Cultural Studies Pioneer Florentino H. Hornedo dies

Press Update:

ESTEEMED scholar, professor, cultural studies pioneer and expert in Ivatan culture Florentino H. Hornedo passed away on December 9, 2015 in his home province of Batanes. He was 77.

A CCP Gawad Para sa Sining awardee for Cultural Research in 2012, Hornedo was honored for his contributions to the development of the discipline of cultural studies in the Philippines. He was lauded for choosing “to take a prodigious path to inquire and theorize about the breadth, depth, and complexities of the Filipino mind and identity.”

In an article Hornedo wrote for Kultura Magazine, vol. 2 no.1, 1989, he expounded on the term “Filipinicity” and theorized that Philippine folk and popular literature was the result of forces such as significant and important events in Philippine history.

“Our Filipinicity is the late Frank Lynch’s dictum: Today’s native was yesterday’s visitors, Hornedo said. To elaborate, he pointed to American Willys jeep and the Japanese Honda motorcycle as yesterday’s visitors that have become natives. These motor vehicles, Hornedo said, were appropriated by Filipinos, in their quest for mobility and transportation.  The process of appropriation have caused these modes of transport to become Filipino, naturalized by possession and/or association.

Hornedo studied Philippine ethnic traditions, precolonial and colonial history and contemporary society.

An Ivatan and native of Sabtang, Batanes, he devoted much of his scholarly research to the Ivatans as well as the Bago-o people and Kankanay culture.

He was a prolific writer, researcher and author of journal articles, monographs and books such as  Laji:  An Ivatan Folk Lyric Tradition (1979), Pagmamahal and Pagmumura Essays (1997), Culture and Community in the Philippine Fiesta and Other Celebrations (2000), Taming the Wind:  Ethno-Cultural History on the Ivatan of the Batanes Isles (2000),The Glitter of Gold in Batanes Cultural Heritage (2000), The Favor of the Gods:  Essays in Filipino Religious Thought and Behavior (2001), Ideas and Ideals:  Essays in Filipino Cognitive History (2001), Pagpapakatao and Other Essays in Contemporary Philosophy and Literature of Ideas (2001) and Epics and Ballads of Lam-ang’s Land and People(Bago-o Traditional Literature of the Bakun and Amburayan River Valleys) (2006).

He was a full professor of the Ateneo de Manila University, professorial lecturer at the Graduate School of the University of Santo Tomas and a visiting professor in 20 university in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China and the USA.

He was commissioner of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines, commissioner for Ivatan language at the Commission on Filipino Language and consultant to the Southeast Asian Arts and Culture project of the ASEAN and UNESCO Center for Asian Culture in Tokyo, Japan.  He served as chair of the UNESCO International Committee that drafted the “Statement on International Intangible Heritage” at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. in 1999.

Hornedo was born on October 16, 1938. 

PPO Music Director Ochanine Wins International Conducting Competition

Press Announcement:

MUSIC Director and Principal Conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Maestro Olivier Ochanine won the first prize in the recently concluded first edition of the Antal Dorati International Conducting Competition held in Budapest, Hungary on November 28, 2015.

Maestro Ochanine shared the first prize with Azerbaijan conductor Orkahn Hashimov.  The second prize was won by Joost Smeets from the Netherlands.  

The three conductors went through three gruelling competition rounds before they reached the final round. These were the eliminations on November 23 which saw the participation of 120 conductors from different parts of the world; the 2^nd round on November 25 wherein the competitors were narrowed down to 30; and the semi-finals  on November 26 wherein the competitors were  narrowed down to 10. The conductors were down to three on the final round.

During the finals, Maestro Ochanine, while suffering from the pain of post-surgery for a fractured fifth metacarpal on his right hand, conducted two pieces: the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 “Pathetique”, and the competition piece “Cyclos”, a new work by Italian composer Andrea Portera. His performance greatly impressed the jury led by renowned Hungarian pianist and conductor Tamás Vásáry.

