8th Cinemalaya Film Festival - 5 Films (Directors Showcase category)

The 2012 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition will be held on July 20-29, 2012 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Greenbelt 3 Makati and Trinoma Quezon City.

8th Cinemalaya Film Festival - complete line-up of 25 competing films

8th Cinemalaya Film Festival - 10 Films (New Breed)

8th Cinemalaya Film Festival - 10 Films (Short Films)
Tickets & Festival Passes for Cinemalaya 2012
8th Cinemalaya Film Festival - Opening Film

1.

BWAKAW

by Jun Robles Lana

SYNOPSIS

Bwakaw is a drama-comedy about growing old, and everyone’s fear of growing old alone. Rene is a gay man who came out of the closet at age 70. Ailing in his twilight years, he thinks it is now too late for love, even companionship, and that all there is to look forward to is Death. He has made a will, bequeathing his few possessions to his even fewer friends. Everything is packed and labeled, ready for distribution. He has even paid for a coffin, taking advantage of a funeral home’s Summer Sale. Nowadays the only companion Rene has is Bwakaw, a stray dog that hangs around his house and follows him wherever he goes. As Rene waits for the day of his death, he gets the surprise of his life when it is Bwakaw who suddenly falls ill and is diagnosed with cancer. Rene is surprisingly affected, and he realizes that he values Bwakaw more than he thinks. In his struggle to get Bwakaw cured, Rene finds comfort in the most unlikely person: Sol, a tricycle driver who helps him bring Bwakaw to the vet and befriends him. Buoyed by Sol’s friendship, Rene starts living. Little by little he discovers simple joys. To the surprise of his friends, he even has his hair dyed to look younger. One day, he finally decides to make a move on Sol. The revelation that Rene is gay and has feelings for him surprises and disgusts Sol. He rejects Rene and leaves in anger. In the meantime, Bwakaw’s condition gets worse. Not even Rene’s ancient Santo Entierro (a supposedly miraculous statue of Jesus Christ) can save Bwakaw. Bwakaw dies, and Rene’s neighbors help him bury the faithful dog. But Bwakaw’s death, even while it was still only imminent, has made a difference. Rene has found a new appreciation for life and what is most important. He decides to unpack the things that he has already willed to other people and make his house more inhabitable. He is, after all, still alive.

Bwakaw trailer

MAJOR CREDITS 

Cast: Eddie Garcia, Rez Cortez, Soliman Cruz, Bibeth Orteza, Joey Paras, Alan Paule, Beverly Salviejo, Soxie Topacio, Luz Valdez, Gardo Versoza, Ms. Armida Siguion-Reyna, Jonathan Neri, Ronaldo Bertubin, May-I Fabros and introducing Princess as Bwakaw. 

Production: Sound-Albert Michael Idioma, Production Design-Joey Luna, Editing-Lawrence S. Ang, Music-Jema Pamintuan & Jeff Hernandez, Cinematography-Carlo Mendoza, Story and Screenplay-Jun Robles Lana, Line Producer-Tonee Acejo, Producer Antonio P. Tuviera, Producer-Ferdinand Lapuz, Executive Producers Ramel David, Joselito Oconer & Michael Tuviera, Executive Producers Perci Intalan & Jun Robles Lana, Director JUN ROBLES LANA, DGPI

Schedule: BWAKAW by Jun Robles Lana 

July 21: 11:00AM – TRI / 3:30PM – MKP

July 22: 11:00AM – GB-3 / 3:30PM – THB / 9:00PM – TRI

July 23: 4:00PM – GB-3 / 9:00PM – MT

July 24: 6:15PM – THB

July 25: 6:30PM – GB-3

July 26: 3:30PM – MT / 6:15PM – MKP

July 27:

July 28: 1:30PM – GB-5 / 6:15PM – LT

July 29: 6:30PM – GB-5

2.

KALAYAAN (WILDLIFE)

by Adolfo B. Alix, Jr.

SYNOPSIS 

Julian, a Filipino soldier stationed in Kota Island, is ready to leave Kalayaan. He already completed his three months of service. News of a pending coup d' etat in Manila orders him to stay in the island until further notice. With nothing much to do, he spends his waiting hours walking by the beachfront, cleaning his rifle, watching porn, listening to songs on his old radio to overcome boredom and loneliness. He also has to contend with ‘someone’ seemingly watching him. Not until his officer from the main island sends the loud mouth Lucio and the newbie Eric to station with him on the island. Their moments together - chatting, drinking, playing basketball and exchanging stories about a ghost soldier opens up things that Julian tries to forget. He is now confronted with a growing loneliness and remembers a traumatic experience in his past, which he doesn’t want to talk about. His only option for survival is to cope with reality or lose his own sanity.

