Cinemalaya 2014: The Frontrunners

By Randy RI Espinoza

DIRECTORS’ SHOWCASE

Contenders

Rediscovering Minalungao National Park, Nueva Ecija’s ‘Hidden’ Wonder (A Guide)

By Randy Renier I. Espinoza

Where are the views captured in the photo below located?

Answer: Nueva Ecija. One would not have guessed. After all, the province is not really considered a tourist destination.

2013: Banner Year for Philippine Cinema (Prospects for the Future)

By Randy Renier I. Espinoza

The naysayers are mistaken. Philippine Cinema is not dead. And 2013 was shining proof that it is alive and flourishing. Even pop culture commentator Jessica Zafra was quick to say in September that 2013 heralded another golden age of Filipino movies and could well be the best year the industry has ever had. We’re not talking about box-office revenue, though. We’re talking about the breadth of the year’s harvest of quality films, most of which were independently produced.

Three Filipino features made it to Cannes, arguably the world’s most prestigious festival:  Lav Diaz’s Norte, The End of History and Adolfo Alix’s Death March in the Un Certain Regard section; Erik Matti’s On the Job in the Directors’ Fortnight section. Four films made the cut at the Toronto International Film Festival, currently the world’s most “important” film market:  Diaz’s Norte, Jeffrey Jeturian’s The Bit Player, Brillante Mendoza’s Sapi, and Raya Martin’s La Ultima Pelicula (in collaboration with Mark Peranson). Not to mention many others which were exhibited in major and minor international film festivals and continue to make the rounds in the film fest circuit.

2013’s Best Films and Performances

By Randy Renier I. Espinoza


2013 was an auspicious year for Philippine Cinema. Aside from the success of Filipino films in festivals overseas, two new local film festivals (CineFilipino and Sineng Pambansa) managed  to supplement the steady supply of quality features churned out yearly by Cinemalaya, now considered the country’s premier festival. The year’s harvest includes a number of noteworthy productions and performances that deserve accolades in the coming awards season.