It’s finally Cinemalaya season! The annual independent film festival is one of the most anticipated events by cinephiles, thanks to its impressive film selection that often defines and reflects the sociopolitical and cultural zeitgeist. 

Cinemalaya films are also often celebrated for the quality of storytelling and artistry, with some of its featured films eventually even becoming the country’s entries to international festivals and film circuits. Take for example last year’s best picture, “Iti Mapukpukaw,” which was later submitted as the Philippines’ entry to the Oscars.

For Cinemalaya’s 20th edition, films putting the focus on imagination, imagery, and creativity are given the spotlight. With the theme “Cinemalaya Bente: Loob, Lalim, Lakas,” the film festival explores the depth of the stories being told, thus pushing forward thought-provoking films that hopefully spark discourse. The festival is set to feature a diverse set of 10 full-length films and 10 short films in competition. 

This year, with the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ main building still under construction, the Cinemalaya film festival will be moving its home base to Ayala Malls Manila Bay. The competition films will also be screened at Ayala Malls across the metro, specifically at Greenbelt, Trinoma, UP Town Center, and Market Market cinemas. Tickets are priced at P300 for regular viewers, P200 for students, and P550 for A-Luxe cinemas. There are no festival passes this year.

Here are the 10 full-length Cinemalaya films competing for the Best Film Balanghai Trophy and where to watch them:

“Alipato at Muog” is the only documentary in this year’s Cinemalaya lineup. The documentary revolves around the 2007 abduction of Jonas Burgos, which had strange circumstances as it happened in broad daylight: at noon, in a crowded mall. The family’s search led them to come face to face with “powerful forces.” This documentary gathers testimonials from the family’s witnesses, their lawyer, as well as a reporter and a former Justice Secretary, augmented with animation and footage to uncover the truth.

Screening schedule:

August 3 – Market Market, 5 p.m.; Trinoma, 5 p.m.; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 2:30 p.m. August 4 – Greenbelt 3, 8:30 p.m.; UP Town Center, 8:30 p.m. August 6 – Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 5:30 p.m. August 7 – Market Market, 11 a.m.; Trinoma, 11 a.m. August 8 – Greenbelt 3, 5 p.m.; UP Town Center, 5 p.m., Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 2:30 p.m. August 9 – Greenbelt 3, 8:30 p.m.; UP Town Center 8:30 p.m. August 11 – Market Market, 2 p.m.; Trinoma, 4 p.m.

“An Errand” revolves around Moroy (Sid Lucero), a driver who is ordered by his boss to fetch a designer T-shirt—all the way from Baguio to Manila. Thus begins a transformational journey, all contained within a film that has been described as a mix of drama, fantasy, action, and noir. The film blends reality, memory, dreams, and fantasy while also providing a commentary on class, especially in the service sector.

Screening schedule:

August 3 – Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 8:30 p.m. August 4 – Market Market, 8:30 p.m.; Trinoma, 8:30 p.m. August 5 – Greenbelt 3, 5 p.m.; UP Town Center, 5 p.m. August 6 – Market Market, 11 a.m.; Trinoma, 11 a.m.; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 8:30 p.m. August 7 – Greenbelt 3, 8:30 p.m.; UP Town Center, 8:30 p.m. August 9 – Greenbelt 3, 2 p.m.; UP Town Center, 2 p.m.; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. August 11 – Market Market, 5 p.m.; Trinoma, 6:30 p.m.

Tagged as “a film by the Ati people of Sitio Kabarangkalan,” this entry puts the spotlight on the unheard stories of displacement and violence experienced by the Ati community on what is supposed to be their own land. The community and their experiences are stunningly rendered on film, and what’s even more painfully beautiful is that it is the community themselves who tell their own story.

Screening schedule:

August 3 – Greenbelt 3, 5 p.m.; UP Town Center, 5 p.m. August 4 – Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 8:30 p.m. August 5 – Market Market, 5 p.m.; Trinoma, 5 p.m. August 6 – Greenbelt 3, 5 p.m.; UP Town Center, 5 p.m. August 8 – Market Market, 11 a.m.; Trinoma, 11 a.m.; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 5:30 p.m. August 10 – Market Market, 2 p.m.; Trinoma, 2 p.m. August 11 – Greenbelt 3, 8:30 p.m.; UP Town Center, 8:30 p.m.

This Kip Oebanda film follows a teacher who comes face to face with a dire situation: How far can she go to protect the people’s votes? The film attempts to use both drama and humor to satirize the issues surrounding our electoral system. “It’s probably best that we don’t only think about elections when it’s near. But that time, it’s too late. Corruption of our electoral system is a timeless tale, but it doesn’t have to be. So we made a film about people who are sick and tired of the rich and powerful take their power and voice away from them.”

Screening schedule:

August 3 – Greenbelt 3, 8:30 p.m.; UP Town Center, 8:30 p.m. August 4 – Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 5:30 p.m. August 5 – Market Market, 8:30 p.m.; Trinoma 8:30 p.m.; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 8:30 p.m. August 6 – Greenbelt 3, 11 a.m.; UP Town Center, 11 a.m. August 7 – Market Market, 2 p.m.; Trinoma, 2 p.m.; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 8:30 p.m. August 9 – Greenbelt 3, 5 p.m.; UP Town Center, 5 p.m.; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 8:30 p.m. August 11 – Market Market, 11 a.m.; Trinoma, 1:30 p.m.

