Socially relevant films win at Cinemalaya

Socially relevant films were big winners at the recently concluded 6th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition. Sheron Dayoc’s Halaw, Pam Miras’ Wag Kang Titingin and Mark Meily’s Donor were proclaimed this year's Best Films in their respective categories at Sunday night's awarding rites at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo. Halaw, which competed in the New Breed Full Length Feature category, focused on the stories of Filipino illegal migrants to Malaysia. Beautifully textured and moving, much like the sea itself against which most of the film was shot, Halaw was cited for "its timely depiction of the rigors and dangers that Filipinos go through in order to reach Sabah in search of greener pastures, its mastery of the elements of filmmaking and meaningful narrative, and its powerful herald that Mindanao cinema has come of age." Halaw also won three other awards: Best Direction for Sheron Dayoc, who also wrote and produced the film, Best Performance of an Actor by John Arcilla, and Best Editing by Lester Olager and Chuck Gutierrez. Wag Kang Titingin, which topped the Short Feature category, was praised for its "very striking story about a girl’s attempt beyond death and destruction to maintain for her younger sister a semblance of peace and order amid so much violence and conflict that seems the lot of today’s Filipinos." This is Miras' second Cinemalaya award, having won the Best Short Film Screenplay award in the 2005 Cinemalaya Film Festival and Competition. Donor, which won in the Directors Showcase, was cited “for its mastery of nearly all the technical elements of filmmaking, its all-too-real depiction of the compromises and sacrifices that Filipinos go through to get out of the poverty trap, and its engaging portrayal of a woman forced to donate a part of her body in order to discover herself." Meily's film brought home a total of five awards in the Directors Showcase - Best Performance of an Actor by Baron Geisler, Best Performance of an Actress by Meryll Soriano, Best Performance of a Supporting Actress by Karla Pambid, and Best Production Design by Aped Santos. There were other notable films, including Francis Xavier Pasion’s Sampaguita which won the Special Jury Prize in the New Breed Full Length Category “for its effective and coruscating take on the lives of young sampaguita vendors that dot the urban landscape of poverty and squalor, for its powerful documentary realism, its touching poignancy and its gnawing humanity." In the Short Feature Category, Rommel “Milo" Tolentino’s “P", won the Special Jury Prize “for its humorous take on the joys and challenges of childhood, its near-flawless execution of a coming-of-age story, and its wit and charm that somehow approximate the unflagging optimism of youth and promise." "P" also won for Best Direction in this category. Two Funerals bagged the Special Jury Prize in the Directors' Showcase, as well as Best Direction for Portes, Best Screenplay by Enrique V. Ramos, and Best Cinematography by Arvin Viola. Dan Villegas and Paul Sta. Ana's Mayohan and Ian Dean Loreños’ The Leaving also took home several prizes in the New Breed Full Length Category. Mayohan won the Best Screenplay award as well as Best Performance of an Actress, for Lovi Poe. Meanwhile, LJ Reyes won the award for Best Performance of a Supporting actress for her role in The Leaving. Mayohan Emerzon Texon won for Best Original Music Score for Mayohan, while Syrel Lopez and Ivan Zaldarriaga won for Best Production Design for The Leaving. The award for Best Cinematography was shared by the films Mayohan (Dan Villegas) and The Leaving (Rommel Andreo Sales, Jr.). Other awards in the New Breed Full Length Feature category were given to Albert Michael Idioma for Best Sound and Emilio Garcia for Best Performance of a Supporting Actor for Rekrut by Danny Añonuevo. In the Short Feature category, Mikhail Red won the Best Screenplay award for his film Harang. In the Directors' Showcase, Tirso Cruz III won the Best Performance of a Supporting Actor for his role in Sigwa by Joel Lamangan while the Best Editing award went to Chuck Gutierrez for Joselito Altarejos’ Pink Halo Halo. The 2010 Cinemalaya jury was composed of Jose Javier Reyes, Ricky Davao, Joselito Zulueta, Ishizaka Kenji, and Italo Spinelli. A total of 24 films were in competition in this year's festival. - YA, GMANews.TV