2025 Cinemalaya embarks on a bolder journey

by Boy Villasanta

The vision is very clear—”to encourage the creation of new cinematic works by Filipino filmmakers—works that boldly articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity.”

Yes, the objectives of Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival have always been applied and achieved no matter how challenging at the oddest times.

The Cinemalaya 2025 isn’t spared of challenges but it has endured in spite of them.

Therefore, what are we waiting for, anyway?

The annual film fiesta of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, a joint project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. (CMI) is on.

Let’s embrace it.

Now on its twenty-first edition, its celebration might be belated by more than two months or so not unlike a July or August playdates in the past but that would not deter the significance of the festival in the filmmakers’ and moviegoers’ lives.

The CCP, the perennial venue of the event, is still under repair while the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), last year’s hosting place, has an advance commitment or whatever.

Hence, Cinemalaya has to look for an alternative venue, and luckily, many are available and willing to adopt this year’s event.

Hundreds of submissions were accepted but only the precious and few were chosen that have met the goals of the festival.

To summarize the speech of Laurice Guillen. CMI President at the confab, the pursuit of excellence in independent filmmaking is a “continuing process.”

The overwhelming response of Filipino filmmakers to both Full-Length Features and Short Films was again inspiring to embody a bolder journey of the fest in a well-meaning, bold articulation and free interpretation of the Filipino experience with “fresh insight and artistic integrity.”

As usual, the wellspring of filmmakers doesn’t run out of creative and intelligent people.

Among the younger set of filmmakers come the newest and smartest kind of audio-visual storytellers.

Cinemalaya 21 will surely bedazzle, inspire and harmonize anew with the local movie industry as a conduit by sharing, impacting and helping redefine the landscape of Philippine cinema for a common good vis-a-vis bolstering and amplifying the new voices of this year’s audio-visual storytellers.

This year’s theme encompasses the trials and successes of Cinemalaya—“Layag sa Alon, Hangin, at Unos” which this writer translates to “Sail on Waves, Wind, and Tempest.”

During the press conference, the Cinemalaya prime movers and CCP hierarchy were present and supported by the arts community, multimedia and the crowd-grabbing population of pop culture.

Among the key figures in attendance were Guillen, also actress and director; Kaye C. Tinga, CCP President; Dennis Marasigan, CCP Vice-President and Artistic Director; Arrianne Nadurata, Senior Retailer Manager for Shangri-La Plaza Corporation; Rica Arevalo, Education Division Head of the Film Development Council of the Philippines who read the message of Jose Javier Reyes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FDCP; Chris Millado, Cinemalaya Festival Director and Carlos Siguion-Reyna, Cinemalaya Competition and Monitoring Committee Chairman.  

Meanwhile, Siguion-Reyna announced that in the Full-Length Feature Category, the films in competition are “Bloom Where you are Planted” by Nonilon Abao; “Child No. 82” by Tim Rone Villanueva; “Cinemartyrs” by Sari Dalena; “Habang Nilalamon ng Hyra ang Kasaysyan” by Dustin Celestino; “Padamlagan” by Jenn Romano; “Paglilitis” by Cheska Marfori and Raymund Barcelon; “Open Endings” by Nigel Santos and Keavy Vicente; “Republika ng Pipolipinas” by Renei Dimla; “Raging” by Ryan Machado and “Warla” by Kevin Alambra.

In the Short Film Category, the films in competition are “Ascencion from the Office Cubicle” by Hannah Silvestre; “Figat” by Handiong Kapuno; “Hasang” by Daniel de la Cruz; “I’m Best Left Inside My Head” by Elian Idioma; “Kay Basta Angkarabo kay Bagay Ibat Ha Langit” by Marie Estela Paiso; “Kung Tugnaw ang Kaidalman sang Lawod” by Seth Andrew Blanca; “Please Keep this Copy” by Miguel Lorenzo Peralta; “Radikals” by Arvin Belarmino; “The Next 24 Hours” by Carl Joseph Papa and “Water Sports” by Whammy Alcazaren.

Cinemalaya 2025 will run from October 3 to 12, 2025 at Gateway, Ayala Malls and Shangri-La Plaza theaters.