#CulturePH - ARTISTIC STAKES ARE HIGHER WITH CINEMALAYA 2024 FINALISTS

The Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Cinemalaya Foundation Inc. are already preparing for the 20th edition of the country's largest independent film festival in 2024 while everyone is still buzzing from Cinemalaya 19.

The Cinemalaya organizing committee has announced the ten (10) full-length finalists who will compete for the title of Best Film in Cinemalaya 20 in keeping with its mission to foster and support the creation of cinematic works by Filipino independent filmmakers that bravely articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with new insight and artistic integrity.

The 20 semifinalists who participated in the Cinemalaya Film Lab, a three-month mentorship program in a film laboratory, were chosen as the finalists. This program trained the semifinalists in various facets of filmmaking, including scriptwriting, directing, cinematography, performance, editing, production design, sound, music, production management, and promotion tactics, among others.

Here are the 10 finalists of the Main Competition’s Full-Length Category:

GULAY LANG MANONG BY BC AMPARADO

LOGLINE: Pilo is a struggling, old vegetable farmer in Benguet. His stoner brother, Ricky, is part of the prominent Benguet Marijuana Cartel and is being trained by his best friend, Razer, a cunning midget and a well-known personality in the underground Ganja community.  Amidst the all-out drug war, Ricky falls into the hands of a promising patrolman, Ariel, who is in pursuit of the organization. In a desperate attempt to uncover the cartel, Ariel tasks Pilo to fetch Razer in exchange for Ricky's head. Unable to fulfill the terms in his attempt, Pilo now pledges his alliance with Ariel, and together they try and catch Razer to expose the Cartel and its members learning shocking secrets as they burrow deep into the world of this so-called "drug".

ALIPATO BY JL BURGOS

LOGLINE: The brother of missing activist Jonas Burgos bares in this documentary the untold stories behind the confidential leads, damning evidence, and why the disappearance of his brother remains a relevant case today.

ANG TUMANDOK (THE INHABITANTS) BY KAT SUMAGAYSAY AND RICHARD SALVADICO

LOGLINE: Based on real-life trials of the Atis, the indigenous people of Central Panay, and starred by the Atis themselves, ANG TUMANDOK features a 16-year-old chieftain's daughter as she fights tooth and nail with her people for their ancestral land. The gripping tale takes us deep into the heart of their fight, highlighting their unwavering spirit and their unbreakable bond with the land they call home.

ARIPUEN (THE SERVANT) BY CHRISTOPHER GOZUM

LOGLINE: Stranded for 21 years in a remote mountain village in a Middle Eastern country, 63-year-old Filipina shepherdess Divina Sabangan endures isolation, threats of imprisonment and deportation, homesickness, unpaid salaries, and insanity while clinging to her faith in God and love for her family. But when seven mysterious visitors arrive, they bring challenges and opportunities to finally help her return home to the Philippines.

BALOTA BY KIP OEBANDA

LOGLINE: A land-grabbing tycoon and a former sexy male actor are locked in a tight race for mayor in a small town. When violence erupts, Emmy, a teacher, runs into the wilderness with a ballot box, the last copy of the election results. Emmy and the community try to outsmart and outmaneuver the goons who want the elections to fail.

KANTIL (TRENCH) BY JOSHUA CAESAR MEDROSO

LOGLINE: While facing threats of demolition, a coastal community of informal settlers in Purok 12, Tibungco, Davao City discovers a strange, unearthly shell by the sea. This makes them more vulnerable to menacing powers set out to destroy their homes and their humanity.

KONO BASHO (THIS PLACE) BY JAIME PACENA II

LOGLINE: An introspective journey of a Filipino son attending the funeral of his estranged OFW father in a city in Japan that is rebuilding from the aftermath of the March 2011 tsunami.

LOVE CHILD BY JONATHAN JURILLA

LOGLINE: Young, unmarried couple, AILA and PAO must agree on certain terms on how to properly raise their son, who is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), if they wish to keep their relationship afloat. Or would they rather heed the call of their unfulfilled dreams?

THE ERRAND BY SARGE LACUESTA

LOGLINE: A driver is sent on a simple errand: to pick up a designer t-shirt and a tin of viagra for his boss, who is shacked up in a hotel with his lover. Simple as it sounds, the road trip crisscrosses the chasms of time, class, and character.

THE WEDDING DANCE BY JULIUS LUMIQUED

LOGLINE: In 1942, a Kalinga woman is personally invited by her husband, a warrior of their tribe, to his new wedding dance.

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