The Gatekeepers of the Balanghai
Cinemalaya doesn’t just honor bold storytelling — it entrusts a carefully selected panel of cinephiles, critics, and creatives to determine which independent films will receive the prestigious Balanghai trophies. In its 21st year, the festival presents two juries: one for the Main Competition and one for the NETPAC Award — each composed of luminaries in their fields.
Main Competition Jury
Christopher Strauss de Leon, more popularly known as Boyet de Leon, is a Filipino actor, and director. Often referred to as the “King of Philippine Drama”, he gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous film and television productions in the period, romantic drama, and thriller genres. His work, covering more than five decades, has received various accolades, including eight FAMAS Awards, two Gawad Urian Awards, four Luna Awards, nine Star Awards, and eight Metro Manila Film Festival Awards. He is cited by critics as one of the best Filipino actors of all time. He is the recipient of many honorary accolades. He was awarded with the FAMAS Circle of Excellence Award, a star on the Eastwood City Walk of Fame, the Lino Brocka Lifetime Achievement Award by the Golden Screen Awards, and the Lifetime Achievement Award in Acting at the International Film Festival Manhattan.
Jose Lorenzo “Pepe” Diokno is an internationally acclaimed film director, producer, and screenwriter. At 22, Diokno directed his debut feature, Engkwentro (2009). The film premiered at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and later competed at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Lion of the Future – Luigi De Laurentiis Award and the Orizzonti Prize. He followed this success with Above the Clouds (2013), which premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival and was nominated for Best Film at the Singapore International Film Festival; and Kapatiran (2014), which was selected for the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. In 2016, he ventured into advertising with the production company UxS. He has since directed viral brand films for local and international companies, and the Department of Tourism (DOT). He trained under National Artist for Film Ricky Lee, and is an alumnus of Berlinale Talents in Germany, Torino Script Lab in Italy, and Produire Au Sud in France. He is currently developing new film and series projects under his own production company, Kapitol Films.
Mark Schilling
Film critic and journalist Mark Schilling has been reviewing Japanese films for The Japan Times, Japan’s oldest English-language newspaper since 1989, covering Japan for leading Hollywood trade publication Variety since 2005. He likewise serves as a program advisor for the Udine Far East Film Festival, Europe’s largest festival of Asian cinema since 2000. He has curated Udine Far East Film Festival retrospectives on Nikkatsu Action films (2005), the Shintoho studio (2010), Japanese SF/fantasy films (2016), and Japanese films from the 1980s and 1990s (2023/24). Schilling’s book publications include The Yakuza Movie Book – A Guide to Japanese Gangster Films (2003), No Borders, No Limits: Nikkatsu Action Cinema (2007), and Art, Cult and Commerce: Japanese Cinema Since 2000 (2019). He also wrote the original story for Convenience Story, a film directed by Miki Satoshi that opened in Japan in August 2022 and screened at festivals worldwide.
Sophia Wellington
Sophia Wellington is an educator, script consultant, and writer with over 20 years of experience in film and television. As an educator, she has worked around the world, teaching for seven years at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts Asia’s MA in Film and Dramatic Writing before returning to the London Film School (LFS) where she has been Head of Screenwriting since 2017. Her passion for storytelling came out of her interest in all areas of production. She has worked with various writers and directors from emerging talents to the Oscar winner actor and producer Salma Hayek Pinault, and has designed and run international screenwriting workshops in Singapore and Manila including several workshops on Writing for Film at the Cinemalaya Institute. Other workshops include Pitching and Development in Cuba at the Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión (EICTV). Wellington also mentors new talents and those underrepresented in the arts by running workshops for Luke Schiller’s Action Film Training, the h.Club Foundation, and Mouth that Roars.
