Author: Press Release

A distinguished jury of prominent personalities comprises this year’s jury panel for Cinemalaya 2022. They will determine who among the competing films—11 full-length films and 12 short films—will top the 2022 Cinemalaya lineup.

Main Jury

On its 18th edition, Cinemalaya’s main jury panel is composed of renowned directors Frédéric Auburtin and Jeffrey Jeturian, actor and film producer Piolo Pascual, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UXS Inc. (Unitel/StraightShooters) Maria Madonna Tarrayo, and coordinator of New Asian Currents Makiko Wakai.

Frédéric Auburtin leads the main competition jury.  His participation as a Jury Chairman at the festival is part of the celebration of the 75th Philippines-France diplomatic relations.

Auburtin initially studied music and literature before pursuing a career in film. He made his debut as an assistant director with renowned directors—Claude Berri, Francis Veber, Maurice Pialat, Luigi Comencini, Bertrand Blier, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Jean-Paul Rappeneau, and Randall Wallace for The Man in the Iron Mask.

In 1998, he co-directed and composed the score for his first feature film, The Bridge, alongside Gérard Depardieu.

From then on, he was able to demonstrate his versatility as a film director for cinema and television, including Special Correspondents, The Worst Week of My Life, Volpone, as well as singular projects such as the collective film Paris, Je t’aime, for which he also supervised transitions and editing, and United Passions, a complex and adventurous film whose international cast retraces the sulfurous FIFA’s 100-year history.

Currently, Auburtin is working on two feature films and a mini-series and is interested in discovering new works by Filipino filmmakers.

Jeffrey Jeturian joins Auburtin on the jury panel. He has directed feature films that foreshadowed a thriving independent cinema in the Philippines.  He succeeded in attracting viewers outside of the arthouse aficionados by making timely social topics and concerns appealing.

Three of his films, Pila Balde (1999), Tuhog (2001), and Kubrador (2006), were listed among the top 20 Filipino films of the previous 20 years by The Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino.  Pila Balde won various accolades overseas, while Tuhog participated in the 58th Venice International Film Festival in 2001.  Kubrador—with over 40 national and international honors—is often regarded as Jeturian’s most successful film—was screened at over a hundred international cinema festivals, including a U.S. debut at the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

Locally, Tuhog and Kubrador won the Urian Best Picture award, while the Young Critics Circle and the Golden Screen Awards picked Minsan Pa (2004) as the best picture of the year.  The Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival awarded Bisperas (Best Film, 2011) and Ekstra (Jury Prize and Audience Award, 2013) with awards.

Jeturian has also done several TV series, particularly the popular Be Careful with My Heart (2012) and his most recent works Encounter (2021) and What We Could Be (2022).  For a docu-drama, he collaborated with Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil, and co-produced and co-directed footage for Ang Pagbabalik Ni Gregoria de Jesus (2022) which tells the story of de Jesus, the wife of Andres Bonifacio. The aforementioned is Jeturian’s first attempt in the historical genre.

Piolo Pascual is also part of the jury.  Pascual is regarded as the “Philippines’ Ultimate Heartthrob” in the showbiz industry.

Pascual has starred in arthouse films such as Lav Diaz’s Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis (A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery) in 2016, which won The Alfred Bauer Prize at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival, and Ang Hupa (The Halt) that had its debut premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival Directors’ Fortnight.  He also appeared as one of the main characters in Erik Matti’s On The Job which received a standing ovation at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

Pascual also produced award-winning films such as Kita Kita and the hit Kimmy Dora franchise through Spring Films, a production company he founded alongside Joyce Bernal and Erickson Raymundo.  Kuya Wes, which competed in the full-length film category at the 2018 Cinemalaya, was also created by Spring Films.

Another member of the jury is Maria Madonna Tarrayo, the head of Commercial Production Houses Group (CPHG) and is the Chairman of the Advertising Suppliers Association of the Philippines (ASAP).