As part of his prize, Maestro Ochanine will have the opportunity to conduct the Budapest Symphony Orchestra MAV, the “I virtuosi italiani” Orchestra in Verona, Italy, and the “F. Chopin” Philharmonic Orchestra in Danzic, Poland on its 2016/2017 season.  He will also have the chance to participate in the 2016/2017 season of theEszterházy Vigasságok (Festival) in the Hungarian Esterházy Castle. A contract proposal with Contempoars International Artists Agency is also in the offing.

Olivier Ochanine began his music studies in France. He  went on to take studies in the United States, then expanding to orchestral conducting and taking graduate studies while attending master classes with some of the best mentors in the US. He obtained his master’s degree in Conducting from the University of Southern California (USC) and began his doctoral studies in Orchestral Conducting at the Cincinatti College-Conservatory of Music under Mark Gibson. He is on his sixth and last season as Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. 

The Competition is named after Antal Dorati, the late world renowned Hungarian conductor and composer who died in 1988.  

Rony Fortich is The Third Triple Threat at CCP

Press Update:

Multi-awarded composer Rony Fortich is the third and final featured artist in Triple Threats: The Composers on October 22, 2015 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater) at 8:00pm.

Billed as Best Seat In The House 2, Rony Fortich brings his musical perspective to the CCP Little Theater for another celebration of music and friendship. It is an evening of stories and songs, all told from the piano bench - the best seat in the house.

Repertoire for the concert consists of excerpts from the Trumpets musicals "Mr. Noah's Big Boat" and "Bluebird of Happiness", Upstart Productions "Breakups and Breakdowns" as well as a number of songs Fortich has written for different artists and productions.

Joining Fortich onstage are Ring Antonio, Cathy Azanza-Dy, Caisa Borromeo, Mayen Cadd, Steve Cadd, The CompanY, Red Concepcion, Bituin Escalante, Topper Fabregas, Sheila Francisco, Audie Gemora, Carla Guevara-Laforteza, Lana Jalosjos-de Leon, Cole Laparan, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Franco Laurel, Fred Lo, OJ Mariano, Pinky Marquez, Lorenz Martinez, Simone Martinez, Gab Medina, Giannina Ocampo, Timmy Pavino, Sweet Plantado-Tiongson, Kyla Rivera, Kakki Teodoro, Gabo Tiongson, Shiela Valderrama-Martinez, Mikki Villa, Morissette, Cris Villonco, and The Philippine Madrigal Singers.

Triple Threats: The Composers is presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Individual concert tickets are Php1200, Php1000 and Php800.

For details, contact the CCP Box Office at 832-3704.

Gawad Sining Awards 2015 at the CCP

Press Update:

Gawad CCP Para sa Sining awarded eleven individuals and two organizations for their outstanding achievements and contributions to Philippine arts and culture recently at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater).

The Gawad CCP Para sa Sining is the highest award given by the CCP. The award was conferred on Denisa G. Reyes for Dance; Fides Cuyugan-Asensio for Music; Antonio O. Mabesa for Theater; Roberto Chabet for Visual Arts; Ricardo A. Lee for Literature; Nora C. Villamayor a.k.a. Nora Aunor for Film and Broadcast Arts; Paulo G. Alcazaren for Architecture; Ben S. Farrales for Fashion Design; Leoncio P. Deriada for Literature, Talaandig School of Living Tradition for Cultural Work, Armida Siguion-Reyna for Cultural Advocacy, and Basilio Esteban Villaruz for Cultural Research. The Missionary Society of St. Columban received the Tanging Parangal for Heritage Preservation.

Denisa Reyes holds an impressive line of choreographic works that won critical recognition in the international dance scene. Her works focus on Philippine and Asian Contemporary dance and the possibilities of presenting current local issues through dance expressions.

Fides Cuyugan-Asensio is an icon in the development of opera and musical theater in the Philippines. She has also realized her nurtured gifts to conceptualize and stage the art and craft of theater in the country. She continues to promote young classical singers through the Music Theater Foundation of the Philippines, the non-profit organization she has established.

Antonio Mabesa is a theater artist and mentor who has involved himself in nearly every field of theater arts. While he is known as one of the country's premier directors, directing over 130 stage productions, he is also an actor who has worked with the top theater companies and film directors.

Roberto Chabet, the first curator of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, is credited with having introduced conceptual art into the Philippine art scene. He spearheaded the acquisition of notable works of Filipino masters and contemporary artists. He also founded the 13 Artists Exhibit.

Ricardo Lee championed the use of Filipino in fiction since the 1960s and screenplay writing since the 1980s. His numerous books are the embodiment of his creative and imaginative power enriching Philippine Literature and Cinema.

Nora Aunor is a multi-awarded Filipina actress, singer, and producer. She has also topbilled several stage plays, television shows, and concerts, and has received numerous national and international awards and nominations. She is regarded as the "Superstar in Philippine Entertainment Industry".

Paulo Alcazaren has been contributing works to the field of architecture that are not only aesthetically pleasing but environmentally sensitive as well. Owing to his education of architecture and landscape architecture at the University of the Philippines, his works and that of his company, Paulo G. Alcazaren and Associates (PGAA), have adeptly integrated verdure in the urban setting.

Ben Farrales took his imagination to the next level and brought indigenous designs and materials into dazzling creations we see today, worn by prominent personalities in elegant balls, society affairs, and fashion shows. His patterns are based on the Muslim culture, taking the malong fashion in other parts of the world like Canada, Los Angeles, and New York through an exhibit called "Maranaw.”

Leoncio Deriada has won all the prestigious literary awards including the Palanca Hall of Fame for his works in English, Filipino and Hiligaynon. His most important contribution is his having encouraged and trained young writers in West Visayas and produced prize winners for writing in Hiligaynon, Kinaray-a and Aklanon besides English and Filipino.

The Talaandig School of Living Tradition is a haven for pre-school children who learn reading, writing and arithmetic alongside traditional Talaandig values and mythologies, dance techniques, and music. The knowledge on the Talaandig people including their roots and identity are disseminated in the form of entertainment such as storytelling, chanting, music and instrument playing.

Armida Siguion-Reyna's contribution to both the musical theater and the film industry is far reaching. In the field of musical theater, the television program "Aawitan Kita" for which she has produced, hosted and sang was aired for three decades. Her outstanding contribution to the arts is underscored by the awards she has received from different award-giving bodies.

Basilio Esteban Villaruz holds the distinction of establishing and sustaining the 34-year old program at the University of the Philippines College of Music and the UP Dance Company. He is nationally and internationally recognized and respected in the field of dance.

Since their arrival in the Philippines in 1929, the Missionary Society of St. Columban has been housed in the Malate Church (also known as the Nuestra Señora de los Remedios), and has continued to cater to the Malate area's ecclesiastical needs. They have gone beyond their spiritual service to the congregation by also taking care of the church that they have called home.

The Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, which is given every three years, is awarded to artists or groups of artists who have consistently produced outstanding works, enriched the development of their art form. The award is also given to cultural workers, who through their works in research, curatorship and administration, have helped to develop and enrich Philippine art. The Tanging Parangal is given to individuals or organizations to honor their outstanding contributions to the development of the arts in the country. (Photos by Kiko Cabuena)

Schaefer Leads PPO on October 9 Concert

Press Update:

GERMAN conductor Henrik Schaefer leads the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra on October 9, 2015 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) at 8:00 pm. The second concert is part of the PPO’s 2015-2016 concert season.

Program includes the music of Emilie Mayer’s Ouverture to Faust Op.46, Mozart’s Symphony No.40 and Schumann’s Symphony No.3.

