The 2nd Cinemalaya: Philippine Independent Film Festival 2006

Cinemalaya was established to “discover, encourage and honor the cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers that boldly articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity, and to invigorate the Philippine film industry by developing a new breed of Filipino filmmakers.” For these reasons, Cinemalaya also has a Congress which explores the various issues and aspects of independent filmmaking by looking back to its past to serve as guidelines in mapping out directions into the future. This year, the Congress is entitled, Back to the Future: The State and Prospects of the Independent Film.

Cinemalaya Congress Director Nicanor G. Tiongson’s Opening Remarks kept up with the theme. He mentioned the resolution formulated last year and gave an overview of what to expect in this year’s discussions. This was helpful to me because this is my first time to attend the Congress. I read the flier about Cinemalaya which was a good teaser but his speech captured the essence of Cinemalaya well. Keynote Speaker Roger Garcia’s speech was about the rationale behind the various international film festivals. He mentioned Asian cinema trends, landmark Philippine films which were acclaimed internationally and the importance of the retrospective perspective in evaluating history in order to come up with systematic ways on how Asian, or Philippine films for that matter, can break into global markets better. His lively speech was humorous and witty.

The scheduled congresses for the day followed and it was kicked off by the panel on Tales of the Auteurs: The State of Independence. The three (3) panelists were Director Yam Laranas, Director Briccio Santos and Screenwriter Armando Lao. In the open forum, Santos answered the questions well and gave the most feasible solutions to the concerns raised. Lao could improve on his speaking skills but as I went over my notes, I realized that his answers made sense. Laranas, however, was asked several times to explain most of the matters he discussed in his speech. When Director Marilou Diaz-Abaya gave her insights on Laranas’ replies, I suppose some people in the audience saw it as Abaya criticizing Laranas. However, what the audience should remember is that Abaya was speaking from her more than 20 years’ experience in the movie industry, in contrast to Laranas’ ten years.

Still, the highlight of the Cinemalaya is the films shown. I watched Tulad ng Dati, Saan Nagtatago si Happiness and Mudraks. It was apparent in both Saan Nagtatago si Happiness and Mudraks that the filmmakers could have a hard time marketing the movies in the mainstream. In Happiness, the theme of the story is about a middle-aged man looking for his mother. I did not like it much because it left several matters unsettled. For example Darling Lavinia was talking to Andy Bais about leaving the place while pulling a bag of belongings. The scene was interrupted by the emergence of Ricky Davao with a knife wound. The story ended without providing the answers to the questions, Was Darling Lavinia able to leave the place? and Did Ricky Davao survive? On the other hand, Mudraks showed the importance of both individuals’ background in compatibility as lifetime partners. It was apparent in the movie that the script was well-written.

Of the three, I had a hard time justifying why Tulad ng Dati could not be shown in the mainstream. The answer came to me days afterwards. The plot was about The Dawn, a famous rock band in the 80s. Hence, it catered to a certain age group, probably between 30 and 45, who enjoy band music which could mean a small targeted audience bringing in low profits, if any at all, should it be shown in the mainstream.

Mainstream media presents formulaic films to ensure profit. In the process, filmmakers who want to try other kinds of stories and presentations organized themselves to have a venue where they could show their creativity. Cinemalaya was established to “discover, encourage and honor the cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers, and to invigorate the Philippine film industry by developing a new breed of Filipino filmmakers.” The new breed of Philippine independent filmmakers showed that given the chance, they can produce quality films as well. However, they need to have a dialogue with the veterans in the industry so that they will know what works and what doesn’t work in Philippine filmmaking. The veterans can impart their insights gained through years of experience while the newbies can share their concerns and industry experiences as well. The veterans’ years of experience can serve as guidelines in mapping out directions for a better future for Philippine cinema.