31 Films Compete at the 7th Cinemalaya Film Festival

The 7th Cinemalaya is getting bigger and better this year!

Thirty one digital films in competition, plus more than a hundred in exhibition, new sections, and a second festival venue all make Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival bigger and better this year. With the tagline in festival ads beckoning audiences to “See the Unseen”, Cinemalaya films this year tackle such themes as passion, memory, truth, despair, obsession, terror and splendor.

For the first time in Cinemalaya, Focus Asia which will feature films by various Asian directors from Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Singapore, and Japan as brought about by a clamor for more Asian indie films to be shown in the country, which was noted by festival director Nestor Jardin.

The Ronwaldo Reyes Retrospective, presented in cooperation with the Society of Filipino Archivists for Film, is another new section of the festival that will feature old works by some of the most celebrated filmmakers in the country. This year, it will showcase some of the directorial works of the late King of Philippine Movies and National Artist Fernando Poe Jr. – whose pseudonym as a director was Ronwaldo Reyes.

The Cinemalaya Documentary section presented in cooperation with Calata Corp. will feature a number of documentaries showing the true face of Philippine society.

The NETPAC Philippine Premieres, which is another competition category, features eight films vying against each other.

The Ani Section will showcase some of the best Filipino indie films of the past year.

Kids Treats, as the name suggests, will feature indie films for children, while the films in the Midnight Specials section tackle more adult themes.

Apart from these new sections, Cinemalaya will also organize the Cinemalaya Film Congress with the theme “Building Bridges Across Asia Through Films,” which will hopefully strengthen the independent filmmaking scene, not just in the Philippines but the entire region.

The Sine Taktakan forums will also be held within the festival with lectures and exhibits by the 2011 Cinemalaya filmmakers.

The three main categories of the Cinemalaya feature a total of 31 films, namely:

NEW BREED FULL LENGTH CATEGORY

Amok (Amok) by Lawrence Fajardo

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (The Woman in the Septic Tank) by Marlon Rivera and Chris Martinez

Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa (The Dance of Two Left Feet) by Alemberg Ang and Alvin Yapan

Bahay Bata (Baby Factory) by Eduardo W. Roy, Jr. and Jerome Zamora

Cuchera by Joseph Israel M. Laban

I-libings: Your Loss, Our Luck (E-funerals) by Rommel Andreo Sales

Ligo Na U, Lapit Na Me by Noel Ferrer, Jerry Gracio, and Erick Salud

Nino by Loy Arcenas

Teoriya (Father’s Way) by Alistaire Christian E. Chan

DIRECTORS SHOWCASE CATEGORY

Bisperas (Eve) by Jeffrey Jeturian

Busong (Palawan Fate) by Auraeus Solito

Isda (Fable of the Fish) by Adolfo Alix Jr.

Patikul by Joel C. Lamangan.

SHORT FEATURE CATEGORY

Debut by Pamela Llanes Reyes

Every Other Time by Gino M. Santos

Hanapbuhay (Source of Living) by Henry Frejas

Hazard by Mikhail Red

Immanuel by Gabriel “Gio” Puyat

Nino Bonito by Rommel “Milo” Tolentino

Oliver’s Apartment by Misha Balangue

Samarito (Samaritan) by Rafael L. Santos

Un Diutay Mundo (One Small World) by Ana Carlyn V. Lim

Walang Katapusang Kwarto (An Endless Room) by Emerson Reyes

Cinemalaya will also reach a wider audience as it will be held in two places at the same time: its main venue at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, CCP Complex and at Greenbelt 3 in Makati City, in cooperation with Ayala Theaters Management. The addition of Greenbelt 3 as a second major venue for the festival is part of the vision of Cinemalaya organizers to make the Festival more accessible to the growing number of audiences that attend Cinemalaya.

The CCP will still host most of the screenings, including the grand opening ceremony which will be held on July 15 at 6 p.m., followed by the opening film screening at the CCP Main Theater.

Ticket price is at P150 per screening.

Discounted rates are available for students, senior citizens and Philippine government employees.

Special packages good for 1 day viewing, watch-all-you-can and other promo offers are also available.

The awards night, which will also be held at the CCP, will cap off the event on July 24, 7 p.m.

For inquiries, contact the CCP Box Office at (02) 832-3704 and CCP Media Arts at (02) 832-1125 loc. 1204/1205 or visit the CPP website at www.culturalcenter.gov.ph and www.cinemalaya.org