CINEMAGIS 10. Filmmakers receive their plaques of appreciation for participating in this year’s CIinemagis Northern Mindanao Digital Short Film Festival during the awarding ceremony at SM City CDO Event Center on January 27. The festival celebrated films made by local filmmakers, totaling to 16 entries this year in the Student and Senior Categories, and with six additional films in the Special Features and Special Citation Categories. Photo source: Facebook page of Cinemagis.
By Angelo Lorenzo
This year’s Cinemagis Northern Mindanao Digital Short Film Festival officially announced the list of winning films among the entries during its annual awarding ceremony that took place at SM City Cagayan de Oro Event Center on Saturday evening, January 27.
Films produced by Ozamiz City’s Illustrado Productions dominated the list with Edmund Telmo’s "Redempsyon" bagging 1st Place in the Best Short Film under the Professional /Senior Category.
“Thank you, Cinemagis, for giving us the platform to share our voices,” Telmo said in his acceptance speech onstage, along with his crew and team of fellow filmmakers comprising their springboard production organization.
Prior to being an official entry in Cinemagis 2018, "Redempsyon" was a selection in Western Visayas’s Cinekasimanwa Film Festival, Mindanao Film Festival (in which it earned the Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay Awards), and Salamindaw Asian Film Festival (where it was recognized as the Best Mindanao Short Film along with the Golden Durian Prize).
CDO filmmakers shone during the ceremony with Reena Dunque’s undergraduate thesis film, "Ayo-Ayo," emerging as 2nd place and Tat Soriano’s romantic drama, "Good Night" landing 3rd in the same category.
“This is an affirmation of the passion that I have in filmmaking,” Soriano stated with his 6-member team after he accepted the award.
Meanwhile, Iligan City’s Christian Alan Toring triumphed with his film, "Simulacrum" – a cinematic take on the prevalent extra-judicial killing issue – as it earned 1st place in the Student Category.
Reyan Amacna’s "Baslayan" achieved 2nd, while Miguel Fernandez’s "Kita Nakita" made it to the 3rd place. Both filmmakers come from Ozamiz City.
Northern Mindanaoan voices
“CDO has long been known as rich in culture and the arts,” Film Development Council of the Philippines chairperson and chief executive officer Liza Diño declared in her speech. She was represented by FDCP executive director Wilfredo Manalang who read her message during the ceremony.
This year’s jury, composed of filmmakers whose films were shown during the festival in the non-competing Special Feature Films Category, encouraged participants to use their unique voices in filmmaking.
“Be honest about who you are,” said Sheron Dayoc, director of "The Crescent Rising." “You must have a stance.”
For the same reason, "Baboy Halas (Wailings in the Forest)" director Bagane Fiola claimed that genuine filmmaking demands originality. “All of us are capable of doing something new.”
This was also agreed by this year’s resource speaker Dr Patrick Campos. A film critic who takes charge of NCCA’s National Committee on Cinema’s Film Education Sector, Campos implied that a filmmaker’s voice – based on life’s experiences and location – is a cherished value in the film.
“When you have opinions, you put it in film,” he stated.
As far as the competition in Cinemagis goes on to showcase the filmic voices of the artists, festival director Hobart Savior said that collaboration is key to making a local film.
“We nurture and strengthen the community,” Savior noted. “Film is a combined art.”
Cinemagis 2018 spanned January 24 to 27 where entries were shown at the Xavier Ateneo’s Little Theater and SM CDO Cinema 1.