Whilst managing several teams in ads and entertainment projects, she has created award-winning advertisements, films, and television programs.  For Cinemalaya, she worked on Chris Martinez’s 100 and Marlon Rivera’s The Woman in The Septic Tank; for Unitel, she worked on Chris Martinez’s I Do Bidoo Bidoo, Yam Laranas’ Abomination, and Adolf Alix’s Whistleblower. Tarrayo also served as the Executive Producer for the Coke Studio series, Batang Poz for IWant and Dreamscape, Adventure Your Way for AXN, Hot Ones for IFlix, Trese for Base Entertainment, and other TV5/Cignal shows. She is presently in charge of film and television series development and production.

Completing the jury is Makiko Wakai, who works as the coordinator/programmer of the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, which strives to highlight and bring together young filmmakers from East Asia to the Middle East.  She also organizes the Feminist Active Documentary Video Festa, where she distributes and screens independent films.  Currently, Wakai is in the New Asian Currents program that showcases and promotes the work of emerging Asian documentaries, regardless of format or duration.

NETPAC Jury

Cinemalaya is among the film festivals where The Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema (NETPAC) prize is awarded.  The award is meant to promote Asian cinema and recognize the works of young Asian filmmakers.

For this year’s Cinemalaya, the NETPAC Award jury members are cinema scholar Patrick F. Campos, director Ida Anita del Mundo, and film critic and historian Max Tessier. 

Patrick F. Campos is the author of several essays and books on Philippine and Southeast Asian cinema, including The End of National Cinema (2016).  He curated the exhibit Scenes Reclaimed: CCP 50 x Cinemalaya 15 (2019) and co-wrote the subsequent book (2020), as well as editing Pelikula: A Journal of Philippine Cinema.  He has also programmed, juried, or served on the selection committee for the Guanajuato International Film Festival, Singapore International Film Festival, QCinema International Film Festival, Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, Cinema One Originals, Image Forum, Minikino, Asian Film Archive, SeaShorts, Cinema Rehiyon, and Gawad Urian, and he curates the annual TINGIN Southeast Asian Film Festival in Manila.

Another juror is Ida Anita del Mundo, an active NETPAC member, and screenwriting and directing instructor at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde in Manila, Philippines.  Her first film K’na, the Dreamweaver, premiered at the 2014 Cinemalaya Film Festival where it received the Special Jury Prize.  It was named Best of Show at the 2015 Female Eye Film Festival in Toronto, Canada, and was honored with an Ani ng Dangal (Harvest of Winners) award by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2015.  K’na, the Dreamweaver is the first feature film about the T’boli people of South Cotabato, Mindanao, and the first film in the T’boli language. She went on to direct documentaries and music videos after that.

Founding member of NETPAC France, Max Tessier, is the third on the jury panel.  He has been a film critic for several newspapers and magazines since 1963, particularly Jeune Cinéma (1965 to 1971), Ecran (1972 to 1979), La Revue du Cinéma, and other publications including Le Monde and Le Mondec diplomatique.  He also contributed to magazines abroad, notably Cinemaya in New Delhi and Les Voix in Kyoto and Paris.

Tessier served as an artistic consultant for several festivals, primarily for the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival (1980–2000), and has served on juries in European and Asian festivals in San Sebastian, Vesoul, Cairo, Tokyo, Pusan, Gwanju, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Delhi, Trivandrum, Colombo, Vladivostok, and CineManila, Cinemalaya, CineFilipino, QCinema, among others.

Cinemalaya 2022 will take place at the various venues of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) from August 5 to 14, 2022.  Aside from CCP, there will also be nationwide screenings in select partner Ayala cinemas and SM Cinemas from August 10 to 16, 2022.

For more information, visit the CCP (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) and Cinemalaya (https://cinemalaya.org/) websites.  Follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates.

Bringing the nation’s largest independent film festival closer to cinephiles and a wider audience—the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Cinemalaya Foundation have partnered with Ayala Malls Cinemas and SM Cinema to present special screenings of the Cinemalaya 18 competition films from August 10 to August 16, 2022.

