Cinemalaya 18 Breaking Through the Noise 2022 II

MTRCB Classification Horror This section has Gender And Development (GAD)-oriented films
Drugs which tackle themes on gender equality.
Strong Language PRIDE (LGBTQ+)
Nudity BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE 35
Sex
Violence

CLAUDIA FERNANDO Photo credits: Idan Cruz

CLAUDIA FERNANDO has produced short films
focusing on women and children empowerment
and the out-of-school youth sector. In her last
year at the UP Film Institute, she joined the
Digital Filmmaking Workshop in Malaysia. Her
undergrad film Ang Alamat ng Sari-Saring Sari
Store (The Legend of the Filipino Sundry Store)
won Best Picture and Best Screenplay at the UPFI
Black Beret in 2019. It was screened in various
festivals including Cinema Rehiyon and the
Nabunturan Film Festival in 2021. Her second film
Roundtrip to Happiness won the Jury Prize for
Emerging Cinema at the Montanosa Film Festival
2022.

The filmmaker could be reached at
[email protected].

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

It’s more fun in the Philippines.

We’d often hear this tourism slogan yet
throughout the pandemic, we’ve experienced
quite the contrary.

Through the lenses of our child protagonists Ara
and Hiro and within the confines of the online
site, the director visualizes the many layers
that hinder the Filipino nation from attaining
happiness: (1) the irresponsible handling of the
pandemic by the state; (2) the insufficiency and
lack of infrastructure, may it be in the form of
roads or electricity, that hinders children from
attaining education; and (3) the imperial attacks
within Filipino waters; the land disputes within
Filipino land.

Much like in the film, we are entrapped
within the limits dictated by the site—that is
the screen. That despite the vast and wide
territories we see, to navigate these is to realize
our own entrapment within the limits dictated
by the State.

And for a nation to be happy, it must first and
foremost be free.

36 CINEMALAYA18

ROUNDTRIP TO HAPPINESS

by CLAUDIA FERNANDO

14:39 minutes | Children’s film, Screenlife | G |

Amid the pandemic, friends Ara and Hiro visit
Google Earth for the first time which takes them
to different places such as Quezon, Banaue,
and Disneyland, among others. While virtually
visiting these places, the two friends talk about
random topics, including Hiro’s dream to become
the president. Their fleeting happiness comes to
a halt with the power interruptions. Coming back
to their reality, Ara insists that Hiro become an
electrical engineer instead of a president to solve
the immediate problem in their town.

CAST
Shane Carrera, Jizrelle Carrera

PRODUCTION
DIRECTOR Claudia Fernando
SCREENPLAY Claudia Fernando
EDITOR James Gutierrez
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Claudia Fernando
MUSIC SCORER Hans Piozon
SOUND DESIGNER Daryl Libongco
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Claudia Fernando
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Claudia Fernando,
Montanosa Film Festival

BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE 37

Photo credits: Sonny Germondo Photo credits: Joshua Germino and Eliezer John Sicatin

NIÑO B. MALDECIR CYPHER JOHN GAYORGOR

NIÑO B. MALDECIR wrote several scripts for films, documentaries, and Also a member of Maritime Lenses, CYPHER JOHN T.
video projects of the Maritime Lenses, a filmmaking organization at the GAYORGOR has worked with Maldecir as co-director and
John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University - Arevalo, in 2017. He cinematographer in various films including Mata Kang Busay
is the director of Mata Kang Busay, Urihi nga Luha, Sa Hunasan may (2022), Urihi nga Luha (2021), Mga Binhi sa Palad ni Ruding
Santermo (3rd place, 32nd Gawad Alternatibo), Mga Binhi Sa Palad ni (2020), and Belen (2019).
Ruding, and Belen. He wrote the screenplay for Mga Naalimunaw nga Gayorgor’s email address is [email protected].
Sipad sang Damgo (finalist, 31st Gawad Alternatibo) and Bangis nga
Binaligya.
Maldecir can be reached at [email protected].

DIRECTORS’ NOTES Now, being one of its finalists, the sense of triumph real characters which are very familiar to us Ilonggos.
Cinemalaya is our dream. we feel is overwhelming with the thought that Our story revolves around a famous “Manogban-aw”
We would always say in Hiligaynon that “Cinemalaya our dream film festival had selected our work, named Omar who loses his power to see things. What
lang bi one time!”. An aspiration that fueled our appreciated, and dignified our dedication in making are the things he will do to regain his power?
passions as indie filmmakers to carry out our vision Mata Kang Busay. Some of the challenges we encountered as we
by transforming narratives into quality motion Our trademark as a production team has always been made this film included a limited budget, equipment
pictures whatever the challenges may be. folkloric cues used in our films. This year, we were matters, and the availability of the production team
inspired by our “Manogban-aw” or “Magtatawas” in and the location of our film. But these challenges did
Tagalog. We created a fictitious story out of these not stop us from finishing what we started.

38 CINEMALAYA18

MATA KANG BUSAY
Vision of the Falls

by NIÑO MALDECIR and
CYPHER JOHN GAYORGOR
14:58 minutes | Drama | PG |
The falls is omniscient – it is power-giving to
those generous to her demands. When she does
her bidding, what are you prepared to commit?
CAST
Omar Ezra Gelpe, Franchrise May Basco
PRODUCTION
DIRECTORS Niño Maldecir,
Cypher John Gayorgor
SCREENPLAY Rodjie Tabigo-on
EDITOR Niño Maldecir
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY Niño Maldecir,
Cypher John Gayorgor
PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Ma. Teresa Genona,
Kris Ann Tauro, YanYan Gayo,
Christopher Garpa, Emchong Tauro,
Julie Ann Genona, Bhudz Gestalao,
Jessa Kris Geraneo, Jansen Genona,
Jian Genterola, Charm Currie Dimzon
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Engineer Richard S. Garin

BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE 39

MARIA ESTELA PAISO Photo credits: Idan Cruz

MARIA ESTELA PAISO has worked in post-
production since 2016, editing features and short
films. After numerous visual experiments and hip
hop music videos, she forayed into directing with
Ampangabagat Nin Talakba Ha Likol (It’s Raining
Frogs Outside), which was part of QCinema
2021 and Berlinale Shorts Competition 2022. She
spends her free time trying to get a 100 in karaoke.
The filmmaker’s email is [email protected].
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
Fever dream: butterfly cockroaches, paper boats,
melting bodies, raining frogs. It’s Raining Frogs
Outside is a box of insecurities that I’m offering
everyone to see, and while that might make me
look vulnerable, I don’t think anyone can judge
me for being a frog once I’ve let all my demons
out anyway.

40 CINEMALAYA18

AMPANGABAGAT NIN TALAKBA
HA LIKOL
It’s Raining Frogs Outside

by MARIA ESTELA PAISO

14:02 minutes | Fiction, Animation | PG |

The world is about to end. Maya is forced to go
home to Zambales. There, she confronts her
childhood house that terrorizes her as frogs rain
outside.

CAST
Alyana Cabral

PRODUCTION
DIRECTOR Maria Estela Paiso
SCREENPLAY Maria Estela Paiso
EDITOR Maria Estela Paiso
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Eric Bico
CG ANIMATION Vladimer Castañeto
ONLINE ANIMATION Shaine Robles, Tricia
Bernasor
STOP-MOTION ANIMATION Maria Estela Paiso
SOUND DESIGNERS Yügen Bei Bei,
Lawrence S. Ang
MUSICAL SCORER Alyana Cabral
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kevin Paguntalan
CREATIVE CONSULTANT Keith Deligero
PRODUCER Gale Osorio
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Eduardo Lejano Jr.,
Manet Dayrit

BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE 41

RAZ DE LA TORRE Photo credits: Idan Cruz

RAZ DE LA TORRE has been a professional
storyteller in film and television, and a fervid
educator. He penned blockbuster films and
directed primetime TV shows, including A Soldier’s
Heart which was recognized by the Asian Creative
Academy Awards. Tracing his roots in documentary
filmmaking, his short documentary on the lives
of Filipino working students in London won in the
Gawad Alternatibo. He is the executive producer
of the NCCA docuseries Dayaw. He has directed
approximately 100 stories for Maalaala Mo Kaya.
De La Torre teaches scriptwriting, producing,
and directing at the University of the Philippines
Diliman. He earned his master’s in filmmaking with
distinction at the London Film School.

The filmmaker’s email address is
[email protected].

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

Kwits is a tough sell.

It’s much too long for a short but much too short
for a feature. We are barely acquainted with the
characters, and before we even get the chance to
feel invested, the film is over. On paper, the futility
of bureaucratic red tape is probably the least
interesting of plots and the most undeserving of
screen time.

Yet here we are.

This, I believe, is why opportunities provided by
organizations like the NCCA and Cinemalaya are
so precious. In gatherings like this, Kwits finds a
home.

Cinemalaya also reminds us why the experience
of movie-watching is magical. Films can defy
expectations. In the quiet of a dark cinema,
audiences can be moved by spectacle or
mundanity in equal measure. Stories, short or
long, can proclaim messages in both screams and
whispers.

Give Kwits a chance and it might pay you back in
unexpected ways.

42 CINEMALAYA18

KWITS
Quits

by RAZ DE LA TORRE
19:52 minutes | Social Commentary | G
After the lockdown silenced the Higantes
festivities, Tupe finds himself jobless and
isolated. He sees a glimmer of hope when he
qualifies to receive financial help from the
government. But getting his hands on that money
is not as easy as he thought it would be.
CAST
Nor Domingo, Skyzx Labastilla
PRODUCTION
DIRECTOR Raz de la Torre
SCREENPLAY Raz de la Torre
EDITOR Michael Bihla
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Marvin Reyes
MUSIC SCORER Eduardo J. Jimenez
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Arthur Maningas
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER National Commission
for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)
LINE PRODUCER Cheryl Ingles

BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE 43

ARLIE SWEET Photo credits: Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay and Richard Jeroui Salvadico
SUMAGAYSAY and
RICHARD JEROUI
SALVADICO

Ilonggo filmmakers ARLIE SWEET SUMAGAYSAY
and RICHARD JEROUI SALVADICO both graduated
from the Central Philippine University with degrees
in mass communications and digital media and
interactive arts, respectively.

Their debut film Dribol won awards in Gawad
Cinemaybank in 2018. Their filmography lists
Katungdanan (2018), Chok (2019), and Gulut-anon
nga Dulut (2019). Their film Utwas was a finalist in
the 2020 Cinemalaya and won Best Picture in the
Bamasa Film Festival in Cebu. Mga Handum Nga
Nasulat sa Baras was produced through a grant
from NCCA’s Eksena Cinema Quarantine 2 under
John Denver Trending director Arden Rod Condez.

The filmmakers could be reached at
[email protected].

DIRECTORS’ NOTES

We have always heard our parents or
grandparents say that we should study hard
because we are lucky to have even stepped in
school. But what if one day, we wake up with a
news that will shock and change not only us, but
everyone around us.

With the pandemic affecting not only the society
and its norms but also the educational system, we
bring you a comedy-drama narrative that focuses
on the huge change that has happened in the
educational system.

Now, students have to choose between two
options or types of classes. Obviously if the
students are from a middle to a high class family,
they would most likely choose online classes. But
if the students are from a low-income earning
family and can’t afford an Internet connection,
their option is limited to modular classes.

The catch is, the parents have to pass an exam in
order for the school to allow the student to delve
into modular classes. The exam determines if the
parents are fit to teach their children. Crazy, right?
Especially to those who have parents who don’t
even know how to write nor read.

44 CINEMALAYA18

MGA HANDUM NGA NASULAT
SA BARAS
The Dreams That Are Written
On The Sand

by ARLIE SWEET SUMAGAYSAY and
RICHARD JEROUI SALVADICO

9:59 minutes | Comedy, Drama, Musical | G |

Three young boys wake up to an announcement
on a new educational system where parents
must take an exam to determine whether they
are fit to teach their children. Knowing that their
parents are not as privileged and knowledgeable
as they are, Makoy, Kaloy and Buknoy try their
best to teach their parents what they need
to know for their exam. The film depicts how
parents become teachers to their children, and
how children become teachers to their parents.

CAST
Karl Jarred Brillantes, Rioh Prince Tagana,
MJ Medrano, Dyna Perez, Arlene De los Reyes,
Nanette Cordova

PRODUCTION
DIRECTORS Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay,
Richard Jeroui Salvadico
SCREENPLAY Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay
EDITOR Richard Jeroui Salvadico
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Richard Jeroui Salvadico
MUSIC SCORER Brian Angelo Vargas
SOUND DESIGNER Richard Jeroui Salvadico
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Lynne Belle Salvadico
PRODUCER Arden Rod Condez
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER National Commission
for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)

BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE 45

XEPH SUAREZ

Mindanaoan filmmaker XEPH SUAREZ obtained
his mass communication degree at the Ateneo de
Zamboanga University in 2014. An alumnus of the
ASEAN-ROK Film Leaders Incubator organized by
the Busan Film Commission, he has directed several
short films including Si Astri maka si Tambulah
which won Best Director and received a Jury Citation
in Cinemalaya 2018.

Si Astri maka si Tambulah was screened in several
film festivals, including the PÖFF Shorts and
Tampere Film Festival. The short film became the
basis for his first full-length feature that has been
presented in different labs including EAVE’s Ties that
Bind and the La Fabrique Cinema in Cannes.

The filmmaker’s email is [email protected].

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

On September 9, 2013, I woke up to the sounds of
gunshots and radio reports that my hometown, the
City of Zamboanga, was under attack by a faction
of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)
led by its chairman Nur Misuari. The ensuing 20
frightening days, which was known as the 2013
Zamboanga Siege, caused a lot of deaths.

Thousands of Zamboangueños were forced to
live in evacuation sites with inhumane conditions.
Hundreds of houses and businesses were burnt
to the ground, including the company my father
helped build for 20 years.

The City of Zamboanga is still pursuing its case
against the perpetrators eight years after the Siege.
And without justice, I believe that true peace will
never be achieved.

City of Flowers is an anti-war short film dedicated
to my hometown. When outsiders think of
Zamboanga and Mindanao, they think of war and
conflict. My film acknowledges this but insists
that we are an island of hope and beauty. I am still
hopeful that justice will be served, and it won’t be
long for peace to bloom again.

Photo credits: Idan Cruz

46 CINEMALAYA18

CITY OF FLOWERS

by XEPH SUAREZ
19:13 minutes | Drama | PG |
As Zamboanga City celebrates the Feast of the
Nativity of Mary, couple Elena and Nasser try to
survive the devastatingly low yield of their flower
farm and raise money for the birth of their first
child. As luck would have it, Nasser gets invited
to join a peace rally in exchange for some money
– a solution to their problems that is too good to
pass up.
CAST
Czarina Yecla, Ramli T. Abdurahim
PRODUCTION
DIRECTOR Xeph Suarez
SCREENPLAY Cenón Obispo Palomares
EDITOR Benjamin Tolentino
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Carlos Mauricio
MUSIC SCORER Glenn Barit
SOUND DESIGNER Jedd Dumaguina
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Popo Diaz
PRODUCER Alemberg Ang

BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE 47

File Photo

MTRCB Classification Horror This section has Gender And Development (GAD)-oriented films
Drugs which tackle themes on gender equality.
Strong Language PRIDE (LGBTQ+)
Nudity BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE 49
Sex
Violence

MARIA KYDYLEE TORATO Photo credits: Aron Lara

Based in Roxas City, Capiz, MARIA KYDYLEE
TORATO is a communications and media studies
graduating student at the University of the
Philippines Visayas. Specializing in film, she has
edited several short films and documentaries with
her classmates.
Her experience as a creative intern at a delivery
company became her inspiration for her first short
film Si Oddie.
She could be reached via [email protected].

DIRECTOR’S NOTES
We are currently living in an ‘add-to-cart’ era
where delivery riders play an important role
in our lives. They put their lives on the line
just to make sure that we receive our orders in
the best possible condition. However, despite
their hard work, delivery riders remain to be
underappreciated by many.
In this film, we follow the journey of Oddie, the
main character, as he carries the weight of his
delivery and the responsibility of being the eldest
son to a sick mother. With this project, I aspire
to touch hearts and make people reflect about
our lives during the pandemic. May the sincere
narrative of this film speak to us consumers and
remind us to be kind every time we encounter a
delivery rider.

50 CINEMALAYA18

SI ODDIE

by MARIA KYDYLEE TORATO

15:08 minutes | Drama | G |

After asking for an additional delivery to pay
for his mother’s medical needs, delivery rider
Oddie ends up looking for an oddly unlocatable
customer named Trisha Lopez. Along the way,
Oddie encounters several people related to her
until he crosses paths with someone who will
change his day-to-day life as a delivery rider.

CAST
Dennis John Lobo, Noeme Aquines, Lea Laresma,
Andrea Juliene Cruz-Am, Jorich Abea,
Ma. Janen Sara Deita, Lolita Cargando,
Honey Rose Gonzales, Angeline Arciga

PRODUCTION
DIRECTOR Maria Kydylee Torato
SCREENPLAY Maria Kydylee Torato
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Kaya Guillen
EDITORS Aron Lara, Maria Kydylee Torato
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY Aron Lara,
Cire Mercado
CINEMATOGRAPHER Flory Ann Tacuban
MUSIC SCORER Miguel Basas
SOUND DESIGNER Miguel Basas
PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Jayrose Bunda,
Nick Al Bunda
PRODUCTION MANAGER Ericka Paula Galvan
CLAPPER LOADER Angel Benjamin
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Robert Rodriguez,
Arden Rod Condez
PRODUCER Mary Andrea Palmares
CO-PRODUCER Kristine Sumugat
CREATIVE and PRODUCTION CONSULTANT
Jose Ruel Garcia

BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE 51

NENA JANE ACHACOSO Photo credits: Idan Cruz

Duwa-Duwa is the first short debut film of Boholano
filmmaker NENA JANE ACHACOSO through a grant
from the National Commission for Culture and the
Arts. She has worked with BINISAYA Film Festival
feature films Martes Martes (2017) and Huwebes
Huwebes (2019) as an assistant director, crew, and
actress. She also worked as production assistant
in Purya Gaba, a co-production of Epicmedia and
Above the Line. She was a participant in Ricky Lee’s
online screenwriting workshop in 2020.
The filmmaker’s email address is
[email protected].

DIRECTOR’S NOTES
I had this vision of creating a magical story about
a girl living in the mountains being pushed into
the ugly realities of life. Somehow, through the
development of this story, it diverged from the
magical and mystical elements of the mountains
to real-life happenings. These mundane everyday
moments became the story.
The film carries with it the turbulence of change
and growing up. I hope to shed light on this
particular issue of the topic in a way that brings
light to the moments that we take for granted and
the moments that we overlook.

52 CINEMALAYA18

DUWA-DUWA
The Play

by NENA JANE ACHACOSO

12:55 minutes | Coming of Age | PG |

In need of money for an operation, Lilian comes
home and asks her mother for money. After
receiving a scolding from her mother, she steals
her mother’s rooster. Her mother frantically
searches for her lost rooster until she finds it
on the hill with Lilian standing beside it. The
daughter confesses her real situation and
unexpectedly receives the reassurance that she
never would have thought of earlier.

