The Phenomenal Cinemalaya: an Experience

Cinemalaya started having a very small community. I have not heard of it til Cinemalaya’s 3rd came last year. I was able to watch almost all the full-lengths. Of course, many entries were mostly half-baked last year. Jim Libiran’s Tribu though became one of my favorite viewed films and eventually held the best picture in the recognition rite.

I have always craved for excellent Filipino aesthetics. Many of our kababayans are much into the arts. Even our kasambahays (helpers) are good at either singing or inclined in a lot of art appreciations. They also become critics when watching TV’s teleseryes and other local and international movies shown in cable while amos (bosses) boringly watch in their living rooms preoccupied with a lot of things in mind. Kasambahays, after all, come from rich sources of native arts that would even be related when they see such on television.

The ability to grow in us the art forms embodies the kind of people we are – hungry and thirsty for artistic excellence. My Cinemalaya experience delimits the class struggle for I saw, heard and mingled with different sectors in our society talking intelligently about the films. Many of our influential personalities (celebrities, politicians, producers, directors, businessmen) would bring in their PA’s (personal assistants) / secretaries and others would bring in their kasambahays (helpers) beside them watching conveniently (maids are the ones buying tickets for their amos and they’re included in the privilege of watching). On the other hand, I saw some prominent people (Atty. Giana Reyes-Montinola, daughter of the owner of FEU, director Joel Lamangan among others) that would even fall in line to secure tickets. While students and their respective teachers in film and other tangible subjects in different universities all the way from Los Banos, Binan, Cavite, Bulacan, Quezon and Rizal were even there for cinematic experience and perhaps, springboards for future interactions in classrooms through viewed films. Even the Mangyans in Mindoro (Brutus) came in to see their own stories in their film.

This is phenomenal I must say.

I congratulate each artist as they involved themselves in the practice of the craft and presumably perfecting it. If last year I was able to watch almost all film entries with close friends from the entertainment industry (actress Eugene Domingo, director Andoy Ranay, comedienne Candy Pangilinan, director Dante Garcia among other friends), this year I finally became independent and watched all full-lengths. Most of the time, I would just go in CCP without pre-planned viewing with friends and yet I get to see a lot of familiar friends and ended up together in watching.

This Independent Film Festival became my independence as well as an audience member and lover of cinema.

I was impressed on the directorial approaches of Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil (Boses), Francis Pasion (Jay), Chris Martinez (100), Paul Morales (Concerto), Tara Illenberger (Brutus). They were able to transform the written text into an exciting set of visual and aural spectacle. I was moved, affected and disturbed by 100 (Chris Martinez), Boses (Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil), Jay (Francis Pasion) and Concerto (Paul Morales) because of the premise, conflict and even catharsis of their respective stories.

I salute actors Shamaine Buencamino, Meryll Soriano, Nonoy Froilan (Concerto); Mylene Dizon, Eugene Domingo, Tessie Tomas (100); Baron Geisler, Coco Martin, Flor Salanga (Jay); Julian Duque, Ricky Davao, Coke Bolipata, Cherry Pie Pichache (Boses); Jojit Lorenzo, Ces Quesada, Dante Balois (Baby Angelo); Ronnie Lazaro (Brutus); Neil Ryan Sese (Huling Pasada); Mailes Kanapi (My Fake American Accent) and Garry Lim (Ranchero).

I love the editing of Jay (Kats Serraon, Chuck Gutierrez, Francis Pasion); Concerto (Laz Andre); Brutus (Fiona Borres, Tara Illenberger). I commend the production design of Concerto (Gerry Santos), Boses (Bianca Gonalez). I enjoyed and was moved by the theme music of Namets (Vince de Jesus); Concerto (Jed Balsamo); Boses (Coke Bolipata).

I hope that with Cinemalaya’s quest for development in Philippine cinema, filmmakers, whether mainstream or independent, should realize and must then create outstanding and 'never-heard' stories using this phenomenal medium and still the most popular artistic tool in the arts today.

The event itself deserves all the recognitions it must take.

To close this event and my life-experience in Cinemalaya, let me tell you that our fellow Pinoys are aware of their innate creative talents - encourage and challenge them instead of suppressing their freedom and their rights to express. They should be given more opportunities like this. Stop the politicking and Philippine arts would soar high. Stop the crab mentality as well and everything will turn out well. Sometimes artists themselves would destroy each other's personal reputation.

Just do your thing, create, excel and that's it!

Brava Philippine cinema! Brava Cinemalaya!