Kalayaan (Wildlife) trailer

MAJOR CREDITS 

Cast: Ananda Everingham, Zanjoe Marudo, Luis Alandy, Rocky Salumbides, Kiki Sugino, Angeli Bayani 

Production: Production Company-Phoenix Features/Wa Entertainment Supported by Cinemart/Hubert Bals Fund/Global Film Initiative; Director Adolfo Borinaga Alix, Jr.; Writer Adolfo Borinaga Alix, Jr.; Producer Arleen C. Cuevas; Co-Producer Kousuke Ono, Kiki Sugino; Associate Line Producer- Maan Dimla; Associate Director -Benjamin Tolentino; Production Manager-Rolly Palmes; Location Manager- Robin Palmes; Director of Photography- Albert Banzon; Production Designer- Adolfo Alix, Jr.; Editor- Aleks Castañeda; Music- Teresa Barrozo; Sound Design- Ditoy Aguila; Field Sound Recordist- Joseph Santos

Schedule: KALAYAAN by Adolfo B. Alix Jr. 

July 21: 11:00AM – GB-3 / 4:00PM – GB-5 / 9:00PM – THB

July 22: 12:45PM – LT / 9:00PM – GB-3

July 23: 12:45PM – THB / 9:00PM – TRI

July 24: 3:30PM – MKP / 6:15PM – MT

July 25: 1:30PM TRI / 9:00PM – GB-5

July 26:

3. 

KAMERA OBSKURA

by Raymond Red

SYNOPSIS 

The title “Kamera Obskura” is a Filipino spelling of the latin “Camera Obscura” which simply means “dark room”. The film’s concept adheres to formalist cinema, where the filmmaker’s thesis is to make a semblance of a vintage film seemingly produced sometime in the late 1920s to early 1930s in the Philippines. The thesis is to conjure up a film from a period that did not really exist in Philippine cinema’s historical cultural heritage as we know it, such as a pseudo-expressionist / experimental Filipino cinema of the silent film era. It is a film within a film. The narrative plays with the idea of a retro-futurist world where a prisoner locked away in a dark chamber for over two decades only sees the reality of the world outside through the small hole in his cell, which projects an image of the city on his wall, the phenomenon of the “camera obscura”. He later immerses back into society by slowly climbing up the different social classes represented by the levels of different floors in a mysterious building, where corruption, deceit, and betrayal seem to be at work at every level. The film KAMERA OBSKURA is a tribute to Filipino cinema heritage. Through the re-imagining of an era of cinema in the transition from the lost silent era, the filmmaker hopes to instill in the next generation the recognition of the value of passing on that heritage before it is totally lost.

MAJOR CREDITS 

Cast: Pen Medina, Joel Torre, Nanding Josef, Abe Pagtama, Irene Gabriel, Ping Medina, Suzette Ranillo, Lou Veloso, Archie Adamos, Mads Nicolas, Sue Prado 

Production: Producers –Raymond Red and Filmex Inc., Direction –Raymond Red, Associate Producers-Butch Jimenez, Suzette Ranillo, Henry Frejas, Mac Alejandre, Mon Confiado, Paolo Villaluna, Editing and Cinematography-Raymond Red, Art Direction-Mikey Red, Production Design-Daniel Red and Cesar Hernando, Music-Diwa de Leon, Sound Engineering-Ditoy Agila, Visual Effects-Edrie Ocampo and Pablo Biglang-Awa, Production Managers –Cathy Sanidad, Ado Urbano, Marvin Manalo

Schedule: KAMERA OBSKURA by Raymond Red

July 21: 4:00PM – GB-3 / 9:00PM – MT

July 22: 1:30PM – GB-5 / 4:00PM – GB-3 / 9:00PM – THB

July 23: 6:30PM – GB-3

July 24: 6:15PM – MKP

July 25: 6:30PM – GB-5

July 26: 4:00PM – TRI

July 27: 3:30PM – MT

July 28: 12:45PM – LT / 3:30PM – THB / 9:00PM – MKP

July 29: 9:00PM – TRI

4.

