Indie films by new and established filmmakers shine at 8th Mindanao Film Festival

Thirty-four short films by upstart filmmakers and four films by established regional directors were handpicked to be featured at the Mindanao Film Festival (MFF), to be held for the eighth time in Davao City from December 4 to 11.

 

“MFF is considered as one of the country’s longest running film festivals,” said Rudolph Alama who, for the first time, is the festival director. “We’ve been doing this festival since 2005 yet.”

 

“This is a rich batch of films,” Alama said. “It goes to show that the indie filmmaking scene is alive and well in this part of the Philippines.

 

According to Alama, MMF has been a welcome platform for individuals who are brave enough to translate their stories into films.

 

He adds that the festival has also been a breeding ground for film talents, and many of them have gone on to work for full-length productions and were nominated or have won awards on the national level.

 

“We want to continue this festival. Through MMF hopefully, we could expand our film community in Mindanao with the infusion of new blood which we will see in the festival,” Alama pointed out.

 

The films were chosen by a selection committee. “If you submit a film, we view it. We look for technical aspects and artistic merits,” Alama explained. “We don’t really have high standards as long as adequate ang film sa standards, na pwede itong ipalabas sa sinehan na hindi mag-pixelate. The film must have adequate production value and it’s for fun and just a class project.”

 

As much as possible, the committee encourages originality. “Not just in terms of production but also in the usage of various aspects of production like music and images. As much as possible, we see to it that the music used in the film has no copyright issues.”

 

Davao films

 

Six short films done by up and coming filmmakers from Davao City were selected for the festival.  

 

These are Gary Bautista’s “Masaligan,” Albert Egot’s “Gugma ni Pilo,” Aidx Paredes’s “Somnolence,” Sonny Campaner’s “Migo Niño,” James Labrigas’s “Traynta,” and Dawn Rufon’s “Bedtime.”

 

Davao City, Alama said, is one of the filmmaking centers in Mindanao as it annually produces a rich trove of films made by its burgeoning independent filmmaking movement.

 

Films from Mindanao

 

Five films from others part of Mindanao—particularly Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, and Zamboanga—will also be shown during the festival: “Pagsaha” by Kim Regulacion, “Sentimiento Del Maga Quieto” by Vincent Suarez, “Tsinelas ni Loloy” by Dennis Coronel, 

“Ang Pagkamatay ni Wonder Woman” by Dennis Coronel, and “Damgo” by Giojoe Amoguis.

 

The festival will also present two documentaries made by Mindanaoans: “Under the Purple Sky” by Nef Luczon and “Sino” by Jemm de Leon.

 

Believing that schools are a potential breeding ground for the future Mindanaoan filmmakers, the MMF committee has selected several films created by students to be shown under Escuela Cinema.

 

These include seven films from the Philippine Women’s College of Davao: “Puzzle” (directed by Lew Andrew Avila), “Art Room” (Paul Labang), “Gayuma” (Vannah Ang), “Labo-Labo” (Jeff Sabayle), “Me” (Alex Lara), “Paet” (Monique Patricia Azcona) and “Coffee Shop” ( Kethley Uy)

 

From two other universities in Davao are these two films: “Salamin” (Lovely Dumagan) and “Taraz” (Jaymark Fernan).

 

In the Guerilla Cinema category (films were actually done during a guerrilla film workshop), the following are short-listed: 

 

Meanwhile, these films were handpicked for the Guerilla Open Category: “Flora Mae ang Biktima” by Bonnie Achacoso, “Bantay” by Gary Bautista, “El Pundido Luz de La Caza” by Aedrian Araojo, and “Memo” by Ryan Paco.

 

“Smek’m Shorts” by Leo Jorge Bautista, on the other hand, will be shown under the Special Exhibit Davao Pop Cinema.

 

From established filmmakers

 

Four movies were selected to be featured under the category dubbed Perspectives: The Mindanao Hollywood. These are “Crossfire” by Arnel Mardoquio, “Tambara” by Orvil Bantayan, “The Thank You Girls” by Charliebebs Gohetia and “As He Sleeps” by Sheron Dayoc.

 

These films were executed “by the more established regional filmmakers which are shot and produced in Mindanao,” said the MMF committee in a statement. “These films don’t just provide a window to the divergent stories and rich cultural tradition of the island but also provide the plausibility of creating a film industry in the region.”

 

The four directors are also the featured filmmakers of the festival. Mardoquio was a two-time grand prize Palanca awardee before he ventured into filmmaking. Described as “foremost a storyteller and a cultural worker,” he makes films that “mirror the aspirations and uniqueness of Mindanao’s people and culture.”

 

Gohetia was a government employee of Davao City before he turned film director. He received an Urian award from the Manila Film Critics Circle as Best Editor for the film “Foster Child.” His first directorial job was “The Thank You Girls,” followed by the critically-acclaimed “The Natural Phenomenon of Madness.”

 

Bantayan used to be known as the frontman of the band Spasm. In 2010, he made his first short feature called “Mananabang.” “Tambara” is his first full-length movie.

 

Dayoc is an indie filmmaker, editor, viodeographer and writer from Zamboanga. “Halaw,” his first full-length movie, won the 2010 Cinemalaya award for Best Film, Best Actor (for John Arcilla), and Best Editor. Currently, he is “actively helping fuel the resurgence of indie filmmaking” in Zamboanga.

 

The awarding ceremony will be held on December 10. –KG, GMA News