Monday, August 06, 2012

The Cinemalaya 2012 Experience Part 1

Cinemalaya 2012 winners along with Cinemalaya organizers

My maiden experience with the Cinemalaya back in 2011 was a rare feat which impressed a lot of people who knew what I was able to achieve back then. But going to this year’s edition, I knew that it would take a monumental effort for me to duplicate what I achieved last year when I saw all shorts, all films in competition, and the opening and closing films as well. Unfortunately, not only did I miss the opening film during the opening night, but I also missed the first few days of the festival due to bad weather. Out of the 15 films in competition, I was only able to watch seven and I entirely missed seeing all the shorts.

Here are the winners of the 8th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival 2012:

Short Feature Category

Best Screenplay - Sigrid Andrea Bernardo for Paghihintay sa Bulong
Best Direction - Sheron Dayoc for As He Sleeps
Special Jury Prize - Manenaya
Audience Choice - Ruweda 
Best Film - Victor

Directors Showcase Category

Best Sound - Ditoy Aguila  for Kalayaan
Best Original Music Score - Diwa De Leon for Kamera Obskura
Best Editing - Vanessa De Leon for Mga Mumunting Lihim
Best Production Design - Adolf Alix Jr. for Kalayaan
Best Cinematography - Albert Banzon for Kalayaan
Best Screenplay - Jose Javier Reyes for Mga Mumunting Lihim
Best Performance of a Supporting Actor - Art Acuna for Posas
Best Performance of a Supporting Actress - Iza Calzado, Janice de Belen, Agot Isidro and Judy Ann Santos for Mga Mumunting Lihim for Mga Mumunting Lihim
Best Direction - Raymond Red for Kamera Obskura
Best Performance of an Actor - Eddie Garcia for Bwakaw
Best Performance of an Actress - Iza Calzado, Janice de Belen, Agot Isidro and Judy Ann Santos for Mga Mumunting Lihim
Special Jury Prize - Kamera Obskura
Audience Choice - Bwakaw
NETPAC Award - Bwakaw
Best Film - Posas

New Breed Category

Best Sound - Albert Michael Idioma for Aparisyon
Best Original Music Score - Mikey Amistoso, Jazz Nicolas, and Diego Mapa for Ang Nawawala
Best Editing - John Wong and Rona Delos Reyes for The Animals
Best Production Design - Benjamin Payumo for Intoy Syokoy
Best Cinematography - Tristan Salas for Diablo
Best Screenplay - Rody Vera for REquieme!
Best Performance of a Supporting Actor - Joross Gamboa for Intoy Syokoy
Best Performance of a Supporting Actress - Anita Linda for Sta. Niña
Best Direction - Mes De Guzman for Diablo
Best Performance of an Actor - Kristoffer King for Oros
Best Performance of an Actress - Ama Quiambao for Diablo
Special Jury Prize - REquieme!
Audience Choice - Ang Nawawala 
NETPAC Award - Diablo
Best Film - Diablo

Fides Cuyugan-Asensio from Aparisyon and
Loy Arceñas from REquieme!

I was only able to start attending Cinemalaya at the Cultural Center of the Philippines during the fourth day of regular screening. That meant that if I targeted two screenings at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) per day, I was already six films behind. Here are my thoughts of the films that I managed to see this year.

Kalayaan


Kalayaan (Wildlife), a film by Adolf Alix Jr., wasn’t a good way to start Cinemalaya for me. The film started interestingly and shockingly as well with a nude man walking down the shore and then engaging in a sexual act with of all things, a mermaid. After that the film rolled slowly, focusing on Julian played by Thai actor Ananda Everingham, a soldier stationed over at the Spratly Islands. The life of a soldier there is a lonely and boring one and I was indeed bored as well while watching the earlier part of the film. The film did pick up when other soldiers (Zanjoe Marudo and Luis Alandy) came into the picture during the second half. I felt that the hype surrounding Everingham’s inclusion in this film was just that, all hype. His role barely had any lines and I think that any other actor could’ve essayed his role to the same effect. I have a strong feeling that I would’ve responded a lot differently had this been a film that I saw midway during the festival.

Adolf Alix Jr. and Ananda Everingham from Kalayaan

Sta. Niña


My goodness, I never expected such pandemonium over Coco Martin. Even before I got out of the CCP Main Theater, I already heard some screaming coming from the lobby. I got a bit worried that these people might not be at their best behavior while watching the film. Thankfully, these people behaved well during the screening of the film. Sta. Niña, a film by Emmanuel Palo, tells the story of Pol (Coco Martin) who digs up the corpse of his daughter ten years later and yet showing no signs of decaying. Soon enough, he and the rest of his village start to believe that his child brings forth miracles. But the mother of the child, Mabel, (Alessandra da Rossi) remains skeptical and urges Pol to just bury their daughter and move on with their lives. Raising serious questions regarding religion that is often mixed with politics, superstition and commercialism as well as hinting an intriguing back story between Pol, Mabel and their families make Sta. Niña an engaging film. At times, the movie felt like reading a thick novel filled with many side characters and subplots. The movie lost a bit of its steam for me right after a crucial turning point in the plot when Pol and the rest of his entourage urged the bishop to make the corpse a saint. One of the main highlights of this film was the performance of veteran actress Anita Linda as the Alzheimer’s disease stricken grandmother of Pol.

Anita Linda from Sta. Niña

Getting to watch two films (both Gala Screenings) during my first night at the Cinemalaya was not bad at all. But I’ve already missed too much and it would be very difficult for me to catch up. I felt out of the loop whenever I heard people talk about the other films that they’ve already watched. But it felt good seeing a lot of people whom I got to know last year and started referring to as Cinemalaya classmates. It was just too bad that I didn’t have complete attendance just like last year.

Alessandra da Rossi from Sta. Niña

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