One of the things I am passionate about is local films. There was a time when all I wanted to watch were local indie films. I had a difficult time looking for copies of the films as indie film festivals weren’t that popular in Cagayan de Oro yet. Most Kagay-anons only knew about the commercial ones, such as the Metro Manila Film Festival.
This is why the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Lakbay Sine regional film screenings is a blessing for Kagay-anons. We finally have the opportunity to watch well-crafted films that are usually shown only during film festivals. This year’s Lakbay Sine also features films by National Artists for Film and Broadcast Arts. Check out the details below:
After the successful runs of CCP Lakbay Sine and the CCP Cine Icons programs this year in Luzon, it is now poised to continue its film journey down south, with Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro as the first stop. The Mindanao leg is special because it features new films from the recently concluded Cinemalaya 2023 and 35th Gawad Alternatibo Para sa Pelikula at Video competition and festival of the Cultural Center of the Philippines last August.
CCP Lakbay Sine is a series of regional film screenings with partner communities, organizations, and campuses primarily to popularize the works of Filipino filmmakers and encourage film appreciation among the youth and the general public. Lakbay Sine features films from the CCP collection such as Cinemalaya, Gawad Alternatibo, and films created by local filmmakers residing in the region we are visiting. An outdoor cinema iteration of this program, the CCP Cinema Under the Stars (CCP CUTS), will also be done targeting a wider demographic reach as it will be held in city plazas or amphitheaters for the general public.
CCP is also bringing in CCP Cine Icons, one of their newest programs featuring the works of the three newly minted National Artists for Film and Broadcast Arts: Nora Aunor, Marilou Diaz-Abaya, and Ricky Lee. For the Cagayan De Oro leg, Cine Icons will feature Ricky Lee’s “Anak”, starring Vilma Santos and directed by Rory Quintos. This program aims to introduce the works of our National Artists for Film to a wider audience, enrich film appreciation, and nurture new voices among young filmmakers and storytellers.
Other cities and regional film fests visited by these programs were Baguio City as part of the Montañosa Film Festival (MFF), second at Alaminos City as part of the Hundred Islands Film Festival (HIFF), and lastly in Daet as part of the Pinyasan Festival.
The CCP Lakbay Sine and Cine Icons at Xavier University is ongoing until tomorrow, October 14, 2023 at Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan. This event is free and open to the public.
In addition to film screenings, CCP Lakbay Sine will also feature talkback sessions and workshops with filmmakers, allowing audiences to gain deeper insights into the creative process and the cultural contexts that shape their films. This interactive element aims to foster a sense of connection between the filmmakers and the audience, creating a space for meaningful dialogue and cultural exchange.
For this iteration, CCP is bringing two Cinemalaya 2023 filmmakers to conduct filmmaking workshops.
She Andes, the filmmaker of Maria, will conduct a Documentary Filmmaking 101 workshop.
Dustin Celestino, director and writer of Cinemalaya 2023 award-winning film Duyan ng Magiting will conduct a workshop on scriptwriting and the creative processes involved in his filmmaking practice. Duyan ng Magiting also won the Special Acting Ensemble award in Cinemalaya 2023 that includes among its roster of actors Dolly De Leon, Agot Isidro, Paolo O’hara, Joel Saracho, Dylan Taleon, Jojit Lorenzo, and Bituin Escalante.
Interested locals can pre-register for the screenings at this link: https://forms.gle/3hJsKa8ojm7hDxyA9. Don’t miss the chance to be part of this extraordinary cinematic celebration that brings the latest award-winning Filipino films to your city.
About the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP):
The Cultural Center of the Philippines was created in 1966 with the purpose of promoting and preserving the best of Filipino arts and culture. Since then, the CCP has sought to embody the values of katotohanan (truth), kagandahan (beauty) and kabutihan (goodness). The CCP has been at the forefront of culture and the arts for over 50 years and continues to work with the government, business, academe, and international community for a thriving local creative industry that respects tradition, spurs innovation, increases social awareness, and enriches the Philippine brand and economy.
The CCP also covers the film and broadcast arts, as well as the literary and visual arts, encouraging the growth of aspiring artists in these fields through numerous workshops, seminars, anthologies, exhibits, symposia as well as competitions and awards. In line with its mission to support creative entrepreneurship, the CCP created the Virgin Labfest for untried, untested, and unstaged plays and is a leading force behind The Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. Its Arts Education Program nurtures the next generation of artists and the audiences who will support their work through training, exposure and audience development activities. The Cultural Content Program develops engaging content for digital formats and new technologies.
About the Cinemalaya Foundation:
The Cinemalaya Foundation was established for the following purposes: to help develop and support the production of cinematic works of Filipino independent filmmakers that boldly articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity; to discover, encourage, support, train and recognize gifted Filipino independent filmmakers; to promote Filipino independent films locally and internationally; to inspire Asian filmmakers by showcasing the Philippines as the cinematic center of creativity and free artistic expression; and to establish a network for exchange, communication, and cooperation among members of the independent film sector as we commit ourselves to the professionalization of film practitioners in the various aspects of film production through the Cinemalaya Institute.
The core project of the Cinemalaya is the annual Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition. It provides financial grants for the production of, at most, 10 full-length feature films which will then compete for the Best Full-Length Film award. The Cinemalaya competition also recognizes the work of filmmakers in the short film format.
About the Gawad CCP para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video (Gawad Alternatibo):
The Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video, Gawad Alternatibo for short, is the longest-running independent film competition of its kind in Asia.
Established in 1987, Gawad Alternatibo annually highlights the best of Filipino alternative storytelling and filmmaking. The main competition has four major categories – Animation, Documentary, Experimental, and Short Feature.
Many of today’s outstanding filmmakers and media practitioners are alumni of Gawad Alternatibo such as Kidlat Tahimik, Ditsi Carolino, Sari Dalena, Mikael Red, Jon Red, and Nick Deocampo to name a few.