The Cinemanila icon is the bulol, a deity whose presence ensures good harvest. The Cinemanila International Film Festival invokes the bulol as a blessing towards the Filipino film industry in general – as a prayer towards good harvest, a plentiful bounty of excellent Filipino films. In the festival's competitive section, the top award is the Lino Brocka Award, given in honor of the acclaimed Filipino director, Lino Brocka. Another award, the Ishmael Bernal Award for Young Cinema, was first given at the 2000 festival, in honor of Filipino director Ishmael Bernal, to young independent Filipino filmmakers.
One of Cinemanila's running components is Sine Barangay - a three-day event with free film appreciation and education workshops, culminating in an outdoor screening to barangay residents.[1] It was previously held at the Marikina Riverbanks and Bonifacio High Street. In 2012, Cinemanila will launch the "Cinemanila Moonlight Series", regular outdoor screenings expanded from Sine Barangay, to take place over the course of Manila's dry season.
Historyedit
The second Cinemanila was held from July 3 to 10, 1999 in Mandaluyong. It was the first international film festival in the Philippines since the Manila International Film Festival, which had been held in the 1980s.[2] (There is the Metro Manila Film Festival, but it is a national festival screening only Filipino films.) The festival featured a lecture on cinematography by Australian-Hong Kong cinematographer Christopher Doyle.
The festival has typically been a low-key affair in terms of red-carpet visits by foreign celebrities. However, in 2003, the festival honored Hollywood stars with Filipino-American roots, and was graced by Lou Diamond Phillips, Tia Carrere, Dean Devlin and Rob Schneider. The same year, the first Lifetime Achievement Award was given, honoring Indonesian actress Christine Hakim.[3]
In 2007, director Quentin Tarantino and Thai director Chatrichalerm Yukol were among the Lifetime Achievement recipients. A retrospective of Tarantino's feature films was shown, from Reservoir Dogs to Kill Bill. He attended the awards ceremony at Malacañan Palace, accepting the award from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Both the president and the honoree were late to ceremony due to being stuck in a traffic jam. Tarantino, accompanied by festival founder Tikoy Aguiluz, took a pedicab to make it to the ceremony, and showed up without leather shoes as required to enter the palace. He was given a new pair of shoes by Aquiliuz.[4]
The festival is closely identified with its founder, filmmaker Tikoy Aguiluz, who has a reputation as a maverick. In 2006, he accused the Philippine media of not doing enough to promote the festival and independent films, stating at a news conference: "All I want from you writers are three lines and a picture promoting the festival. Why do you think it's so hard for independent producers to have success here, locally? I haven't seen any support from either broadsheet or tabloids with any story on independent cinema."[5]
Among the world community of film festivals, Cinemanila has gained respectability with its programming of independent Asian film. Jurors at past festivals have included Christian Jeune, director of the film department of the Cannes Film Festival.[6]
Early incarnations of the festival were held outside of Manila, though still in the Metro Manila area, in Makati, and for a time was known as the Makati Cinemanila International Film Festival. In 2005, the festival moved to the Manila city limits, with screenings held at SM City Manila and Robinsons Ermita cinemas.[7][8]
Awardsedit
1999edit
The inaugural year for the festival included a lecture on cinematography by Christopher Doyle. Adoor Gopalakrishnan was honored in the "Director in Focus" program.
Best Short Film: Father’s Toys by Carol Miu-Suiet Lai (Hong Kong)
2000edit
The first year for Ishmael Bernal Award for Young Cinema, which is primarily given to alternative, independent films. The "Director in Focus" was Majid Majidi from Iran.
Ishmael Bernal Award for Young Cinema: Batang Trapo by Mes de Guzman
2002edit
The Cinemanila-ASEF Film Development Plan and a scriptwriting competition were launched. A "Direct Action Cinema" workshop was conducted by Rob Nilsson and a cinematography workshop was conducted by Pierre-William Glenn.