An annual film festival under the banner of Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts, Cinemagis (which celebrates its 10th year this year) has become an avenue for aspiring and professional filmmakers in the region – "those who dream and those who live the dream in cinema where voices, images, and narratives prosper."∎
List of Cinemagis X Winners
Best Short Film
Student Category Winners:
- 1st Place: SIMULACRUM (Christian Alan Toring)
- 2nd Place: BASLAYAN (Reyan Amacna)
- 3rd Place: KITA NAKITA (Miguel Fernandez)
Senior Category Winners:
- 1st Place: REDEMPSYON (Edmund Telmo)
- 2nd Place: AYO-AYO (Reena Bianca Dunque)
- 3rd Place: GOOD NIGHT (Tat Soriano)
Best Director
Student Category Winner: Christian Alan Toring (SIMULACRUM)
Nominees: Ryujie Abejuela (LANTERN), Miguel Fernandez (KITA NAKITA), Carl Hudson Mabanag (ISIG-KATAWO), Reyan Amacna (BASLAYAN), Leo Marie Fabre (PA DYAK), Bezalel Ian Philip Banaag (7:30), John Roel Cabana (HIRAYA)
Senior Category Winner: Edmund Telmo (REDEMPSYON)
Nominees: Tat Soriano (GOOD NIGHT), Angelo Miguel Dabbay (KABUANG UG KASAKIT), Reena Bianca Dunque (AYO-AYO), Adrian Rey Manapil (512), Julienne Anne Ilagan (SIKAD), Kenneth Sabijon (BETWEEN THE LINES)
Best Art Direction
Student Category Winner: SIMULACRUM (Melcris Opon and Jenn Estose)
Nominees: LANTERN (Ryujie Abejuela), ISIG-KATAWO (Carl Hudson Mabanag), BASLAYAN (Ryujie Abejuela), HIRAYA (Michael Lagazo)
Senior Category Winner: AYO-AYO (Aaliyah Rojo)
Nominees: REDEMPSYON (Ryujie Abejuela), GOOD NIGHT (Tat Soriano and Michael Lagazo), SIKAD (Julienne Anne Ilagan)
Best Cinematography
Student Category Winner: BASLAYAN (Matthew Lim)
Nominees: SIMULACRUM (Christian Alan Toring), PADYAK (Jigo Racaza), HIRAYA (Jolrean Salao)
Senior Category Winner: REDEMPSYON (Jun Abao, Earl Hendrix Reyes, and Vern Ostia)
Nominees: GOOD NIGHT (Marco Villanueva), KABUANG UG KASAKIT (Angelo Miguel Dabbay), AYO-AYO (Reena Bianca Dunque), SIKAD (Julienne Anne Ilagan), BETWEEN THE LINES (Kervin Longos and Kim Longos)
Best Story
Student Category Winner: KITA NAKITA (Miguel Fernandez, Jason Lim, and Kim Christian Jayme)
Nominees: LANTERN (Ryujie Abejuela and Kathy Cascapia), ISIG-KATAWO (Carl Hudson Mabanag), BASLAYAN (Reyan Amacna), PA DYAK (Isaiah Edwin Mari Adajar), 7:30 (BEZALEL IAN PHILIP BANAAG), HIRAYA (John Roel Cabana), TULDOK KUWIT (Anna Abregana, Angel Alquizar, Syrine)
Senior Category Winner: AYO-AYO (Reena Bianca Dunque)
Nominees: REDEMPSYON (Edmund Telmo), GOOD NIGHT (Tat Soriano), 512 (Edwin delos Santos, Rey Cadeliña, and Grace Salvador), BETWEEN THE LINES (Kenneth Sabijon)
Best Editing
Student Category Winner: SIMULACRUM (Christian Alan Toring)
Nominees: LANTERN (Ryujie Abejuela and Jerekho Lirasan), BASLAYAN (Reyan Amacna and Earl Reyes), PA DYAK (Jigo Racaza), HIRAYA (Nicco Sanchez)
Senior Category Winner: AYO-AYO (Augusto Adre)
Nominees: REDEMPSYON (Edmund Telmo and Vern Ostia), GOOD NIGHT (Tat Soriano), 512 (Adrian Rey Manapil), BETWEEN THE LINES (Nicco Sanchez)
Best Sound Scoring
Student Category Winner: SIMULACRUM (Christian Alan Toring)
Nominees: PA DYAK (Leo Marie Fabre) and HIRAYA (Nicco Sanchez)
Senior Category Winner: BETWEEN THE LINES (Nebula Studios)
Nominees: KABUANG UG KASAKIT (John Paul Micayabas) and AYO-AYO (Augusto Adre)
Best Actor
Student Category Winner: Dominic Elcarte (BASLAYAN)
Nominees: Justin Cabiara (SIMULACRUM), Rolan Baco (KITA NAKITA), Ace John Mutia and Julrick Egbus (ISIG-KATAWO), Arnold Samson (PA DYAK), Bezalel Ian Philip Banaag (7:30), Jomar Gupana (TULDOK KUWIT)
Senior Category Winner: Quiel Quiwa (AYO-AYO)
Nominees: Claro Capinpuyan VII (GOOD NIGHT), Albert Fudotan (KABUANG UG KASAKIT), Edmund Telmo (REDEMPSYON), Ian Cabellero (BETWEEN THE LINES)
Best Actress
Student Category Winner: Samantha Launo (TULDOK KUWIT)
Nominee: Karina Mae Pollentes (PA DYAK)
Senior Category Winner: Chriscel Ann Maribojoc (REDEMPSYON)
Nominees: Camille Magnanao (GOOD NIGHT) and Catherine Caballero (BETWEEN THE LINES)
Best Poster
KITA NAKITA (Miguel Fernandez)
Best Trailer
REDEMPSYON (Edmund Telmo)
Audience Choice Award
TULDOK-KUWIT (with a total of 581 votes)
SM’s Choice Award
PA DYAK (Leo Marie Fabre)
Female Star of the Night
Kissie Anne Fudolin (GOOD NIGHT)
Male Star of the Night
Isaiah Edwin Mari Adajar (PA DYAK)