestor O. Jardin said, is a tribute to the Filipino indie filmmaker. “The success of Cinemalaya is undoubtedly due to the 164 filmmakers who for the past ten editions of the competition and festival produced quality films that have broken the boundaries of filmmaking in the country.

The festival was opened by Jose Antonio Vargas' Documented, a documentary film that chronicles his life living in America and his struggles as an undocumented immigrant. While the closing film was A Thief, a Kid and a Killer, a crime-drama film directed by American director Nathan Adolfson, starring Epi Quizon and Felix Roco.^[3]

At the awards ceremony held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo on August 10; Francis Xavier Pasion’s Bwaya, won Best Film as well as three other awards in the New Breed category while Jose Altarejos’ Kasal was named Best Film in the Directors Showcase category, with Nora Aunor winning the Best Actress plum, also in the Directors Showcase category, of the 10th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition.^[4]

Entries

The fifteen feature-film entries are divided into two separate competitions. The five feature-film entries will compete under the Directors Showcase which are presented by veteran film directors of the country. While the other ten feature-film entries will compete under the New Breed section which are presented by first-time or young filmmakers working today. The Short Film section has also ten competing entries. The winning film is highlighted with boldface and a dagger.

Directors Showcase

New Breed

Short Films

Awards

This year's Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival awards night was held Sunday night, August 10, at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater) of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.^[5] Under the Director's Showcase category, Joselito Altarejos' Kasal, a slice-of-life drama of a gay couple, won the Best Film and was cited for its “deeply sensitive and moving depiction of the intricacies of relationships.” While Francis Xavier Pasion's Bwaya won the Best Film of the New Breed selection and was cited “for its melding of documentary and fictional filmmaking, its effective depiction of a community’s efforts to come to grips with the horrible death of a young girl from a crocodile attack, and its powerful evocation of the marshes of Agusan in Mindanao, a vast wilderness where man and beast seek to maintain an ecology of cohabitation.” ^[6]

It is also the first time in Cinemalaya history to give the award of the Gawad Balanghai as a lifetime achievement award. Filipino filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik, dubbed as the "Father of Philippine Independent Cinema", was given the first Gawad Balanghai for he "has contributed to the development and promotion of Philippine independent cinema, we also take cognizance of the fact that there are many individuals and organizations that have likewise been instrumental to the rise of the independent film movement in our country.”^[7]

Full-Length Features

Directors Showcase

• Best Film – Kasal by Joselito Altarejos
  • Special Jury Prize – Hari ng Tondo by Carlos Siguion-Reyna
  • Audience Choice Award – Hustisya by Joel Lamangan
• Best Direction – Mike Tuviera for The Janitor
• Best Actor – Robert Arevalo for Hari ng Tondo
• Best Actress – Nora Aunor for Hustisya
• Best Supporting Actor – Nicco Manalo for The Janitor
• Best Supporting Actress – Cris Villonco for Hari ng Tondo
• Best Screenplay – Aloy Adlawan and Mike Tuviera for The Janitor
• Best Cinematography – Mycko David for Kasal
• Best Editing – Tara Illenberger for The Janitor
• Best Sound – The Janitor
• Best Original Music Score – Richard Gonzales for Kasal
• Best Production Design – Harley Alcasid for Kasal

New Breed

• Best Film – Bwaya by Francis Xavier Pasion
  • Special Jury Prize – K'na, the Dreamweaver by Ida Anita del Mundo
  • Audience Choice Award – Sundalong Kanin by Janice O'Hara
• Best Direction – Giancarlo Abrahan for Dagitab
• Best Actor – Dante Rivero for 1st Ko si 3rd
• Best Actress – Eula Valdes for Dagitab
• Best Supporting Actor – Miggs Cuaderno for Children's Show
• Best Supporting Actress – Barbie Forteza for Mariquina
  • Special Jury Citation for Best Acting Ensemble - The cast of #Y (Sophie Albert, Coleen Garcia, Elmo Magalona, Chynna Ortaleza, and Kit Thompson)
• Best Screenplay – Giancarlo Abrahan for Dagitab
• Best Cinematography – Neil Daza for Bwaya
• Best Editing – George Centena for Children's Show
• Best Sound – Children's Show
• Best Original Music Score – Erwin Fajardo for Bwaya
• Best Production Design – Toym Imao for Kna, the Dreamweaver

Special Awards

• Gawad Balanghai – Kidlat Tahimik
• NETPAC Award
  • Directors Showcase – Hustisya by Joel Lamangan
  • New Breed – Bwaya by Francis Xavier Pasion

Short Films

• Best Short Film – Asan si Lolo Me by Sari Estrada
  • Special Jury Prize – The Ordinary Things We Do by David Corpuz
  • Audience Choice Award – Lola by Kevin Ang
• Best Direction – Kevin Ang for Lola
• Best Screenplay – Kevin Ang for Lola

References

External links

• Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival