10th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival


The 10th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, also billed as Cinemalaya X was held from August 1–10 of 2014 in Metro Manila, Philippines. The achievements of Cinemalaya over the past ten years are summed up in the festival's theme: A Decade of Connecting Dimensions. The theme highlights Cinemalaya as a flourishing network of individuals, groups and institutions with a common goal of developing and promoting Filipino independent filmmaking.
The achievements of Cinemalaya over the past ten years are summed up in the Festival's theme: A Decade of Connecting Dimensions. The theme highlights Cinemalaya as a flourishing network of individuals, groups and institutions with a common goal of developing and promoting Filipino independent filmmaking. Special events and new Festival features will add to the excitement of Cinemalaya X. These include the launching of the Cinemalaya X book, announcement of the Cinemalaya Logo Contest winner, the introduction of the Cinemalaya Achievement Award, special exhibitions that will document the story of Cinemalaya's first decade, a Cinemalaya X Retrospective. The Cinemalaya X book is a commemorative publication chronicling the history of Cinemalaya and its contributions to Philippine cinema. The book will be launched on August 3, 2014 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
The book, Cinemalaya Foundation president Nestor O. Jardin said, is a tribute to the Filipino indie filmmaker. "The success of Cinemalaya is undoubtedly due to the 164 filmmakers who for the past ten editions of the competition and festival produced quality films that have broken the boundaries of filmmaking in the country.
The festival was opened by Jose Antonio Vargas' Documented, a documentary film that chronicles his life living in America and his struggles as an undocumented immigrant. While the closing film was A Thief, a Kid and a Killer, a crime-drama film directed by American director Nathan Adolfson, starring Epi Quizon and Felix Roco.
At the awards ceremony held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo on August 10; Francis Xavier Pasion's Bwaya, won Best Film as well as three other awards in the New Breed category while Jose Altarejos' Kasal was named Best Film in the Directors Showcase category, with Nora Aunor winning the Best Actress plum, also in the Directors Showcase category, of the 10th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition.

Entries

The fifteen feature-film entries are divided into two separate competitions. The five feature-film entries will compete under the Directors Showcase which are presented by veteran film directors of the country. While the other ten feature-film entries will compete under the New Breed section which are presented by first-time or young filmmakers working today. The Short Film section has also ten competing entries.
The winning film is highlighted with boldface and a dagger.

Directors Showcase

TitleDirectorCastGenre
AsintadoLouie IgnacioAiko Melendez, Gabby Eigenmann, Rochelle Pangilinan, Jake Vargas, and Miggs CuadernoDrama, Thriller
Hari ng TondoCarlos Siguion-ReynaRobert Arevalo, Cris Villonco, Rafa Siguion-Reyna, Aiza Seguerra, and Eric Quizon, and Ali SottoComedy-drama
HustisyaJoel LamanganNora Aunor, Rocco Nacino, Rosanna Roces, Sunshine Dizon, Romnick Sarmenta, Chynna Ortaleza, Gardo Versoza, Sue Prado, Jeric Gonzales, and Chanel LaTorreDrama, Political thriller
The JanitorMike TuvieraDennis Trillo, Derek Ramsay, Richard Gomez, LJ Reyes, Ricky Davao, Irma Adlawan, Raymond Bagatsing, Alex Medina, Jerald Napoles, and Nicco ManaloAction, Thriller
Kasal †Joselito AltarejosArnold Reyes, Oliver Aquino, Rita Avila, Sue Prado, and Ron CienoRomance

New Breed

TitleDirectorCastGenre
1st Ko Si 3rdReal FloridoNova Villa, Freddie Webb, Dante Rivero, Charee Pineda, RJ Agustin, and Ruby RuizRomantic comedy
Bwaya †Francis Xavier PasionAngeli Bayani, Karl Medina, and RS FranciscoDrama
Children's ShowDerick CabridoAllen Dizon, Gloria Sevilla, Miggs Cuaderno, Buboy Villar, and Nathan LopezDrama
DagitabGiancarlo Abrahan VEula Valdez, Noni Buencamino, and Martin del RosarioRomantic drama
K'na, The DreamweaverIda Anita del MundoMara Lopez, RK Bagatsing, Alex Medina, Noni Buencamino, and Bembol RocoRomantic drama
MariquinaMilo SoguecoMylene Dizon, Ricky Davao, Barbie Forteza, Bing Pimentel, Che Ramos, and Dennis PadillaDrama
RondaNick OlankaAi-Ai de las Alas, Julian Trono, Carlo Aquino, Mon Confiado, Carlos Morales and Cogie DomingoDrama
SeparadosGB SampedroErik Santos, Alfred Vargas, Jason Abalos, Ricky Davao, Anjo Yllana, Victor Neri, Ritz Azul, Melissa Mendez, and Patricia JavierDrama
Sundalong KaninJanice O'HaraMarc Abaya, Art Acuña, Enzo Pineda, Paolo O'Hara, Che Ramos, Ian de Leon, Via Veloso, Isaac Aguirre, Elijah Canlas, Akira Morishita, Angelo Martinez, and Nathaniel BrittPeriod drama
#YGino SantosElmo Magalona, Coleen Garcia, Sophie Albert, Kit Thompson, Slater Young, and Chynna OrtalezaTeen drama

Short Films

Awards

This year's Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival awards night was held Sunday night, August 10, at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Under the Director's Showcase category, Joselito Altarejos' Kasal, a slice-of-life drama of a gay couple, won the Best Film and was cited for its "deeply sensitive and moving depiction of the intricacies of relationships." While Francis Xavier Pasion's Bwaya won the Best Film of the New Breed selection and was cited "for its melding of documentary and fictional filmmaking, its effective depiction of a community's efforts to come to grips with the horrible death of a young girl from a crocodile attack, and its powerful evocation of the marshes of Agusan in Mindanao, a vast wilderness where man and beast seek to maintain an ecology of cohabitation."
It is also the first time in Cinemalaya history to give the award of the Gawad Balanghai as a lifetime achievement award. Filipino filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik, dubbed as the "Father of Philippine Independent Cinema", was given the first Gawad Balanghai for he "has contributed to the development and promotion of Philippine independent cinema, we also take cognizance of the fact that there are many individuals and organizations that have likewise been instrumental to the rise of the independent film movement in our country."

Full-Length Features

;Directors Showcase
;New Breed
;Special Awards