Glorietta, TriNoma, Manila Bay, Capitol Central Bacolod, and CDO Centrio comprise the Ayala Malls Cinemas.  Megamall, SM City Baguio, SM City Clark, SM City Dasmariñas, and SM City Legazpi, on the other hand, comprise the theater chain under SM Cinema.

With this year’s theme “Breaking Through The Noise”, the 2022 Cinemalaya offers a diverse lineup in both the full-length and short film categories.

The 11 full-length films include: Angkas (The Backride) by Rainerio C. Yamson II; Bakit ‘Di Mo Sabihin? (Tell Her) by Real S. Florido; Batsoy by Ronald Espinosa Batallones; Blue Room by Ma-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan; Bula sa Langit (Trigger) by Sheenly Gener; Ginhawa (Solace) by Christian Paolo Lat; Kaluskos (Rustles) by Roman S. Perez, Jr.; Kargo (Cargo) by TM Malones; Retirada (The Retiree) by Milo Alto Paz and Cynthia Cruz-Paz; The Baseball Player by Carlo Obispo; and 12 Weeks by Anna Isabelle Matutina.

Meanwhile, 12 entries of short films are split into two sets. Shorts A consists of six films: Roundtrip to Happiness by Claudia Fernando; Mata Kang Busay (Vision of The Falls) by Niño B. Maldecir, Ampangabagat Nin Talakba Ha Likol (It’s Raining Frogs Outside) by Maria Estela Paiso, Kwits (Quits) by Raz de la Torre, Mga Handum Nga Nasulat sa Baras (The Dreams That Are Written On The Sand) by Arlie Sweet Sumagsay and Richard Jeroui Salvadico, and City of Flowers by Xeph Suarez. 

Shorts B, on the other hand, is composed of: Si Oddie by Maria Kydlee Torato, Duwa-Duwa (The Play) by Nena Jane Achacoso, Distance by Dexter Paul De Jesus, Dikit by Gabriela Serrano, See You, George! by Mark Moneda, and Black Rainbow by Zig Dulay.

Additionally, screenings on August 10, 2022 will be followed by talkbacks for films Ginhawa and Kargo at Megamall and Glorietta, respectively.  The talkback for Retirada is set to take place at TriNoma on August 11, 2022.  The Cinemalaya Talkback Sessions are designed for audience members to interact with the filmmakers, cast, creative and production teams face-to-face by giving their feedback on the film or asking questions about it.

For more information, visit the CCP (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) and Cinemalaya (https://cinemalaya.org/) websites.  Follow the official CCP and Cinemalaya social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for latest updates.  For ticket inquiries, you may call the CCP Box Office at 8832-3704 or SM tickets 8470-2222.

Delikado by Karl Malakunas, and We Don’t Dance For Nothing by Stefanos Tai are the documentary films chosen to close the 18th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. The films will be screened at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) on August 13, at 3:30 pm, and 7:00 pm, respectively.

After making rounds in film festivals abroad, Delikado will have its Philippine premiere as one of the closing films of Cinemalaya 2022.  Telling a narrative beyond the paradisiacal image of Palawan, Karl Malakunas delved into the plight of environmental crusaders as they faced corporations and the government to protect the ‘last ecological frontier’ of the Philippines.

Malakunas, a journalist turned filmmaker, placed the spotlight on Atty. Robert “Bobby” Chan, Nieves Rosento, and Efren “Tata” Balladeres as they risk their lives tracking down illegal loggers, to raise awareness about the pressing social and environmental issues in Palawan.

Delikado garnered awards abroad namely the Sustainable Future Award at the Sydney Film Festival 2022, and Special Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature from the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.  According to Luciana Tellez-Chavez from Humans Right Watch, “Delikado is an important and powerful film. The tension is palpable throughout… but so is the incredible courage of the environmental defenders portrayed.”

A brief Q&A follows the screening for a conversation with Malakunas.

We Don’t Dance For Nothing by Stefanos Tai, captures the contrast of being trapped and being free through a ‘photo-montage’ as it follows the story of Filipina Domestic Workers in the midst of rallies in Hong Kong while tackling LGBTQ+ themes, issues of Workers’ Rights, and Hong Kong’s changing political landscape.

