TWO films by Artlets filmmakers brought home awards from the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival awards held on Oct. 12 at Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong.
The ceremony honored 10 full-length and 10 short films showcasing the artistic vision of rising Filipino filmmakers as well as the diversity of Filipino film.
“The Next 24 Hours,” produced by UST communications alumna Anna Velario, won Best Short Film.
The short film provides a brief yet in-depth perspective of the experiences and emotions of sexual assault survivors, showcasing that justice is not only present in the legal system, but is also manifested in one’s internal process of healing and moving forward.
In an interview with the Varsitarian, Velario expressed her gratitude to Cinemalaya and the judges for recognizing the film and its advocacy.
“Nasa panahon parin tayo na hindi maayos ang sistema para sa mga kababaihan na pinagdadaanan ang ganitong mga karanasan dahil sa korapsyon. Patuloy po tayong lumaban at patuloy po tayo gumawa ng ganitong mga kwento,” Velario said.
The cast of the full-length film “Open Endings,” by Artlets alumni Nigel Santos and Keavy Eunice Vicente, went home with the Best Ensemble Performance award.
“‘Yung magandang performance nila [ay] dahil din ‘yun sa magandang script, direction, chemistry na ginawa namin, ‘yung preparation, ‘yung production, so malaking bagay lahat ng aspect nu’ng pelikula para maging maganda ‘yung performance nu’ng apat,” Santos said.
Vicente also highlighted the generosity of the four actors.
“They always came to set prepared, and binuksan nila ‘yung sarili nila for their roles kaya sobrang deserve talaga nila ‘tong nakuha nilang award,” she added.
“Open Endings” is a film that represents queerness, particularly the complexities of sapphic relationships.
Santos and Vicente said they looked forward to working together on more projects. Santos hinted at the possibility of developing “Open Endings” further.
Cinemalaya 2025 was the 21st edition of the premiere independent film festival. It ran from Oct. 3 to 12. Kirsten Therese C. Barrameda