Henrik Schaefer’s conducting career began with a ballet production of the Rite of Spring with the Leipzig Ballet and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Since then, he has become a sought-after Wagner conductor, and his repertoire includes all the great Mozart operas as well as the romantic Italian and French operas. He has appeared as guest conductor at the operas in Leipzig, Rouen, Chemnitz, Seoul, the Opera Hedeland, the Norrlands Opera, the Hongkong Opera and the Opera of Gothenburg.

Henrik Schaefer’s opera repertoire includes The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, Figaro, Cosi fan Tutte, Eugen Onegin, Faust, La Traviata, La Boheme, Falstaff, Les dialogues des Carmelites, Hänsel and Gretel, The Flying Dutchman, Rheingold, Walküre, Siegfried, Götterdämmerung, Tristan, and Parsifal.

As a concert conductor he is a worldwide acclaimed guest with the Tokyo Symphony, Gävle Symphony, Osaka Philharmonic, Helsingborg Symphony, Holland Symfonia, Norrköping Symphonie Orchester, Sapporo Symphony, Brabants Orkest, Sendai Philharmonic, Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Tokyo Metropolitan, the Swedish and Dutch Radio Orchestras, New Japan Philharmonic, Nederlands Philharmonic, Japan Century Symphony, Hongkong Philharmonic and the orchestras in Nürnberg, Aalborg, Antwerpen, Enschede, Aarhus, Tromsö and Madrid.

For inquires and subscription, please call the CCP Marketing Department (832-1125 loc. 1806), the CCP Box Office (832-3704) or Ticketworld (891-9999).

Demented and Deranged Vincent De Jesus Delights in Triple Threats at CCP

Press Announcement:

MULTI-AWARDED lyricist-composer-musical director Vincent De Jesus is the second featured artist in Triple Threats: The Composerson September 24, 2015 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater) at 8:00pm.

Billed as “Demented. Delightful. Deranged. De Jesus.”, the event is an intimate concert featuring the dark, melancholic and whimsical music of Vincent De Jesus. Highlights of the show are songs from his 32-year career in theater, television and film to be performed by some of today's finest theater actors/singers.

Critics rave Vincent De Jesus for his music and lyrics which “paint the poetry of passion and the prose of persistence, carve the pangs of unreciprocated pining, engrave the dangers of desire for power, and sanctify ordinary lives,” for “churning out world-class material” wherein “a long-running original Pilipino musical would no longer be the stuff of fantasy.” Others praise his every lyric which has an emotional resonance that affects, moves, making the heart remember personal experiences, and his music which “is something that music majors would want to write a thesis someday.”

Joining Vincent onstage are Kalila Aguilos, Jed Balsamo, May Bayot, Raflesia Bravo, Nar Cabico, Joshua Cabiladas, Natasha Cabrera, Buddy Caramat, Ricci Chan, Red Concepcion, Erick Dizon, KL Dizon, Frenchie Dy, Bituin Escalante, Hans Eckstein, Topper Fabregas, Neomi Gonzales, Reuben Laurente, Melvin Lee, Kim Molina, Mikoy Morales, Red Nuestro, Giannina Ocampo, PJ Rebullida, Victor Robinson, Nino Royeca, Myke Salomon, Ali Santos, Markki Stroem, Kakki Teodoro, Sweet Plantado-Tiongson, Dudz Terana, Eula Valdes, Cris Villonco, Ejay Yatco, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and The CompanY. The concert is directed by Rem Zamora.

Triple Threats: The Composers is presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Individual concert tickets are Php1200, Php1000 and Php800.

For details, contact the CCP Box Office at 832-3704.

Pianist Claudia Yang Opens PPO Concert Season

Press Update:

Noted Malaysian pianist Claudia Yang opens the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s (PPO) 33rd Concert Season 2015-2016 under the baton of Maestro Olivier Ochanine on September 11, 2015, 8:00 p.m at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater). Likewise, the concert is the opening of Maestro Ochanine’s final season as music director.

