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| Cinemalaya XX Officials, Film Makers, and Cast |
Half a year after the commercial and critical successes of their respective Metro Manila Film Festival entries, Marian Rivera and Cedrick Juan return to the film festival circuit with their latest starrers at the 20th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival happening this August 2-11, 2024, at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay.
With teaser images of a deglamorized Marian Rivera making the rounds in social media, her starrer Balota by Kip Oebanda (Liway, 2018) is one of the most highly anticipated entries this year. Winning the Best Actor for GomBurZa at the 2023 MMFF catapulted Cedrick Juan to the mainstream. Expectations are high to see if he could bag another film festival best actor win with Gulay Lang, Manong! by BC Amparado.
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| Marian Rivera and Kip Oebanda |
Both Rivera and Juan are not new to Cinemalaya though. Rivera had a guest role, playing herself, in the Vilma Santos starrer Ekstra (2013), while Juan had a bit role in Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa (2011) by Alvin Yapan.
Despite their high profiles and acclaimed past outings, it is too premature to hand them outright with the Balanghai Trophy since Cinemalaya has had its share of surprises come Awards night in its two decades of existence.
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| Cedrick Juan (3rd from left) and BC Amparado (rightmost) with Gulay Lang, Manong! team |
With the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Main Building still undergoing major rehabilitation, Cinemalaya XX which has adopted the theme of Loob, Lalim, Lakas for this edition, will be hosted at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay which will be decked with the exhibits, booths, lounges, etc. that have characterized the festival for the past two decades.
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| Cinemalaya XX Full-Length Film Category Film Makers |
Here are the Full-Length Category entries for Cinemalaya XX.
Alipato at Muog/Flying Embers and a Fortress
Director: JL Burgos
The abduction of Jonas Burgos in 2007 was brazen – done at noontime in a crowded mall. As his family launched their search, a car plate brought them face to face with powerful forces. Despite insurmountable barriers, anonymous informants have dropped leads and even provided the last known photo of Jonas in captivity. Edita, the 80-year old mother, and her filmmaker son lead the long and arduous fight for justice. Presented through testimonials of their lawyer, a reporter, a former Justice Secretary and Human Rights Commission Chair, and witnesses who agreed to appear on condition of anonymity, combined with animation and never-before-seen footage of the family’s relentless search, the documentary film weaves the stories together to uncover the truths, however painful, about the brother’s disappearance.
Balota
Director: Kip Oebanda
Cast: Marian Rivera, Will Ashley, Royce Cabrera, Nico Antonio, Raheel Bhyria, Esnyr, Sassa Gurl, Donna Cariaga, Sue Prado, Joel Saracho, Gardo Versoza, Mae Paner
During the 2007 elections, a former sexy star and a land-grabbing tycoon are in a tight race for mayor. Emmy, a strict yet popular teacher in a small town, is assigned to the Board of Election Inspectors for her local precinct. When violence erupts, she runs into the forest with a ballot box containing the last copy of the election results. Armed only with her resourcefulness, courage and wit, she tries to outmaneuver the goons who want the elections to fail. Her loved ones and community are caught in the crossfire as she pays an increasingly steep price for defending the democratic process.
An Errand
Director: Dominic Bekaert
Screenplay: Sarge Lacuesta
Cast: Sid Lucero, Art Acuña, Nanding Josef, Elora Españo, Elora Españo, Eric Kelly, Thea Marabut
Moroy, a driver, is jolted awake in the dead of night by an urgent call from SIR, his middle-aged boss, demanding he fetch his Viagra. Speeding off from Baguio to Manila, Moroy's mind drifts between reality and fantasy, unveiling SIR's secrets and reflecting on his interactions with fellow drivers and Brenda, SIR's office mistress. As the long journey unfolds, Moroy undergoes a profound transformation. Upon his return, Moroy finds himself forever changed.
Gulay Lang, Manong!/No More than Veggies
Director: BC Amparado
Cast: Cedrick Juan, Perry Dizon, BJ Tolits Forbes, Ranzel, Dong Abay, Lui Manansala
Struggling farmer Pilo Sabado faces trouble when his grandson Ricky gets involved in the cannabis trade with his friend Razer. As the local drug war heats up, Ricky is caught by police officer Ariel Lacson. Ariel offers Pilo a deal: help catch Razer, and Ricky goes free. As they dive deeper into the cartel, they discover the cannabis trade is linked to a powerful senator with personal reasons for involvement. This revelation shakes Pilo and Ariel, making them choose between their future and doing the right thing amidst betrayals and shifting alliances.