Miles Sible, a Filipina performer in Hong Kong, plays the role of H – a young domestic worker who plans to run away for the sake of love.  Tai ensured genuine representation by casting Filipino performers in this documentary film.

DOXA Documentary Festival in Vancouver regarded We Don’t Dance For Nothing with the sole HonorableMention last May 2022.

The 18th Cinemalaya opened at the CCP on August 5. Awarding ceremonies are set on August 14 at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). 

For more information, visit the CCP and Cinemalaya websites. Follow the CCP and Cinemalaya official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Six books by icons and experts on Philippine cinema will be launched during the ongoing 18th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

On August 8 at 4:00 pm, a back-to-back launch of Nick Deocampo’s book Alternative Cinema: The Unchronicled History of Alternative Cinema in the Philippines and Philippine Cinema 1897-2020 by Gaspar Vibal and Dennis Villegas will be held at the Cinemalaya Tent.

Alternative Cinema is a collection of ethnography and history of alternative cinema in the Philippines.  It also seeks to reveal the “hidden side” of Philippine cinema.  The book took 40 years to create, utilizing Deocampo’s notes, notebooks, and diaries.

Deocampo is an award-winning Filipino filmmaker, film historian, University of the Philippines Film Institute (UPFI) professor, and advocate for film literacy.  Since 1982, Deocampo has written on alternative films in the country which started while he was in Paris shortly after graduating from the UP.

Philippine Cinema 1897-2020 received the Best Book on Art in the 39th National Book Awards.  The book was written by Gaspar A. Vidal of the University of the Philippines Diliman and Dennis A. Villegas of the Far Eastern University, and edited by Teddy Co.

Co is the founder of Cinema Rehiyon and was the chairman of the Cinema Committee the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).  

On August 9 at 4:00 pm, the launching of the books Mga Screenplay ni Ricky Lee Volume 1: Brutal, Moral, Karnal and Mga Screenplay ni Ricky Lee Volume 2: Himala, Cain at Abel, Salome by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricardo “Ricky” Lee will be held at the Third Floor CCP Hallway.

Lee, a Filipino screenwriter, journalist, novelist, and playwright, collaborated with fellow National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Marilou Diaz-Abaya on the screenplays of Brutal, Moral, and Karnal.  The first volume contains the complete scripts of the three films with precursory articles on their developments.  

For the second volume Mga Screenplay ni Ricky Lee (Volume 2): Himala, Cain at Abel, Salome, Lee included the three screenplays of the films which were directed by Ishmael Bernal, Lino Brocka, and Laurice Guillen respectively.  Bernal and Brocka are both National Artists for Film and Broadcast Arts.

The University of Santo Tomas Publishing House published the two book volumes of Lee.

On August 11 at 4:00 pm, Ang Daigdig ng mga Api: Remembering a Lost Film (a collaboration between Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr. and Dik Trofeo) and Riding the Waves: 15 Years of Cinemalaya edited by Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr. will be launched at the Cinemalaya Lounge by Latitude at the Third Floor of the CCP Main Gallery.

del Mundo is a writer who recreated the multi-award winning film Ang Daigdig ng mga Api in book form.  He collaborated on the book with Dik Trofeo, the film’s assistant director, who contributed anecdotes and black-and-white pictures from behind the scenes.  Dick Baldovino is another photo contributor to the book’s images.

Riding the Waves: 15 Years of Cinemalaya will have its onsite relaunch after last year’s online launch.  It contains a vibrant tapestry of narratives that portray through words and images the first 15 years of the festival’s existence through the contributors’ unique vantage points.

World-renowned artists and cultural figures who contributed articles in Riding The Waves include Doreen Yu, Lito B. Zulueta, Jose Javier Reyes, Marjorie Evasco, Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr., Bayani San Diego, Jr., Philip Cheah, Max Tessier, Ben Suzuki, Jessica Zafra, Michael Kho Lim, and Chris B. Millado.

For more details, check out the CCP and Cinemalaya websites.  Follow the CCP and Cinemalaya official social media accounts in Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.