Programme consists of Franz von Suppé’s Pique Dame Overture (Queen of Spades, 1864), Frederic Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 (1830), and Dimitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 1, Op. 10 (1925).

Claudia Yang began her piano studies at the age of five under Mrs. Norman Tan in Malaysia and already at six gave her first concert performance. In 1991, she arrived in Vienna to study under Dianko Iliew and in the following year, she was invited to perform at the “Salzburg International Music Festival for Young Pianists”. 

In 2010, Claudia made her tour in Europe and Asia giving recitals celebrating Chopin’s 200th Birth Anniversary. Since 2011, Claudia is also sitting as a jury member at the International Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in Moscow.  Claudia is awarded “Pro Cultura Hungarica” by Hungarian Government for her contribution in promoting Hungarian Cultural especially music by Ferenc Liszt. The award was presented by Hungarian Prime Minister Orban Viktor during his official visit to China in February 2014.

In 2014 May, Claudia and Gyula Fekete have composed Piano Concerto “Dream of The Red Chamber” based on Wang Li Ping’s songs from 1987 TV Series “Dream of The Red Mansions”. The World Premiere was successfully held in Beijing in September 2014. Claudia’s new CD Album “Dream of The Red Chamber” which was recorded with London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studio in London has been released in May 2015.

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) is the country’s leading orchestra and is widely regarded as one of the top musical ensembles in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ticket prices are Php1500, Php1200, Php800, Php500, Php400, Php300, with discounts available to students, senior citizens and groups. Subscription packages are also available for eight (8) or four (4) shows. For inquires and subscription, please call the CCP Marketing Department (832-1125 loc. 1806), the CCP Box Office (832-3704) or Ticketworld at National Bookstore (891-9999).

September Opens PPO's 2015-2016 Concert Season

Press Announcement:

THE Cultural Center of the Philippines announces the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2015-2016 Concert Season billed as Reveries under the baton of its Music Director, Olivier Ochanine.

Maestro Ochanine opens the season on September 11 with Malaysian pianist Claudia Yang as guest artist, who is recognized and esteemed by the world renowned Chinese magazine, “China Voice” of New York, as “The Global Chinese of the Year 1999. The concert also features Piano Concerto No. 1 by Chopin and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10.

German conductor Henrik Schaefer leads the Orchestra on October 9, performing the music of Emilie Mayer’s Ouverture to Faust Op.46, Mozart’s Symphony No.40 and Schumann’s Symphony No.3.

On November 3, the PPO features a prominent French Hornist in collaboration with Maestro Olivier Ochanine. The work and soloist will be announced shortly. Program also includes Poulenc's Les Biches and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No.3 `Scottish’.

The Orchestra performs with Japanese conductor Yoshikazu Fukumura on December 8 featuring Brahms' Academic Festival Overture, Faure's Pelleas et Mélisande Suite, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.2 “Little Russian”.

On January 22, 2016, the PPO performs with Japanese conductor Tetsuji Honna. Program includes Haydn’s Symphony No.94 and Beethoven's monumental and memorable Symphony No 3, "Eroica".

Maestro Olivier Ochanine returns with guest artists soprano Denise Beck and baritone Thomas Sturm onFebruary 19. The program is part of The Carl Nielsen Project and features Nielsen’s Maskarade Overture, some of Nielsen’s most beloved songs and Nielsen’s Symphony No.3 “Sinfonia Espansiva”.

Soprano Rachelle Gerodias and Korean baritone Byeong In Park perform with Maestro Ochanine and the PPO on March 18, also featuring the Philippine Madrigal Singers. The program showcases the winner of the 2015 Composition Competition (announced by December) and features the Philippine premiere of Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem.