CAST
Alex Gallardo, Neolita Sarabia, Neil Ian Bayron,
Constancio Casicas

PRODUCTION
DIRECTOR Nena Jane Achacoso
SCREENPLAY Nena Jane Achacoso, Des Suarez
EDITOR Christian Paul Naparota
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Christian Paul
Naparota
MUSIC SCORER Odoni Pestelos
SOUND DESIGNER Kenkenn Felisilda
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Ted Apit
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Nena Jane Achacoso,
Christian Paul Naparota

BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE 53

DEXTER PAUL DE JESUS Photo credits: Idan Cruz

Born in Bataan, Philippines, DEXTER PAUL DE
JESUS is a 25-year-old Filipino filmmaker based
in Manila. He is currently working full-time as a
Mechanical Engineer and has been writing and
directing films since he was an undergraduate.
His films have been screened and competed at
local and international film festivals such as the
Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) and
the Bangkok ASEAN Short Film Festival (BAFF) to
name a few.
He could be reached at
[email protected].

DIRECTOR’S NOTES
The film’s conception revolves around the
filmmaker’s frustration during the days of the
lockdown implementation. The devices used are
a blend of live-action and animation, creating a
concept of alienation between the characters and
their environment which represents a particularity
to the narrative’s personas.
With the film’s nuances, Distance presents the
difficulties faced by families of migrant laborers
during the pandemic, particularly the lack of
physical and emotional expressions of familiality.

54 CINEMALAYA18

DISTANCE

by DEXTER PAUL DE JESUS
10:49 minutes | Drama | PG |
After working overseas for seven years, a mother
returns home to her son. The abrupt reunion
forces the pair to face up to their estranged
relationship.
CAST
Erlinda de Jesus, Dexter Paul de Jesus, Blenda
Calinaya, Drexler Jaramel

PRODUCTION
DIRECTOR Dexter Paul de Jesus
SCREENWRITER Dexter Paul de Jesus
PRODUCER Drexler Jaramel
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Drexler Jaramel
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Dexter Paul de Jesus
MUSIC SCORER David Fesliyan
EDITOR Dexter Paul de Jesus
SOUND DESIGN Dexter Paul de Jesus
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Dexter Paul de Jesus

BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE 55

GABRIELA SERRANO Photo credits: Idan Cruz

An alumna of the Ricky Lee Scriptwriting Workshop,
GABRIELA SERRANO was named one of CNN
Philippines Life’s “Eight Emerging Filipino Directors
To Watch Out For”. Working as an illustrator for
major Philippine publications and brands since 15,
she shifted her focus towards film and has since
created narrative works which combine the moving
image with art, imbuing her filmmaking style with a
distinctly tactile approach.

Serrano has interned under directors Dwein
Baltazar, John Torres, and Paco Raterta. She was an
editor, illustrator, and animator for The Choe Show,
the Film Independent Spirit Awards-nominated FX
series. Her directorial debut film Dikit won Best
Film and Best Director at the Mit Out Sound Silent
Film Competition and was named one of CNN
Philippines Life’s Best Filipino Films of 2021.

With two new short films in development, she
hopes to continue telling deeply introspective
stories about the feminine identity and youth in the
Philippines.

The filmmaker could be reached at
[email protected].

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

Dikit began at the height of the pandemic and the
height of a quarter-life crisis. I was a burgeoning
filmmaker, wanting to venture into the world to
find narratives and characters outside, but was
instead locked down and forced to reckon with
loneliness, an uncertain future, and my own
womanhood.

When the idea to retell the story of a mythological
figure presented itself, I felt incredibly drawn
to the creature we depict in the film: a girl I felt
was hungry for life, but limited by her body,
circumstances, and seclusion to exist in the world
the way she truly wanted.

