I attended the opening of 2011 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, one of the most celebrated events for film and arts in the Philippines. This is the ‘nth’ time I have attended this event since I was in College. The highlight of this year’s event includes new sections on Asian films and documentaries and a retrospective of films written or directed by Ronwaldo Reyes, better known as Fernando Poe Jr.
Cinemalaya Film Congress takes a major part of the Festival, and this year’s theme is “Building Bridges for Independent Filmmaking in Asia.” Aside from showcasing films that are boldly expressive and freely constructed the Filipino way, Cinemalaya will also display films from Malaysia, China, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan and Singapore for the segment – Focus Asia.
2011 Entries
This year, film entries will be screened at the CCP and Greenbelt 3 in Makati on July 15-24, 2011 to accommodate more viewers. This is the first time that Cinemalaya entries will be also showed outside the CCP. Celebrities graced the opening of this event and gathered to support the independent film making. Popular celebrities I have seen were Ina Feleo, Rez Cortez, Ricky Davao, and other stars. Gretchen Barreto attended the event to represent her partner Business Tycoon Tony Boy Cojuanco.
Cinemalaya 2011 opens with the premiere of multi awarded director Laurice Guillen’s film – Maskara (Mask) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater). Maskara is an actor’s tale unfolded letters revealed by his wife forty days after he dies. The letters lead his wife, Ellen, on a journey into a life more private than that which he shared with his family and friends, and ultimately to a meeting with his secret daughter.
The cast of Maskara is led by Tirso Cruz III, Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino and Ina Feleo, who also wrote the screenplay. This film was in loving memory of Director Guillen’s loving husband – Johnny Delgado. Actors and Actresses did cameo roles in support of this film, including Fanny Serrano, Isabel Rivas, Ali Soto, Mark Gil, Makisig Morales, Miles Ocampo, Angelica Panganiban and others.
I was totally attached to the scenes of this movie. I found the conversation scenes very realistic as if they are describing ‘Dada’ as an actor and as a person and how their lives moved. I felt the pain of the character portrayed by Ms. Shamaine and how a daughter Ina Feleo struggle a life without a father all his life. This film unmasked the real world of an actor – different on how we look at them in our own television screens. Actors and actresses have their own struggles and burdens like any other human have. They have secrets and dramas behind their comic personality. And if you will notice, camera shots were shot shaky to maintain the undergroundness of the genre of the film. Remember that this film was made not for mainstream audiences.
Kudos to the people behind Cinemalaya 2011 and to Director Laurice Guillen. This weekends, I hope to watch more of the Cinemalaya entries and put it on my blog. For more information regarding to the Cinemalaya 2011 please go to : http://www.cinemalaya.org/
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