MGA MUMUNTING LIHIM 

(THOSE LITTLE SECRETS)

by Jose Javier Reyes

SYNOPSIS 

The death of Mariel (JUDY ANN SANTOS) was met with such hurt by her three closest friends. But it was her best friend, Carla (IZA CALZADO) that she leaves a most special gift, a box full of her diaries through the years. Carla has been Mariel’s friend since their high school years; they have practically shared everything in their lives together. Their two other girl friends, Sandra (AGOT ISIDRO) and Olive (JANICE DE BELEN) formed the quartet who would get together ever so often and served as a mutual support system. Despite warnings from Sandra and Olive not to read the diaries left behind by Mariel, Carla could not help herself to find out what was written on those volumes of handwritten materials. True enough, what she discovered completely shattered all her perceptions and beliefs of the friendship shared by the four women through the years. Inside those diaries were all the little secrets that the women kept from one another---all the hidden emotions, stories and comments that made their lives a sham. Death should be a closure but it could also be a terrible beginning and realization of what was hidden by the living.

Mga Mumunting Lihim trailer

MAJOR CREDITS 

Cast: Iza Calzado, Agot Isidro, Janice de Belen and Miss Judy Ann Santos. 

Production: Produced by Largavista Entertainment Incorporated. Director/Writer-Jose Javier Reyes; Executive Producer-Charyl Chan-De Guzman; Photography-Rodolfo Aves Jr.; Design-Jay Custodio; Sound-Albert Michael Idioma and Addis Tabong; Music-Jesse Lucas; Editor-Vanessa de Leon

Schedule: MGA MUMUNTING LIHIM by Jose Javier Reyes 

July 21: 12:45PM – LT / 6:30PM – GB-3

July 22: 11:00AM – TRI / 3:30PM – MKP

July 23: 3:30PM – MT / 9:00PM – GB-5

July 24: 12:45PM – THB

July 25: 6:15PM – THB / 9:00PM – MT

July 26: 6:30PM – TRI

July 27: 4:00PM – TRI

July 28: 4:00PM – GB-5

July 29: 11:00AM – GB-3 / 3:30PM – MKP

5.

POSAS (SHACKLED)

by Lawrence Fajardo

SYNOPSIS 

Corruption is a process. Jestoni “Jess” Biag, early 20s, is a notorious snatcher victimizing people in bustling streets around Quiapo Church. As a routine, he steals wallets, gadgets and jewelries, which he will trade for a meager amount of peso---enough for him to survive and to support his family. Today, Jess will be captured by the police for snatching a cellphone of a call center agent, Ma. Grace Rosuello (Bangs Garcia). It’s his first time to undergo investigation. And as he goes in the process from Barangay Hall Clinic, Police Station to the Fiscal’s Office, we will witness how human rights violation bluntly executes, and how culture of corruption deviously perpetuates in this chain of institutions. In the end, despite the fact of proving Jess as guilty of committing theft, he will still get his freedom. But this freedom shackled him to a cycle upholding the predicament of his life.

Posas trailer

MAJOR CREDITS: 

Cast: Nico Antonio as Jess, Bangs Garcia as Grace, John “Sweet” Lapus as complainant, Art Acuña as Inspector Domingo, Nor Domingo as PO1 Damian, Jake Macapagal as SPO1 Santiago, Wendy Valdez as Idang, Susan Africa as Ester ad Philip Nolasco as Tantan. 

Production: Director-Lawrence Fajardo; DOP-Louie Quirino; Story and Screenplay-Zig Dulay; Executive Producers-Josabeth Alonso, Armando Lao, John Victor Tence; Line Producer-Krisma Maclang-Fajardo; Associate Producers-Angel Garces-Antonio and Ron Capili; Editor-Lawrence Fajardo; Musical Scorer-Joseph Lansang; Sound Designer-Addis Tabong and Wildsound Ami; Asst. Director-Zig Dulay; Production Manager-Philip Buena; Production Design-Lawrence Fajardo.

Schedule: POSAS by Lawrence Fajardo 

July 21: 3:30PM – THB

July 22: 1:30PM – GB-3 / 4:00PM – GB-5 / 9:00PM – MT

July 23: 3:30PM – MKP

July 24: 12:45PM – MT / 6:30PM – GB-5

July 25: 4:00PM – TRI

July 26: 3:30PM – LT / 9:00PM – THB

July 27: 6:30PM – TRI

July 28: 1:30PM – GB-3 / 6:15PM – MKP

July 29: 6:30PM – GB-3

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