The Hearing
Director: Lawrence Fajardo
Screenplay: Honee Alipio
Cast: Mylene Dizon, Nor Domingo, Ina Feleo, Ruby Ruiz, Enzo Osorio, Angie Castrence, Marvin Yap, Rom Factolerin, Rome Mallari, Ruslan Jacob Asumbrado
Lucas, a deaf boy from a small fishing village, is sexually abused by Fr. Mejor, an influential priest. After his parents Madonna and Dante discover the truth, they decide to file a court case against the priest despite the obstacles in their way. In their pursuit of justice, they cross paths with sign language interpreter Maya, who has also witnessed powerful people manipulate the results of cases. In a society where few choose to listen, how can they win against forces that silence those who cannot speak and break the souls of those who can?
Kantil/Trench
Director: Joshua Caesar Medroso
Cast: Edmund Telmo, Andre Miguel, Sue Prado, Raul Arellano, Ram Botero, Perry Dizon, Fe Gingging Hyde, Tads Obach, Alyssa Makiling, Ryle Equia
Star-crossed lovers Paleng and Eliong bid farewell as their love is threatened by the imminent demolition of Paleng’s coastal village. However, when a fisherman discovers a mysterious alien shell lurking in a trench, the community is confronted with a wave of hope and intrigue, jealousy and fear. As tensions surge like an incoming tide, their tangled lives unravel secrets on how to navigate the turbulent waters ahead, their ultimate survival depends on hidden truths that need to be retrieved from the depths of the trench.
Kono Basho
Director: Jaime Pacena II
Cast: Gabby Padilla, Arisa Nakano
Ella, a 28-year-old Filipina anthropologist, travels to Rikuzentakata City for her estranged father Emman's funeral, where she navigates the cultural and emotional complexities of his second family, including her Japanese half-sister, Reina. As they confront their intertwined histories, Ella and Reina find solace and connection, each reevaluating their perceptions of their father. Their journey of self-discovery intersects with Rikuzentakata's post-2011 earthquake and tsunami recovery. Discovering their father's photographs propels them on a path of rediscovery, exploring their relationships and individual identities. This poignant narrative explores themes of family, loss, identity, and renewal, reflecting deeply on the Filipino diaspora amid a backdrop of historical trauma.
Love Child
Director: Jonathan Jurilla
Cast: RK Bagatsing, Jane Oineza, John Tyrron Ramos
College sweethearts Ayla and Paolo decide to drop out of school to start a family after a whirlwind romance leads to an unplanned pregnancy. Four years later, they are devastated to learn that their son, Kali, is diagnosed with autism. As they navigate the complexities of raising a child with special needs, they confront an increasingly unsupportive environment. Their journey challenges their relationship and the dream of a complete, harmonious family, forcing them to find strength and resilience in the face of adversity.
The Wedding Dance
Director: Julius Lumiqued
Cast: Mai Fanglayan, Arvin Balageo
Following the Japanese invasion in the 1940s, Awiyao comes home to his wife Lumnay to ask her to attend the wedding dance, an invitation that stirs memories of joy, pain, and emptiness. It is an invitation to celebrate his new wedding dance.
Tumandok
Directors: Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay, Richard Jeroui Salvadico
Cast: Jenaica Sangher, Felipe Ganancial
Despite contentions from historians, legend has it that in ancient times, an Ati chieftain traded their land to Bornean datus for a necklace and a wide-brimmed hat made of gold. The mountains were left to the Atis, while the plains and rivers went to the Malays. Today, even the mountains are under threat, sometimes violently taken from the Atis.
Featuring an all-Ati non-professional acting ensemble, speaking in their own language, Inati, the film reveals the struggle of these indigenous people to reclaim their land. As one Ati once said, “Tell us where the end of the earth is, and we will go there to live in peace, untouched.”
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| Cinemalaya XX Short Film Category Film Makers |
The Short Films in competition this year are Abogbaybay by P.R. Monencillo Patindol, All This Wasted Space by Cris Bringas, Ambot Wala Ko Kabalo Unsay I-Title Ini by Rey Anthony Villaverde, Cross My Heart and Hope to Die by Sam Manasca, I was Walking on the Streets of Chinatown by Ryan Capili, Mana by Alexandra Brizuela, Mariposa by Melanie Faye Tampos, Pamalandong sa Dano/Reflection in the Marsh by Breech Asher Harani, Primetime Mother by Sonny Calvento, The Red Trails/An Baga sa Dalan by Mariel Ritchie Jolejole and Roniño Dolim.
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| Balanghai Trophy |
Sheron Dayoc's The Gospel of the Beast serves as the festival's opening film while the new 4K restored version of Bona directed by Lino Brocka and starring Nora Aunor, both National Artists for Film and Broadcast Arts, will be the closing film. Other highlights of the festival include 36th Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video, Retrospective, Best of the Festivals, Visions of Asia, Premieres, Dokyu, and Digital Classics.
Cinemalaya XX is presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. Other screening venues include Ayala Mall Cinemas at UP Town Center, Greenbelt, Market Market, and Trinoma.
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