Leyteño film ‘Pinikas’ wins Best Film at the 8th Sinag Maynila, Regional Short Films Make Major Placements
Leyteño film ‘Pinikas’ wins Best Film at the 8th Sinag Maynila, Regional Short Films Make Major Placements
Awardees and nominees of the 8th Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival / Courtesy of Arri Salvador
The 8th Sinag Maynila Gabi ng Parangal
Leyteño cinema sailed into victory at the 8th Sinag Maynila Gabi ng Parangal held last Saturday, 28 March, in Cubao, Quezon City. Cris Fuego’s debut film, Pinikas, won 7 awards at the festival, sweeping the festival’s major categories by winning Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor for Jade Makawili, and Best Actress for Angela Villarin. On the film’s victory lap after at least 5 years in development, producer Amaya Han said in her speech, “This is our reminder that VisMin can, and if given the funding and support, we can do more and we can make more. This is not just for Pinikas, this is for the filmmakers back home in the Visayas and Mindanao.” Its win can also be seen as a symbolic celebration of regional filmmaking, in a film festival that received over 400 entries with a large portion of the finalists hailing from the regions.
Three of the festival’s three short film categories saw a number of placements for filmmakers hailing from the regions. Among both Student categories and the Short Film, Open category, 5 of the winning films came from Visayas and Mindanao, and 1 of them came from Cagayan in Northern Luzon.
Gio Gonzalves, Jury Prize winner in the Documentary – Open category for Mga Muni-Muni sa Gitna ng mga Ambo recognized the festival’s role in holding space for regional filmmaking, connecting it to the remembrance of his film’s subject, actor Rener Concepcion. “Pero sa pamamagitan ng mga festival katulad nito, katulad ng Sinag Maynila at sa suporta ng bumubuo ng Sinag Maynila… yung kuwento at yung buhay ni sir Rener, yung kuwento ng… ng mga taga-region, ng mga student filmmaker, ay patuloy at hindi nawawalan ng sinag at nabibigyan ng pagkakataon na mabigyan ng platform at maikuwento yung mga bubog at gustong sabihin ng mga filmmakers na ‘to.”
[But through festivals like this, like Sinag Maynila, and the support of those in charge of Sinag Maynila… the story and life of sir Rener, stories of… those from the regions, of student filmmakers, continue, don’t lose their fire, and are given their opportunity to have a platform and speak on their struggles and the sentiments of these filmmakers.]
Echoing this sentiment is Rommel Tolentino, the director of Doy, which won the Documentary – Open category. Tolentino, who recalled Concepcion primarily due to the late actor’s work with student filmmakers, said, “That’s why it’s very important that we pay respect to all of these people who come before us. Huwag nating kalimutan kung saan nanggaling yung pelikulang Pinoy kasi hindi natin alam kung saan tayo pupunta.”
[We should never forget where Philippine cinema came from because we do not know where we are headed.]
Other major winners of the night include Ang Bangkay, the Vincent M. Tañada drama film which nabbed 4 wins, including the People’s Choice Award and a Supporting Actress win for Mercedes Cabral. Yasser Marta won Best Supporting Actor for the Louie Ignacio-helmed Desperada. Rommel Ricafort’s Sweet Escape won Best Sound.
The full list of winners can be seen below. For categories with nominees, the winning film is listed in bold.
Best Film
All About Her
Ang Bangkay
Desperada
Lanaya
Pinikas
Sweet Escape
Best Director
Clyde Capistrano, Lanaya
Cris Fuego, Pinikas
Joel C. Lamangan, All About Her
Rommel Ricafort, Sweet Escape
Vincent M. Tanada, Ang Bangkay
People’s Choice Award
Ang Bangkay
Best Actor
Kang Dong-Gun, Sweet Escape
Jade Makawili, Pinikas
Shaun Salvador, Lanaya
Vincent M. Tanada, Ang Bangkay
Best Actress
Robb Guinto, Desperada
Madeleine Nicolas, Lanaya
Angela Villarin, Pinikas
Best Supporting Actor
Michael Bacalso, Pinikas
Yasser Marta, Desperada
Mhack Morales, Desperada
Marlon Nance, Lanaya
Jun Nayra, Lanaya
John Rey Rivas, Ang Bangkay
Best Supporting Actress
Mercedes Cabral, Ang Bangkay
Matet de Leon, Sweet Escape
Lily Montelibano, Ang Bangkay
Sue Prado, Desperada
Best Screenplay
All About Her – Quinn Carillo
Ang Bangkay – Vincent M. Tanada
Desperada – Dennis C. Evangelista
Lanaya – Clyde Capistrano
Pinikas – Cris Fuego
Sweet Escape – Shine D. Ricafort
Best Cinematography
Ang Bangkay – Manuel Pandoy Abanto
Lanaya – Nap Jamir
Pinikas – Neil Angelo Briones
Best Editing
All About Her – Hannah Burhman
Ang Bangkay – Mark Jason Sucgang
Desperada – Gilbert Obispo
Lanaya – Jordan Arabejo
Pinikas – Jay Hernandez
Sweet Escape – Mark Jason Sucgang
Best Musical Score
Ang Bangkay – Pipo Cifra
Lanaya – Kara Gravides
Pinikas – Marie Louise Calvero
Sweet Escape – Rommel Ricafort
Best Production Design
Ang Bangkay – Cyrus Khan
Best Sound
Sweet Escape – Alex Tomboc
Best Documentary, Open
BEST DOCUMENTARY, Open: Del Mundo – Rommel Tolentino
DOCUMENTARY JURY PRIZE, Open: Mga Muni-Muni sa Gitna ng Ambo – Gio Gonzalves
Best Short Film, Open
BEST SHORT FILM, Open: Paon – Seb Valdez (Cadiz City, Negros Occidental)
2nd BEST SHORT FILM, Open: Hoy! Pili Ka Na! – Banjo Hinolan (Bacolod City, Bacolod)
3rd BEST SHORT FILM, Open: Kaon – Miguel Dimaiwat (Quezon City, NCR)
Best Documentary, Student
BEST DOCUMENTARY, Student: Di Lalim, Di Lalum – Nicole Reyes (Tagum City National Comprehensive High School – Tagum City, Davao Del Norte)
2nd BEST DOCUMENTARY, Student: Shalom – Kiah Resureccion (Far Eastern University – Manila City, NCR)
3rd BEST DOCUMENTARY, Student: Cemento – Justine Borlagdan (University of the Philippines, Diliman – Quezon City, NCR)
Short Film - Student
BEST SHORT FILM, Student: Lugud – Jarno Malonzo (Ateneo de Manila University – Quezon City, NCR)
SHORT FILM JURY PRIZE, Student: Duros – Harvey Gozado (Cagayan State University, Carig – Tuguegarao City, Cagayan)
2nd BEST SHORT FILM, Student: Mag Unsa na Lang Ta Ani? – Keith Nemenzo (Foundation University – Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental)
3rd BEST SHORT FILM, Student: Mga Ulol – Vince Ivan Vesiete (Mindanao State University, General Santos – General Santos City, South Cotobato)
The 8th Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival took place from March 23 to 29.
