Lantaw Sa Iliyan: Ang Pagsubay sa Sulog 2025
Lantaw Sa Iliyan: Ang Pagsubay sa Sulog 2025
PICTURE 1: The Festival Director, Neil Arkhe Azcuna, strikes the gong to officially open Lantaw-Iliyan | Image from the Lantaw-Iliyan Film Festival Facebook page.
ILIGAN CITY — The inaugural Lantaw-Iliyan Film Festival opened its doors to the public on November 12 to 15, 2025, inviting exclusively Iliganon filmmakers, students who are studying in the city, and film enthusiasts to follow the flow of stories and creativity that converged in Iligan City.
To go downstream is to look toward the gathering place, where waters of different origins meet. And throughout the four-day celebration, Iligan became exactly that: a meeting point for storytellers and audiences from different corners of the Philippines.
Organized by HULMA: Iligan Creatives Collective, Inc. and Dalumat, in partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Film Development Council of the Philippines, Digital Creatives Hub Iligan, Center for Digital Iligan Innovation and Sustainability, MSU Main, MSU Main College of Social Sciences and Humanities, and the City Government of Iligan, the festival featured film screenings and workshops designed to nurture Iliganon's growing filmmaking spirit.
Opening Night Screenings
The festival opened at Gaisano Mall Cinema 4, featuring a curated lineup of short films and two full-length features.
Short Films:
Buhusan — Moh’d Pangandang & Nico Gean
Mga Bag-ong Anito — Neil Arkhe Azcuna
Ang Kabug-aton sa Nangabilin — Herald Christian Guillena & Ma. Katrina Rustia
Sa Ikatulo Nga Adlaw Muulan Balik — Bjork Colao
Langyaw — Haya Mamao & Reigna Geoille Saluaga
Kontrapaso — Rainsfold Gamotin II
Primetime Mother — Sonny Calvento
An Sadit Na Planeta — Arjanmar Rebeta
Champ Green — Clyde Cuizon Gamale
Pastil: Parehas Ra Ta’g Kan-on’g Ginakaon — Andrei Francis Arrocena
Full-Length Films:
Sampaguita — Francis Xavier Pasion
Liway — Kip Oebanda
Day 1 Workshops: Acting & Cinematography
Morning: Acting Workshop with Sue Prado
PICTURE 2: Actress Sue Prado begins guiding the participants as they prepare for the acting exercise during the workshop.
The second day of the festival opened with an intimate and hands-on acting workshop led by award-winning actress Sue Prado, who immediately set the tone by encouraging participants to approach acting with honesty and playfulness. She began with a simple line — “I love you” — performed in different emotions. What followed was a room filled with laughter, awkwardness, tension, and surprising sincerity, proving how a single line can shift meaning depending on the emotion behind it.
Prado emphasized the importance of subtext, character research, and repetition.
“Your body is your instrument,” she reminded participants, stressing the importance of physical and psychological readiness. Acting, she said, demands emotional strength and awareness of social dynamics. She also encouraged stillness, silence, writing notes, observing people, and listening because we cannot remember everything.”
Her words resonated deeply: “Acting is reacting. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. We are human beings after all.” To apply these lessons, Prado distributed a short script and invited participants to perform scenes with her. Nervous laughter soon turned into focused energy as participants experimented with emotion, pacing, and authenticity.
Sue Prado: On Mentoring Iliganon Youth
In an interview after the workshop, Prado shared how meaningful the experience was:
“It’s so humbling. I feel privileged that I was trusted to share my experiences, how far I’ve come as an actress, especially with the youth. Ang sarap bumalik sa regions to mentor, and luckily, Iligan is one of them,” she said.
“Some participants were joining a workshop like this for the first time. Nakakatuwa kasi ako rin dumaan doon. I also grew because of mentors who generously shared what they knew. That’s my principle as an artist: to pay it forward.”
Participants Speak
Participant Jiex Cabaluna described the workshop as “very insightful,” adding that it opened his eyes to the discipline needed to become a better actor.
Another participant, Andi, shared: “The workshop was perfect. I learned so much, not just surface-level lessons, but wisdom from real experiences.”