Featuring FAMAS best actor Cedrick Juan, “Gulay Lang, Manong!” aims to “[challenge] common misconceptions” and “break the stigma and misunderstanding around medical cannabis in the Philippines.” The film follows a policeman who teams up with a vegetable farmer to catch a member of a marijuana cartel. This pursuit unearths truths that challenge the characters’ perspectives. It not only touches on the effects of medical cannabis, it also presents the struggles and resilience of both farmers and those who may need the medical treatment.

Screening schedule:

August 3 – Greenbelt 3, 2 p.m.; UP Town Center, 2 p.m. August 4 – Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 5:30 p.m. August 5 – Market Market, 11 a.m.; Trinoma, 11 a.m.; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 8:30 p.m. August 6 – Market Market, 8:30 p.m.; Trinoma, 8:30 p.m. August 7 – Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 5:30 p.m. August 8 – Greenbelt 3, 8:30 p.m.; UP Town Center, 8:30 p.m. August 10 – Greenbelt 3, 11 a.m.; Market Market, 5 p.m.; Trinoma, 5 p.m.; UP Town Center, 11 a.m.; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 2:30 p.m.

Set in Davao, this queer science fiction Cinemalaya entry follows Paleng and Eliong, two young lovers, living in a coastal town faced with strange occurrences. The community also faces challenges when, as they try to fight against a demolition order, a mysterious, unexplainable alien shell is discovered in the trench near their town.

Screening schedule:

August 3 – Market Market, 11 a.m.; Trinoma, 11 a.m. August 4 – Greenbelt 3, 2 p.m.; UP Town Center, 2 p.m. August 6 – Greenbelt 3, 8:30 p.m.; UP Town Center, 8:30 p.m. August 7 – Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 5:30 p.m. August 8 – Market Market, 8:30 p.m.; Trinoma, 8:30 p.m. August 9 – Market Market, 5 p.m.; Trinoma, 5 p.m.; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 11 a.m. August 10 – Greenbelt 3, 2 p.m.; UP Town Center, 2 p.m.; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 2:30 p.m.

As they say, grief is evidence of love. “Kono Basho” explores the twin concepts through the reunion of Filipino and Japanese half-sisters. The sisters meet as they grieve their father’s death in a city that is still recovering from the devastating effects of a recent tsunami. As they navigate their grief, they also learn how to connect with each other, further understanding the relationships between memory, time, and presence.

Screening schedule:

August 3 – Market Market, 8:30 p.m. August 4 – Greenbelt 3, 5 p.m.; UP Town Center, 5 p.m. August 7 – Market Market, 5 p.m. August 8 – Greenbelt 3, 2 p.m.; UP Town Center, 2 p.m. August 9 – Market Market, 2 p.m. August 10 – Greenbelt 3, 5 p.m.; UP Town Center, 5 p.m.

Based on a Palanca Award-winning script by director Jonathan Jurilla, “Love Child” revolves around a young couple and the ups and downs they face as they raise their child with special needs. The film explores the true meaning of commitment, not just between people in love, but towards other people they love, too—in this case, their child. 

Screening schedule:

August 3 – Greenbelt 3, 11 a.m.; UP Town Center, 11 a.m. August 5 – Market Market, 2 p.m.; Trinoma, 2 p.m.; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 5:30 p.m. August 6 – Market Market, 5p.m.; Trinoma, 5 p.m. August 7 – Greenbelt 3, 5 p.m.; UP Town Center, 5 p.m. August 8 – Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 8:30 p.m. August 9 – Market Market, 8:30 p.m.; Trinoma, 8:30 p.m. August 10 – Greenbelt 3, 8:30 p.m.; UP Town Center, 8:30 p.m.

There are layers of meaning in this film, as it follows the story of a deaf boy whose parents file a court case after finding out he was sexually abused by an influential priest. They meet a sign language interpreter who has also been a witness to justice being manipulated and controlled by the powerful. The film sheds light on these injustices. Aptly put, it proposes the challenge: “In a society where few choose to listen, how can they win against forces that silence those who cannot speak and break the souls of those who can?”

Screening schedule:

August 3 – Market Market, 2 p.m.; Trinoma, 2 p.m. August 4 – Greenbelt 3, 11 a.m.; UP Town Center, 11 a.m; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 5:30 p.m. August 6 – Greenbelt 3, 2 p.m.; UP Town Center, 2 p.m. August 7 – Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 8:30 p.m. August 8 – Market Market, 5 p.m.; Trinoma, 5 p.m. August 9 – Greenbelt 3, 11 a.m.; UP Town Center, 11 a.m. August 10 – Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 11 a.m. August 11 – Market Market, 8:30 p.m.; Trinoma, 9 p.m.

Adapted from Amador Daguio’s short story of the same title, “The Wedding Dance” aims to honor the legacy of the literary gem and of the Cordilleran culture it features. The film shows the struggles women face in a society that is still heavily ruled by men, and where her worth is also measured by her ability to bear children. 

Screening schedule:

August 3 – Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 5:30 p.m. August 4 – Market Market, 5 p.m.; Trinoma, 6:10 p.m.; Ayala Malls Manila Baypldobet 2, 2:30 p.m. August 5 – Greenbelt 3, 8:30 p.m.; UP Town Center, 8:30 p.m. August 6 – Market Market, 2 p.m.; Trinoma, 2 p.m. August 8 – Greenbelt 3, 11 a.m.; UP Town Center, 11 a.m. August 10 – Market Market, 8:30 p.m.; Trinoma, 8:30; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 5:30 p.m. August 11 – Greenbelt 3, 5 p.m.; UP Town Center, 5 p.m.

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