The 21st Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, which will run from Oct. 3 to 12, presents 10 full-length and 10 short films in competition under the theme “Cinemalaya 21: Layag sa Alon, Hangin, at Unos.”
Directors and cast members of Cinemalay 21 entry ‘Open Endings’ (beginning from fourth from left) Jackie Lou Blanco, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Klea Pineda, Janella Salvador and Leanne Mamonong. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS FROM CCP/KIKO CABUENA
The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. announced the lineup on Wednesday, highlighting the resilience of Filipino independent cinema even as the CCP Main Building undergoes rehabilitation. This year, screenings will be held at Shangri-La Plaza’s Red Carpet Cinemas, Gateway Cineplex, and Ayala Malls.
“This year, we carry a theme that is as poetic as it is powerful. The words alon, hangin, and unos evoke movement, transition, and the force of nature. Those factors make independent Filipino cinema thrive. It rides the waves of change, it moves with the wind of shifting perspectives, and it confronts the storms of our collective realities,” CCP President Kaye Tinga said in her speech.
Ely Buendia (fourth from left) leads the cast of ‘Padamlágan.’
“For over two decades now, Cinemalaya has served as both compass and vessel for our filmmakers, who navigate stories that speak of truth, identity, struggle, and of course, hope,” she added. “From intimate portraits of the Filipino to bold confrontations with social injustice, the films we premiere here are not just art; they are acts of courage.”
The 10 full-length films competing for the Balanghai Trophy are: “Bloom Where You Are Planted” by Nonilon Abao; “Child No. 82” by Tim Rone Villanueva; “Cinemartyrs” by Sari Dalena; “Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan” by Dustin Celestino; “Padamlágan” by Jenn Romano; “Paglilitis” by Cheska Marfori and Raymund Barcelon; “Open Endings” by Nigel Santos and Keavy Vicente; “Republika ng Pipolipinas” by Renei Dimla; “Raging” by Ryan Machado; and “Warla” by Kevin Alambra.
Jervi Wrightson, also known as KaladKaren (fourth from right), stars in ‘Warla.’
Notable casts include Dolly de Leon, Zanjoe Marudo, Mylene Dizon in “Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan”; Alessandra de Rossi in “Republika ng Pipolipinas”; Elijah Canlas in “Raging”; Angel Aquino, Lav Diaz and Kidlat Tahimik in “Cinemartyrs”; JM Ibarra, Vhong Navarro and Kai Montinola in “Child No. 82”; and Ely Buendia for major acting debut in “Padamlágan.”
On the other hand, short film entries include “Ascension From the Office Cubicle” by Hannah Silvestre; “Figat” by Handiong Kapuno; “Hasang” by Daniel de la Cruz; “I’m Best Left Inside My Head” by Elian Idioma; “Kay Basta Angkarabo Yay Bagay Ibat Ha Langit” by Marie Estela Paiso; “Kung Tugnaw ang Kaidalman Sang Lawod” by Seth Andrew Blanca; “Please Keep This Copy” by Miguel Lorenzo Peralta; “Radikals” by Arvin Belarmino; “The Next 24 Hours” by Carl Joseph Papa; and “Water Sports” by Whammy Alcazaren.
Cinemalaya Foundation President Laurice Guillen detailed the festival’s intensive selection process, which takes nearly two years from submission to premiere.
“Yes, the whole process, submission, development to final film took about 20 months. That means, as we introduce to you today the new films of Cinemalaya 2025, work on the 2026 batch had already begun. Twenty semi-finalists are currently in the Film Lab. Ten finalists whose scripts will be finished by October will then be announced at the Closing Ceremony. Soon after, they will start pre-production, and their films will premiere next year,” Guillen said.
She added, “After 20 years, you can say it’s a never-ending process. Difficult, almost impossible, but thoroughly necessary, meaningful and valuable to the industry.”
Running alongside the main competition is the 37th Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video, the longest-running independent film competition in Southeast Asia. Categories include short narrative, documentary, animation, and experimental works.
Since its founding in 2005, Cinemalaya has supported and premiered over 1,000 independent works. Many of its alumni have gone on to win awards at festivals in the Philippines and abroad.
“Patuloy pa rin sa paglalayag ang pelikulang Pilipino (Filipino film continues to thrive). Cinemalaya 21 promises another wave of compelling narratives, all crafted by voices that refuse to be silenced — voices that persist and continue to rise amid the strongest of unos,” Tinga ended.