Special tributes to Roger Corman and Hong Kong filmmaker Yonfan were held. The "Director in Focus" was Raymond Red. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Kim Dong Ho, director of the Pusan International Film Festival.[7]
The 10th edition of the festival took place from October 15 to 29 at the Gateway Mall Cinemas in Cubao. The festival hosted the Asian screening Of directors' fortnight films. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, on October 20, 2008, led the awarding of winners in the 10th-2008 Cinemanila International Film Festival at Malacañan Palace's Kalayaan Hall. The President bestowed 13 out of 17 CineManila awards to Filipinos, in the following categories of the CIFF: main, Southeast Asian, local digital, Young Cinema and documentary. The President was joined in the award ceremonies by CineManila Festival director Amable "Tikoy" Aguiluz, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) chairperson and Department of Education undersecretary Vilma Labrador, and NCCA executive director Cecile Guidote Alvarez. Cinema One Originals movies dominated the award rites.
The top Lino Brocka Grand Prize was won by Israeli film The Band's Visit, directed by Eran Kolirin. The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela (Iceland/Philippines/France) by Olaf de fleur Johannesson, received the Grand Jury Prize.[16] Other awards include:
Vic Silayan award for best actress : Angeli Bayani for Melancholia (Philippines)
Young Cinemaedit
Marlon by Ralson Jover and James Amparo as Best Documentary, - (Citation) We award the Best Documentary award to Marlon for giving a fresh look on the subject of blindness. We applaud the directors or their sharp eye for details, their patience and their restraint. They let the mundane details of the daily life of a poor blind boy speak to the audience directly but quietly... For trusting these details to resonate with the audience universally and ..for not exploiting a subject that could be easily exploited.
Tumbang Preso by Antoinette Jadaone as Best Short Film, - (Citation) We applaud the film Tumbang Preso for the clever use of one set of dialogue to contrast and parallel the world of Estong as a child and Estong as a grown-up. The director understands the short film medium and has the discipline to work within the limitations of it to produce a fun and very watchable short film.
Ishmael Bernal Award: Christopher Gozum for Surreal Random MMS Texts para ed Ina, Agui, tan kaamong ya makaiiliw ed sika: gurgurlis ed banua (Surreal Random MMS Texts for a mother, a sister, and a wife who longs for you: landscape with figures) - (Citation) We found Christopher Gozum’s flm inspiring. He was able to combine the beauty of Carlos Bulasan’s poetry with minimalist and random images of LCD screens, daily life, creating rhythm light and sound from them to convey the longing and displacement of a Filipino working in the Middle East. Revelatory and humbling, we hope this award will encourage the director to continue his quest of mapping the human heart through film.
Southeast Asia Film Competitionedit
Frou Frou... Shhh, Huwag Mong Sabihin kay Itay by Michael Juat as Best Southeast Asian Short Film - (Citation) Clever appropriation of cinematic, media and cultural clichés done with finely tuned comedy. uses a glossy exterior and high production values to deceptively comment of notions of artistic expression and satirises everything from a cynical but biting point of view.
Confessional by Jerrold Tarog and Ruel Dahis Antipuesto as Best SEA Film, - (Citation) Clever execution of the mockumentary style to comment on the art of filmmaking, personal relationships, politics, and culture. The film was well orchestrated in the use of film making production elements to support a point of view and engage the audience. Showed great ability in amalgamating seemingly disparate elements to a cohesive whole.
Anita Linda - Best Actress for Adela. - (Citation) A beautifully understated performance rich in emotional nuances. Showing a great reflective understanding of the relationships between the different characters within the film’s microcosm.
Mario Maurer - Best Actor for The Love of Siam. - (Citation) Mature acting choices within a wide range of situations. Beneath a calm and placid external demeanor his performance he displayed a rich inner struggle dealing with emotional burdens, with family, friends, his social circle and his romantic and sexual awakening.
