#CulturePH - Sailing Through Stories, Who Won Balanghai Trophies During Cinemalaya 21 Awards Night?

Every year, Cinemalaya feels like a reset button. It’s not just a film festival—it’s a mirror, a megaphone, and sometimes, a hug. This year’s theme, Layag (to sail), couldn’t be more fitting. Because let’s be honest: aren’t we all just trying to navigate life’s unpredictable waters?

Whether you’re stuck in traffic in EDSA, chasing deadlines in your cubicle, or quietly wondering if your dreams still matter, the films of Cinemalaya 21 offered something rare: stories that speak to the heart, not just the intellect.

🌱 Bloom Where You Are Planted

The Best Film winner, Bloom Where You Are Planted, hit home. It’s a gentle nudge to stop waiting for perfect conditions. Life doesn’t always give us fertile soil—but we can still grow. The film’s editing award felt symbolic too: life is messy, but with the right cuts and transitions, it can still make sense.

🕊️ Cinemartyrs: A Love Letter to Courage

Sari Dalena’s Cinemartyrs swept multiple awards, including Best Director and Original Musical Score. Watching it felt like remembering something you didn’t know you forgot. It honored those who stood up, spoke out, and paid the price. It’s the kind of film that makes you sit quietly after the credits roll, thinking about your own voice.

🐍 Hydra and the Weight of History

Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan dominated the acting categories—and for good reason. Jojit Lorenzo, Mylene Dizon, and Nanding Josef gave performances that felt like emotional archaeology. It’s a film that asks: what do we do with the past when it refuses to stay buried?

👶 Child No. 82: Pain, Power, and Perspective

Rochelle Pangilinan’s win for Best Supporting Actress in Child No. 82 (Anak ni Boy Kana) was deeply moving. The film also won Screenplay and Audience Choice, proving that stories rooted in truth—no matter how painful—can still resonate widely. It’s a reminder that our wounds don’t make us weak; they make us human.

🌀 Raging, Padamlagan, and the Power of Craft

From Raging’s haunting cinematography and sound design to Padamlagan’s immersive production design, these films showed that storytelling isn’t just about plot—it’s about atmosphere, texture, and mood. They made me feel things I couldn’t quite name, and maybe that’s the point.

🧠 Short Films, Big Impact

The Next 24 Hours winning Best Short Film felt like a tribute to all of us living day by day. Ascension From The Office Cubicle winning Audience Choice? That’s every burnt-out employee’s fantasy. And Hasang, Figat, and I’m Best Left Inside My Head reminded us that even short stories can leave long impressions.

Whether you’re a film buff or just someone looking for meaning in the everyday, Cinemalaya 21 Layag offered a compass. It reminded us that stories—especially Filipino stories—have the power to heal, provoke, and guide.

So here’s to blooming, remembering, confronting, and sailing forward. Because in the end, we’re all just trying to find our way.

🏆 Cinemalaya 21 Layag Winners

🎬 Feature Films

• Best Film: Bloom Where You Are Planted

• Special Jury Prize: Cinemartyrs

• NETPAC Award: Republika ng Pipolipinas

• Best Director: Sari Dalena (Cinemartyrs)

• Best Ensemble Performance: Open Endings

• Best Actor: Jojit Lorenzo (Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan)

• Best Actress: Mylene Dizon (Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan)

• Best Supporting Actor: Nanding Josef (Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan)

• Best Supporting Actress: Rochelle Pangilinan (Child No. 82)

• Best Screenplay: Child No. 82

• Best Cinematography: Raging

• Best Editing: Bloom Where You Are Planted

• Best Production Design: Padamlagan

• Best Original Musical Score: Cinemartyrs

• Best Sound Design: Raging

• Audience Choice: Child No. 82

🎥 Short Films

• Best Short Film: The Next 24 Hours

• Special Jury Prize: Kay Basta Angkarabo Yay Bagay Ibat ha Langit

• NETPAC Award: Hasang

• Best Director: Elian Idioma (I’m Best Left Inside My Head)

• Best Screenplay: Figat

• Audience Choice: Ascension From The Office Cubicle by Hannah Silvestre

 

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