Michiko Yamamoto has been writing for television and film since 2001. She is a writer of Reality MM Studios, collaborating with director Erik Matti and producer Dondon Monteverde for bold and genre-defying projects intended for local and international audiences. She is the screenwriter of Magnifico (2003), Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros /The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (2005), On the Job (2013), Honor Thy Father (2015), and On the Job: The Missing 8 (2021). Ang Pagdadalaga premiered at Cinemalaya’s inaugural festival. She was a co-founder of Origin8 Media Corporation where she wrote and produced films such as Remington and the Curse of the Zombadings (2011). Her works were screened at major festivals including Berlin, Sundance, Cannes (Directors’ Fortnight), Venice, and Toronto. She is currently working on a Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) film entry and other film projects.
NETPAC Award Jury
Luis Ramon “Loy” Arcenas’ Ang Larawan won five awards, including Best Film in the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival, REquieme! won the 2012 Cinemalaya Special Jury Prize, and Niño, his first film, premiered in the 2011 Cinemalaya festival where it received the Special Jury Prize, was co-winner for the Best Film Award in the 2011 New Currents section of the Busan International Film Festival. His New York theatrical directing work is very much associated with the Ma-Yi Theatre Company. In the Philippines, he has directed David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child; Tatlong Mariya, Rody Vera’s adaptation of Chekov’s Three Sisters; Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, adapted by Guelan Luarca; Árbol de Fuego, Rody Vera’s adaptation of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard; and Kaliwaan, Guelan Luarca’s translation of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal. Arcenas has an established career as a theatrical set designer in the United States and the Philippines.
Irina “Ina” Feleo is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans dance, acting, writing, and directing. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Ateneo de Manila University, where she was honored with the Loyola Schools Dean’s Award for the Arts in Dance (2006). Her career in dance has been marked by international recognition, including being named Best Female Dancer at the Cheonan World Dance Festival in Korea (2011). In film, Feleo’s talent was quickly recognized: she won her first acting award in her debut movie Endo at Cinemalaya 2007, followed by another award for Sanglaan in 2009. She has since earned multiple nominations from prestigious award-giving bodies, including an Urian Best Actress nomination (2007) for Endo, and Best Supporting Actress nominations for OTJ: The Missing Eight (2023) and The Hearing (2025). Feleo has appeared in numerous acclaimed television dramas, balancing mainstream visibility with independent artistry. In 2009, she expanded her creative practice by directing her first short feature film, Labing-Labing. With a body of work that bridges stage, screen, and the written word, Feleo continues to evolve as a storyteller and performer, bringing depth and artistry to every medium she explores.
Pradip Kurbah, a self-taught filmmaker from Shillong, Meghalaya, is one of the leading voices in Khasi-language cinema. Through his work, he has brought stories from Northeast India to national and international audiences, blending cultural identity and universal themes. A three-time recipient of the National Film Award, Kurbah continues to be a pioneering force in regional cinema from Meghalaya. In addition to filmmaking, he has served as a jury member at several prestigious national and international film festivals, representing independent and regional Indian cinema on global platforms. Kurbah’s 2025 film, The Elysian Field (Ha Lyngkha Bneng), earned major recognition at the 47th Moscow International Film Festival, winning the Golden Saint George for Best Film, the Silver Saint George for Best Director, and the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film. His other films likewise received numerous local and international awards such as Ïewduh (Market, 2019), Onaatah: Daughter of the Earth (2016), Ri: Homeland of Uncertainty (2014).
What to Watch For
Cinemalaya 21 opens October 3 with a red carpet and screening of The Elysian Field. It runs through October 12 across Red Carpet Cinemas (Shangri‑La Plaza), Ayala Malls Cinemas, and Gateway Cineplex 18.
With two juries seeking to honor vision, originality, craft, and cultural resonance, many filmmakers vie to sail away with the Balanghai trophies. Which films will win over these distinguished jurors — and who will define this edition’s narrative legacy?
Stay tuned. The voyage begins now.
Find out more:
Visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) or the Cinemalaya site (www.cinemalaya.org) and ClickTheCity.
Follow CCP and Cinemalaya on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok for updates, highlights, and behind‑the‑scenes stories.