Horror was never my genre, but these feelings
felt extremely familiar and personal to me, my co-
writer and sister Mariana, and our fellow female,
non-binary, trans, and queer friends, especially
during this time of distancing. Suddenly I didn’t
have to go outside to find the story I needed to tell.

Dikit is a silent film, but it is the loudest I have ever
been about my identity, desires, and hopes as a
woman and as a director. I hope that it quietly but
fiercely invites women to find themselves (and
each other) through the terrors of life.

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DIKIT

by GABRIELA SERRANO
16:15 minutes | Silent Horror, Drama | PG |
Living in isolation and yearning for human
connection, a woman afflicted with a dark curse
develops an obsession with her new neighbors,
a young couple with a secret of their own. As the
days pass, she begins to witness things between
them that ultimately force her to confront her
nature, and perhaps save a life in the process.
Loosely based on a lost silent film by Jose
Nepomuceno, Dikit reimagines classic Philippine
folklore into a contemporary diptych of feminine
bodies, rage, and freedom.
CAST
Mariana Serrano, Mika Zarcal,
Jarrett Cross Pinto
PRODUCTION
DIRECTOR Gabriela Serrano
EDITOR Gabriela Serrano
SCREENPLAY Gabriela Serrano, Mariana Serrano
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Aaron Marasigan, Justin Orcullo
MUSIC SCORER Paulo Almaden
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Mario Serrano
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Gabriela Serrano,
Ian Pons Jewell, Vicvic Gatchalian

BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE 57

MARK MONEDA Photo credits: Kevin Jay Ayson

While working as a medical professional, Ilocano
filmmaker MARK MONEDA has directed several
short films and competed in different film festivals.
His film Miss You, George! won the grand prize at
the 2020 QCinema International Film Festival Short
Shorts Competition; was a finalist at the WHO’s
Health for All Film Festival 2021; and received the
Jury Award, Best Short Film Award, and Audience
Choice Award at the 2021 International Film
Festival Manhattan Spring. In 2022, he was one of
the FDCP’s 77 Film Ambassadors.

He co-directed and wrote Ang Mga Nawalang Pag-
asa at Panlasa, a finalist in the Cinemalaya 2021.
His short film See You, George! won Best Film, Best
Director and Best Screenplay at the 2021 Sorok
Short Film Festival. It also bagged the Best Director,
Best Editor, and the Cong. Shirlyn Bañas Award in
the 2021 Sundayag Film Festival.

Moneda’s email address is
[email protected].

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

Following the unclosed story of the medical
front liners’ fate in the midst of the Covid-19
pandemic, this short film tackles their struggles
and frustration towards our country’s healthcare
system.

The film introduces metaphorical representations
of issues that are rarely discussed as these
somehow move into the territory of socio-political
injustice. It is a stand-alone sequel to the 2020
QCinema short film Miss You, George! wherein
viewers would have a complete understanding of
the story without watching the first installment.

58 CINEMALAYA18

SEE YOU, GEORGE!

by MARK MONEDA

12:55 minutes | Medical Drama | PG |

While the Philippines is now slowly recovering
from the global health crisis, a group of hospital
workers commemorates the life of a “fallen”
colleague through a virtual necrological service.
The solemn gathering suddenly turns into a
recollection of dark and haunting memories.

CAST
Maureen Mariano, Ariel Corpuz, Mark Moneda,
with medical front liners Caroline Moneda,
Mico Lucas, Adonis Ladera, Erwin Mariano,
Athena Madarang, Kurt Lucas, Pauline Cuison,
Tricia Lucas, Roghchinalyn Corpuz, RJ Gappi,
Jemuel Agcaoili, Marc Ryan Alejo, Sean Viernes,
Marlowe Root, Carlo Uy, Khrysner Alejo, Marvin
Baliat, Daryll Pagaduan

