Cinemalaya Cinco at the CCP

CINEMALAYA CINCO AT THE CCP ON 17-26 JULY 2009

The 2009 Cinemalaya independent film festival and competition, now on its fifth year and billed Cinemalaya Cinco, will unveil 20 new digital films that will compete on July 17-26, 2009 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Some 25 new independent films will also be premiered during the Festival.

Ten films will compete in the full length category. These are 24K by Ana Agabin, Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe by Alvin B. Yapan; Astig by GB Sampedro; Colorum by Jon Steffan Ballesteros; Dinig Sana Kita by Mike E. Sandejas; Engkwentro by Pepe Diokno; Last Supper No. 3 by Veronica Velasco and Jinky Laurel; Mangatyanan by Jerrold Tarog, Nerseri by Vic Acedillo, Jr. and Sanglaan by Milo Sogueco.

Competing in the short film category are: Behind Closed Doors by Mark Philipp Espina, BLOGOG by Rommel “Milo” Tolentino, Bonsai by Alfonso “Borgy” K. Torre III, Hulagpos by Maita Lirra Lupac, Latus by John Paul S. Seniel, Musa by Dexter B. Cayanes, Si Bok at ang Trumpo by Hubert Tibi, Tatang by Jean Paolo “Nico” Hernandez, Ugat sa Lupa by Ariel Reyes and Wat Floor Ma’am by Mike Sandejas and Robert Seña.

Winners of each category will be announced during the awarding ceremonies on July 26 at the CCP. The winner of the full length feature category will receive the Cinemalaya Balanghai trophy and an additional grant of P200,000. Each full length feature category finalist was given an initial P500,000 production grant. The winner of the short feature category will receive P100,000 and Cinemalaya Balanghai Trophy.

Cinemalaya Cinco, which is being tagged as the “big, small film festival”, is featuring the following sections, namely,

Competition, World Premieres and NetPac films, Lino Brocka Retrospective, Kids’ Treats, Gay/Lesbian films, The City in Focus, Women in Indies, Off Center, Documentary and Ani: Best of Last Year.

In the Brocka Retrospective, among the films to be screened are Wanted: Perfect Mother, Tubog sa Ginto, Stardoom, Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, Tatlo Dalawa Isa, Maynila sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag, Insiang, Bona, Bayan Ko, and Macho Dancer.

Another major event of Cinemalaya Cinco is the Cinemalaya Film Congress on July 21-22 at the CCP Little Theater. With the theme Linking Digital Highways, the Cinemalaya Film Congress aims to discover the major centers of independent filmmaking in the country, assess the artistic achievement of cinematic works produced in the last five years, to invite indie filmmakers from the different regions to speak about the state of indie filmmaking in their areas, and to establish a network of indie filmmaking centers to consolidate all efforts to create, promote and market indie films both here and abroad.

A new advertising campaign for Cinemalaya Cinco was created by Black Pencil Advertising Inc. The ad campaign celebrates the fifth year of Cinemalaya which has become a major event in local filmmaking today. The ad campaign tags Cinemalaya as the “big, small film festival”, conveying the importance and impact of Cinemalaya on Filipino independent cinema.

Cinemalaya opens on July 17 and runs until July 26, 2009. Films will be shown at all CCP venues, namely the Main Theater, the Little Theater, Dream Theater, Tanghalang Huseng Batute, Silangan Hall and the MKP Hall.

Cinemalaya Cinco is presented by the Cinemalaya Foundation, Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Film Development Council of the Philippines and Econolink Investments Inc. Cinemalaya is an all-digital film competition aimed at discovering new Filipino filmmakers.

For ticket information, please call the CCP Marketing Department at 551-7930 or 832-1125 local 1800 to 1808 and the CCP Box Office at 832-3704 or 832-1125 local 1409.