Philippine cinema once again showcases world-class creativity as Cinemalaya Bente promotes creativity and safe space.

Words Patricia Lanzagarita
Photos courtesy of Cinemalaya
August 7, 2024

The depths of Philippine cinema are truly a wonderful place to explore. It brings a sense of relief and comfort for cinephiles, as well as a newfound love for those who are setting foot in the cinema for the first time.

Those exact feelings were the only thing that you could feel during the opening of the 2024 Cinemalaya Bente: Loob Lalim Lakas. Marking their 20th anniversary, Cinemalaya once again embraces and amplifies safe space and creativity as they showcase diverse films, documentaries, and short films for this year’s festival.

Full-bloom stories in full-length films

For this year’s 20th edition, 10 compelling full-length films were determined to tell entrancing stories that will definitely deliver a significant, powerful, and enduring message to the audience.

One of these films is Balota, starring Marian Rivera and directed by Kip Oebanda, which tells the story of a teacher who will defend the democratic process of the election by running away with the last ballot box from the goons who want the election to fail.

Consequently, Tumandok will feature the steadfast fight and genuine struggles of the Ati tribe in reclaiming their ancestral lands. The film will star an all-Ati non-professional acting ensemble while speaking their own language, under the direction of Richard Jeroui Salvadico and Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay. 

These films are just a few of the independent films that will be showcased during the 10-day run of the festival. Other full-length movies will also be open for viewing, such as ‘Alipato at Muog,’ ‘An Errand,’ ‘Gulay Lang Manong’ (No More Than Veggies), ‘Kantil’ (Trench), ‘Kono Basho,’ ‘Love Child,’ ‘The Wedding Dance,’ and ‘The Hearing.’

Long-lived tales in short feature films

Running time doesn’t define the powerful message that a movie can portray. Cinemalaya short films definitely attest to that. Among these films is ‘Primetime Mother,’ which tells the story of a mother who joins a high-paying television game show to win a daily cash prize. This situation made her a devoted mother as her child’s condition worsened. The film stars Meryll Soriano, under the direction of Sonny Calvento.

Another film that intends to appeal to the audience is ‘Mama,’ which was directed by Alexandra Brizuela. It explores the story of two mothers who lost their children due to the war on drugs of former President Rodrigo Duterte. It shows how they manage to move on and how they fight for justice for their lost children

Along with these short films are ‘Abogbaybay,’ ‘All This Wasted Space,’ ‘Ambot Wala Ko Kabalo Unsay I-Title Ini,’ ‘Cross My Heart and Hope to Die,’ ‘I Was Walking On The Streets Of Chinatown,’ ‘Pamalandong Sa Danow,’ ‘The Red Trails,’ and ‘Mariposa.’

Cinemalaya: A platform of diversity and creativity

Filmography is truly an amazing tool to provide a platform for creativity. This year’s edition of Cinemalaya serves as a safe space for people who need a platform to voice out their struggles.

Just like what Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) President Kaye Tinga said during the opening of the festival, Cinemalaya has become a platform for filmmakers to showcase diversity and complexity using their films and creativity.

The festival will run for 10 days starting from August 2 to 11, showcasing the new films along with the Cinemalaya-winning films, Best of the Festival films, Dokyu, Digital Classics, and more. 

As Cinemalaya once again explodes with creativity and passion this year, the Philippine cinema will definitely withstand the changes of time. As Cinemalaya says, “Mula sa loob, ipinagkaloob. May lalim, may lakas.”