Digital Lokaledit
Lino Brocka Grand Prize to Sherad Anthony Sanchez for his film Imburnal, - (Citation) Water as the greatest metaphor on the lifeblood of the Filipino – this film earnestly shows the experience is both harrowing and poignant.
Lino Brocka Grand Jury Prize to Raya Martin for Next Attraction, - (Citation) It is a strongly structured film and Martin’s work is showing us a new path for cinematic language
Best Short Film - To Siomai Love by Remton Siega Zuasola,
Ishmael Bernal Award for Young Cinema - To Siomai Love by Remton Siega Zuasola.
Digital Lokaledit
Lino Brocka Grand Jury Prize - Biyaheng Lupa by Armando Lao,
Lino Brocka Grand Prize - Anacbanua by Christopher Gozum,
Best Director - Christopher Gozum for Anacbanua .
2010edit
The 2010 festival opened with Pinoy Sunday by Wi Ding Ho, a Filipino comedy directed by a Malaysian born filmmaker living in Taiwan. It closed with John Sayles' Amigo.
Guests of the festival included Thai superstar Ananda Everingham, filmmaker Im Sang Soo (The Housemaid, South Korea), journalist Stephen Cremin (FilmBiz Asia), filmmaker Wi Ding Ho, filmmaker Edmund Yeo (Malaysia), Jeonju Film Festival programmers Un-seong Yoo and Ji-hoon Jo (Jeonju, South Korea), and cinematographer Yadi Sugandi (Indonesia).
Ishmael Bernal Award for Young Cinema: Christian Linaban for Doktora
Best Short Film: Nilda by Joy Aquino
2011edit
The 13th Cinemanila International Film Festival was held from November 11 to 17 in Taguig in Metro Manila screening eighty films from thirty different countries.
Lifetime Achievement Awards were given to Filipino actress Nora Aunor, and Italian director, Dario Argento.
Lino Grand Prize: How to Disappear Completely by Raya Martin
Best Director: Raya Martin for How to Disappear Completely
Young Cinemaedit
Best Short Film: Pantomina sa mga Anyong Ikinubli ng Alon by John Lazam
Ishmael Bernal Award: Theodore Lozada for Tunga (Halved)
Referencesedit
^"Filmfest in your neighborhood" Archived September 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, by Gerry Plaza, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2008-10-24
^Zulueta, Lito B. (1999-06-27). "Will Cinemanila put us back in the world-cinema map?". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
^Reyes, Paolo R.; Cuenca-Dario, Janine (2006-10-28). "Lights, camera, Cinemanila!". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
^Dalangin-Fernandez, Lira (2007-08-15). "A 'fun' experience for Tarantino aboard a 'pedicab'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2008-01-21. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
^Red, Isah V. (2006-11-06). "Cinemanila 2006 films in competition". Manila Standard. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
^Bautista, Jude (2006-11-07). "06 indie masterpieces premiere in Cinemanila". The Manila Times. Archived from the original on 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
^ abLadaw, Dennis (2005-10-12). "Cinemanila is finally in Manila!". The Manila Times. Retrieved 2007-08-17. [dead link]
^"Atienza, Aguiluz open Cinemanila festival". Manila Bulletin. 2005-10-14. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
^"Cinemanila International Film Festival: 1999". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2009-02-07.[permanent dead link]
^"Birth of A Butterfly". NETPAC. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
^"Fetch A Pail of Water". NETPAC. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
^"Hollywood Hongkong". NETPAC. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
^"Harmful Insect". NETPAC. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
^"Divine Intervention". NETPAC. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
^"The Seventies". NETPAC. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
^www.screendaily.com, The Band's Visit takes top prize at Cinemanila fest
^pia.gov.ph, PGMA gives 13 out of 17 CineManila awards to Filipinos[permanent dead link]
^abs-cbnnews.com, Cinema One Originals movies dominate 10th Cinemanila award rites
^bworldonline.com, Arroyo awards winners in 10th Cinemanila festival[permanent dead link]