The 2014 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition, now on its 10th year and billed as Cinemalaya X, premieres a crop of 25 new digital films on August 1 to 10 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, its main venue, and at satellite venues at Ayala Theaters in Greenbelt Makati, Alabang Town Center, TriNoma, and Fairview Terraces, the latest addition to Cinemalaya satellite venues.
The films are diverse in themes and subject matter that covering a range of genres, from coming of age stories, romance, epic, comedy and action.
Competing in the New Breed Full Length Feature category are:
· #Y by Gino M. Santos
#Y
DIRECTED BY GINO SANTOS
WRITTEN BY JEFF STELTON
GENRE: Coming of Age / Teen Drama
SYNOPSIS: #Y chronicles the adventures of the members of a generation made universal by the realms of social media, the Internet, sex, drugs, and alcohol, and the nights they won’t remember but will never forget.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Elmo Magalona, Coleen Garcia, Sophie Albert, Kit Thompson, Slater Young
· 1st ko si 3rd by Real S. Florido
1ST KO SI 3rd
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY REAL FLORIDO
GENRE: Drama-Love Story
SYNOPSIS: A 65-year old woman gets reunited with her 1st love and finally the supposed 1st date happens four decades after they got separated.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Nova Villa, Freddie Webb, Dante Rivero, Ruby Ruiz, Ken Chan, Coleen Burgonia, RJ Agustin, Lara Morena
· Bwaya by Francis Xavier Pasion
BWAYA
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY FRANCIS XAVIER PASION
GENRE: True-To-Life Family Drama
SYNOPSIS: Divina, a 35 year old Manobo, is preparing for her daughter Rowena’s 12th birthday when she hears a shocking news: her daughter has been attacked by a crocodile, her body still missing. As Divina searches for the body of her daughter in the marshlands of Agusan, she learns a lesson more tragic than her fate: not all predators are underwater. Based on actual events.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Angeli Bayani as Divina (mother), RS Francisco as Nestor (teacher), Karl Medina as Rex (father), Jolina Salvado as Rowena (the daughter attacked by a crocodile)
· Children’s Show by Roderick Cabrido
CHILDREN’S SHOW
DIRECTED BY DERICK CABRIDO
WRITTEN BY RALSTON JOVER
GENRE: Suspense Drama
SYNOPSIS: Children’s Show is a full-length film based on a real life story of Children ages 10-15 years old being used by a syndicate for an underground wrestling match.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Allen Dizon, Gloria Sevilla, Suzette Ranillo, Nathan Lopez, Jacob Clayton, Divine Grace Aucina, BuboyVillar and Miggs Cuaderno
· Dagitab (SPARKS) by Giancarlo Abrahan V
MARIQUINA
DIRECTED BY MILO SOGUECO
WRITTEN BY JERROLD TAROG
GENRE: Tragic Comedy
SYNOPSIS: Unlike the former Philippine First Lady, Imelda is indifferent towards shoes. To her, they are fraught with the bittersweet nostalgia of childhood, one that was marred by a difficult relationship with her shoe-maker father, Romeo. Growing up, all of hers were handmade by him. Now a mature woman, she takes a pivotal call from the morgue, spurring her search for the perfect pair of shoes for her dead father. The deeper she searches for the perfect shoes, the more she finds herself.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Mylene Dizon, Ricky Davao, Che Ramos, Barbie Forteza, Kenneth Cruz
DAGITAB (SPARKS)
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY GIANCARLO ABRAHAN V
GENRE: Drama
SYNOPSIS: While the marriage of two professors is on the verge of falling apart, the woman is dragged into a scandal involving a young student. On the other hand, the man falls in love with his research — a deity (supernatural being) that appears to him as the ghost of an old flame.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Eula Valdes, Nonie Buencamino, Martin del Rosario, Sandino Martin, Max Eigenmann, Ronnie Lazaro, Frances Makil, Rolando Inocencio
· K’na The Dreamweaver by Ida Anita Q. Del Mundo
K’NA, THE DREAMWEAVER
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY IDA ANITA DEL MUNDO
GENRE: Epic
SYNOPSIS: When Kana, a young T’boli woman, becomes a dreamweaver, she has the chance to weave together her village’s warring clans. But, will she give up true love to do so?
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Mara Lopez Yokohama, Ramon Khino (RK) Bagatsing, Alex Vincent Medina, Anthony (Nonie) Buencamino
· Ronda by Nick Olanka
RONDA
DIRECTED BY NICK OLANKA
WRITTEN BY ADOLFO B. ALIX, JR. AND JEROME ZAMORA
GENRE: Drama
SYNOPSIS: A policewoman who patrols Manila during the night arrests her teenage son for killing his lover.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Ai-ai de las Alas, Carlos Morales, Angeli Bayani, Menggie Cobarrubias, Julian Trono, Cesar Montano, Carlo Aquino, Bernardo Bernardo, Lao Rodriguez, Perla Bautista, DM Sevilla, Kiko Matos, Moi Marcampo
· s6parados by GB Sampedro
s6parados
DIRECTED BY GB SAMPEDRO
WRITTEN BY ERIC RAMOS
GENRE: Romantic Comedy-Drama
SYNOPSIS: This is the bittersweet saga of six men who have separated from their wives. Inspired by true stories, their parallel and overlapping tales offer six different portraits of the failure of monogamy in a society where divorce is supposedly not an option. Ironically, fate and circumstance bring them together at a church wedding, where one of them takes a second chance at marital bliss.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Victor Neri, Ricky Davao, Jason Abalos, Anjo Yllana, Erik Santos, Alfred Vargas, Ritz Azul, Angel Jacob, Melissa Mendez, Althea Vega, Sharmaine Arnaiz, Iwa Moto, Diana Zubiri, Sue Prado, Menggie Cobarrubias, Cris Pastor, K-La Rivera, Rhea Lim, Jace Flores, Patricia Javier, Katrina Halili, Joel Lamangan
· Sundalong Kanin by Janice O’Hara and Denise O’Hara
SUNDALONG KANIN
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY JANICE O’HARA AND DENISE O’HARA
GENRE: Drama
SYNOPSIS: Set during the Japanese Occupation, four friends (Nitoy, Benny, Carding, and Badong) aspire nothing more than to become soldiers fighting the Japanese… until they are confronted by the realities of war that threaten to destroy their families and their friendship.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Nathaniel Brit, Ian de Leon, Marc Abaya, Gardo Verzosa, Via Veloso, Enzo Pineda, Paolo O’Hara, Che Ramos, Diana Alferez, Dante Balois, Elijah Canlas, Angelo Martinez
Special events and new festival features will be held to celebrate Cinemalaya’s 10th year milestone. These include the launching of the Cinemalaya X book, announcement of the Cinemalaya Logo Contest winner, the introduction of the Cinemalaya Achievement Award, Cinemalaya Film Forum, special exhibitions that will document the story of Cinemalaya’s first decade, and Cinemalaya X Retrospective.
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.
Cinemalaya is a project of the Cinemalaya Foundation, Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Ayala Malls Cinemas. Established in 2005, Cinemalaya is an all-digital film festival and competition that aims to discover, encourage and honor cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers.
For more information about Cinemalaya X, visit http://www.cinemalaya.org, http://www.culturalcenter.gov.ph and the Cinemalaya facebook page or call the CCP at tel. no. 832-1125 local 1704-1705.
VERY WANG 