Afternoon: Cinematography with Neil Daza
PICTURE 3: Neil Daza shares his insights and advice with the Iliganon participants.
In the afternoon, cinematographer Neil Daza led a session blending humor, clarity, and years of experience. He introduced participants to visual storytelling, social realism, and the dynamics of natural and artificial light.
One of his key reminders: “Always check the room.” By observing available light, cinematographers can better shape a scene. Daza explained the three pillars of lighting: key light, fill light, and back light — and how they establish mood, depth, and balance. Cinematography, he said, is not merely technical but deeply conceptual:
Read the script
Understand where you stand in the film’s message
Align with the director’s vision
Pre-visualize your shots
To apply their learning, participants created a one-minute film, exploring composition, blocking, and lighting. The short exercise revealed how much emotion and meaning can be conveyed through deliberate visual choices.
Participants’ Takeaway
Participant Jabez Balsomo shared:
“I learned a lot. New ideas and techniques that were unfamiliar to me before. It was meaningful and enjoyable, and I hope there will be more events like this.”
He added:
“My biggest takeaway is the importance of being observant. As cinematographers, we shape light, but we must also watch how light behaves in the frame. Sir Neil reminded us that maintaining light continuity is one of the hardest parts. He also encouraged us to develop our own visual style.”
Day 2 Workshops: Morning: Animation by Rosevie Sevilla
PICTURE 3: Neil Daza shares his insights and advice with the Iliganon participants.
On the third day of the festival, the workshops continued with animation led by Ms. Sevilla, who shared her excitement seeing the participants’ curiosity and eagerness.
“I could see the spark in their eyes,” she said. “Animation thrives on curiosity. You must always ask, ‘Paano yun? Ano’ng pwede kong gawin? Paano ginawa yun?’ When you follow that curiosity, you open your potential, and you have fun. There is joy in animation.”
Participants then completed an exercise where they created a 30-second slow-motion animation.
Participant Allysah Ibrahim said that: “The experience in the workshop was really cool, I liked how interactive the activities were, and the instructor explained everything really clearly. I learned a lot and had so much fun. Besides learning how to create animation with stop-motion, I also made friends along the way, which made the whole experience even more enjoyable.”
Afternoon: Directing by Arjanmar Rebeta
PICTURE 5: Direk Arjnmar Rebeta shares his advocacy and teaches how objects can be connected to tell a story in film.
In the afternoon, filmmaker Arjanmar Rebeta led another session, reminding participants that filmmaking is not defined by expensive equipment but by powerful storytelling. “It’s not the gear, it’s the story. #MakeItMatter,” he said.
Direk Rebeta shared his filmmaking formula:
3Cs — Character, Color, Camera
3Ss — Sound, Setting, Story
For their activity, participants connected four given objects and created a 1-minute film, discovering how meaning can emerge from simple elements when guided by intention.
I also spoke with participant Jackylou Borongan, who experienced all four workshops: acting, cinematography, directing, and animation.
“It was such a great opportunity to be able to join the 4 workshops for free: acting, cinematography, directing, and animation. What makes it cooler is that the people who handled every workshop were professionals and highly commendable in the Philippines' Film Industry. Aside from that, it was such a great honor to be a volunteer of Dalumat because I had the chance to spend time with the guests, outside the workshop–I had meaningful conversations with them, and created memories with them that are truly worth keeping. The film festival created a spark in me to continue pursuing and loving my passion. It was beyond acting, directing, animating, and learning cinematography — it was a discovery of an art that keeps me alive.”
Closing Films in Marawi
PICTURE 6: Publication material from Lantaw-Iliyan Film Festival’s Facebook page.
On the festival’s final day, the organizers and workshop mentors traveled to Marawi City for outreach activities and the closing screenings of:
Pastil: Parehas Ra Ta’g Kan-on’g Ginakaon by Andrei Francis Arrocena
Ang Duyan Ng Magiting by Dustin Celestino
The trip marked a symbolic extension of Lantaw-Iliyan’s mission: bringing stories and creative exchange beyond Iligan and into fellow communities.
Lantaw-Iliyan Film Festival ran from November 12 to 15, 2025, in Iligan City and was organized by HULMA: Iligan Creatives Collective, Inc. and Dalumat.
