Cinemalaya 2015 Winners and Cinemalaya 2016 Finalists

Congratulations to all of the winners of Cinemalaya 2015. My comments are in italics.

Audience Choice: Sanctissima

 I personally voted for this film, because it was a definite crowd pleaser (and my other two picks would probably get other awards anyway.)

Best Screenplay: Papetir
I honestly don't remember the dialogue for this film.  All I remember was the puppet was very angry at the dude. Maybe the judges saw something I didn't.

NETPAC Award - Wawa

Special Jury Prize: Wawa 

It wasn't exactly my thing, but this is a gorgeous movie that needs repeated viewings. So I guess it's ok.

Best Director- Petersen Vargas, Lisyun qng Geografia
The reason this movie won was because it was a technically sound and refined execution of all the elements of cinema (paraphrasing here.) In that sense I agree.

Best Film - Pusong Bato

I was rooting for either this film, Lisyun or Sanctissima to win. The judges got this one right.

After giving the awards, they also announced the finalists for Cinemalaya 2016. Speculation is in italics:

Ang Bagong Pamilya ni Ponching, by Inna Salazar and Victor Villanueva

The poster looked like rows of smartphones each with a letter on them. Maybe this is a film about how one's online friends can become their second family. 

Ang Mga Bisita ni Mamang by Janice O'Hara and Denise O'Hara

The O'Hara twins were responsible for last year's Sundalong Kanin, which had a generally good reception. I have no idea what this is about.

Dagsin, by Atom Magadia
The poster of Dagsin shows some sort of statue of justice. Atom Magadia is better known as a photographer, so we may get a visually stunning movie.

Hiblang Abo, directed by Ralston Jover
Ralston Jover recently directed Da Dog Show, which was a good social drama. I'm going to guess this is also going to be a social drama.

I America, directed by Ivan Andrew Payawal

Based solely on the title, the movie could represent Filipino expats or the Fil-am community. We haven't got a lot of the latter (Batang West Side comes to mind, but there are a smattering of other examples too) so this could be interesting.

Kusina, by David Corpuz, Cenon Palomares

This poster brazenly proclaimed Judy Ann Santos as its main star. Well, that's one reason to go to next year's festival firmly in the bank. I've only seen experimental stuff from David Corpuz so I don't know what to make of this film. I sincerely hope that this isn't two hours of Judy Ann just standing in the middle of the kitchen. I kid.

 

Lando at Bugoy, by Vic Acedillo, Jr.

A veteran to Cinemalaya, Vic Acedillo wrote 2006's Batad: Sa Paang Palay and directed 2008's Ang Nerseri. The poster was really rudimentary so I don't know what this is about.

Mercury is Mine, by Jason Paul Laxamana

Director of Cinemalaya 2013's Babagwa, and MMFF New Wave's Magkakabaung, which was one of last year's best Filipino films. There was like a drawing of some guy and a woman on the poster.  I don't know exactly what they were doing. Perhaps like Babagwa and Magkakabaung this one also takes place in Pampanga.

 Pamilya Ordinaryo, by Eduardo Roy, Jr. 

I bet two pesos this family is anything but ordinary. Roy recently directed 2013's Quick Change.
 

Tuos, by Derick Cabrido

Another former Cinemalaya finalist, most recently for last year's Children's show. The poster shows a woman in the middle of a dense forest. Anything goes for this one.

These filmmakers have one year to prepare their film. Hopefully the extra prep time means grander ideas, broader concepts, more exciting and polished films.