PRODUCTION
DIRECTOR Mark Moneda
SCREENPLAY Mark Moneda
EDITOR Kevin Jay Ayson
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Kevin Jay Ayson
VIDEOGRAPHERS Darwin Macugay,
Marc Ryan Alejo
MUSIC SCORER Kevin Jay Ayson
SOUND DESIGNER Kevin Jay Ayson
PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Erwin Mariano,
Adonis Ladera
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Marionne Moneda,
Mark Moneda

BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE 59

ZIG DULAY Photo credits: Idan Cruz

ZIG DULAY is a Filipino filmmaker known for creating
provocative regional films that explore socio-political
and cultural issues. Early in his career, he gained local
and international critical attention for his screenwriting
potential as he penned numerous screenplays such
as Ekstra (The Bit Player), Posas (Shackled), Qwerty,
Kasal (The Commitment) and Ad Ignorantiam.

After collaborating with acclaimed directors, he wrote
and directed numerous award-winning films including
Missing, M. (Mother’s Maiden Name), Bambanti
(Scarecrow), Paglipay (Crossing), Bagahe (The
Baggage), Akin ang Korona (The Crown is Mine), and
Black Rainbow.

Dulay also helmed the hit cultural-drama series Sahaya
and Legal Wives. Recently, he was invited to be one
of the international jury members of the 2022 Vesoul
International Film Festival for Asian Cinema in France.

The filmmaker could be reached via
[email protected].

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

Black Rainbow is a tale about the Aetas who dream
and trust that the first step to a better life is through
education. This story of people’s hope rests upon
complicated issues brought about by rampant mining
that has been affecting Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in
the country.

The film is a personal tale. It recounts my younger
years when I chanced upon an old keyboard and
played with its keys until I memorized their positions.
I used this random knowledge when I aced a
scholarship exam that required the use of a computer,
much to the surprise of people who knew I was from a
remote farming village.

I sketched this inspirational story through a young
Aeta boy. Another inspiration to this story is my good
friend Norman King, an Aeta from Porac, Pampanga,
who earned a BA Behavioral Sciences at UP Manila.

Over the course of my filmmaking career, I have
learned so much about the lives of IPs that could
last me a lifetime. I have grown fond of their gentle
lives and learned how to carefully present these
stories in film. More importantly, I learned the value
of responsible IP representation in media, for these
stories we portray are more than the sum of a culture
and way of life. I believe it is our duty as storytellers
to depict them in the right and appropriate
manner—a small contribution to the wider efforts of
ending the cycle of telling a single story and othering.

60 CINEMALAYA18

PRODUCTION BLACK RAINBOW

DIRECTOR Zig Dulay by ZIG DULAY
SCREENPLAY Zig Dulay
EDITOR Zig Dulay 20:00 minutes | Social Drama | General Patronage
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Mark Joseph Cosico Itan, a 12-year-old Aeta, is told to quit school and
MUSIC SCORER Gian Gianan help his father in planting mountain crops so they
SOUND DESIGNERS Nicole Amores, can save up for the delivery of his pregnant mother.
John Michael Perez, Mikko Quizon
The young boy finds a flicker of hope when he
learns about a scholarship opportunity that he
could possibly receive on two crucial conditions:
one, he has to learn how to operate a computer and
two, he has to convince his father to allow him to
return to school.

Only then would he be able to realize his long-time
goal to read through all the documents the Aeta
community had been receiving. Only then could he
understand why they were being forced to give up
ancestral lands up in the mountain to give way for
mining.

CAST
Ron King, Shella Mae Romualdo,
Norman King, Jonalyn Ablong,
Liya Sarmiento

PRODUCTION DESIGNER Aped Santos
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Arsenio “Nick” J. Lizaso,
Al Ryan S. Alejandre, Marichu G. Tellano
CO-PRODUCER Uncle Scott Global
Production
LINE PRODUCER Jed Medrano
SUPERVISING PRODUCERS
Elvert C. Bañares, Tanya P. Lopez

BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE 61