Maestro Olivier Ochanine leads the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra in its concert season ending on April 22, 2016 with American violinist Odin Rathnam. The evening’s concert program features an eclectic and exciting programme with Nielsen’s Violin Concerto, Massenet’s Scenes de Feeries, Enesco’s Romanian Rhapsody No.1 and Ginastera’s Estancia Ballet Suite.

All concerts will be staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) at 8:00 pm.

For inquires and subscription, please call the CCP Marketing Department (832-1125 loc. 1806), the CCP Box Office (832-3704) or Ticketworld at National Bookstore (891-9999)

Cinemalaya 2015 Winners and 2016 Finalists Announced

Press Update:

Pusong Bato by Martika Ramirez Escobar was named Best Short Film in the 11^th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition, which this year was held only in the Short Feature category, while the Special Jury Prize and the NETPAC Award was given to Wawa by Angelie Mae Macalanda in the Cinemalaya Awards program held August 15 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Little Theater. 

Praised “for its playfulness in telling a story, for creating tension between nostalgia and loneliness and for taking risks without being absurd”, Pusong Bato is about a middle-aged faded actress who tries to relive her glory days as a movie star in the 1970s by watching films at home everyday until an earthquake rouses her from her Hollywood dream.

As Best Short Film winner, Pusong Bato won a cash prize of Php150,000 and the Balanghai trophy.

Wawa won the Special Jury Prize for “its engaging use of location to evoke longing and for its poetic depiction of grief” and the NETPAC Award for “its evocation of grief and the impermanence of life by a grippingly visual funeral ceremony on the river. Wawa is about a young boy’s journey as he, with others, take his father to his final resting place.

The Best Direction award went to Petersen Vargas for his Lisyun Qng Geografia.  Vargas was cited for his “effective harnessing of the technical elements of filmmaking in telling a simple story” of a boy who finds an old map that triggers him to retrace the places that are special to him and his high school best friend.

The Best Screenplay Award was given to Darwin Novicio for Papetir which he also directed. Papetir was cited “for its interesting presentation of contrast in what is being stated and what is actually happening.”

Sanctissima, a film about a girl who lives alone in the dark with an even darker secret, by Kenneth Dagatan won the Audience Choice Award. As Audience Choice winner, Sanctissima won a cash prize of Php25,000.00.

Finalists for the 2016 Cinemalaya Main Competition (Full Length Feature) were also announced during the Awards Night. The finalists will receive production grants of Php750,000 each, up from the previous Php500,000 of previous years.

The Main Competition finalists are:

1.      Ang Bagong Pamilya Ni Ponching  by Inna Salazar, Victor Villanueva

          2.      Ang Mga Bisita Ni Mamang by Janice O’Hara, Denise O’Hara

          3.      Dagsin by Atom Magadia

          4.      Hiblang Abo by Ralston Jover

          5.      I America by Ivan Andrew Payawal

          6.      Kusina by David Corpuz, Cenon Palomares

          7.      Lando At Bugoy by Vic Acedillo, Jr.

          8.      Mercury Is Mine by Jason Paul Laxamana

          9.      Pamilya Ordinaryo by Eduardo Roy, Jr

          10.   Tuos by Derick Cabrido

Cinemalaya 2016 will be held on August 5-14 at the CCP and other Festival venues.

Now on its eleventh year, Cinemalaya is expanding its mission to the training of practitioners in key aspects of film production and serving as an inspiration to independent filmmaking in Asia. It opened the Cinemalaya Institute offering short courses in Film Producing, Screenwriting and Directing. 

Cinemalaya is a project of the Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Established in 2005, Cinemalaya is an all-digital film festival and competition that aims to discover, encourage and honor cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers.

Cinemalaya is the Philippines’ leading independent film festival and competition. To date, Cinemalaya has supported and promoted the production of 118 full feature independent films and 96 short films. Many of these films have won awards in local and international competitions and festivals. Through the annual festival, Cinemalaya has showcased over 1,000 works by independent filmmakers including full feature films, shorts, documentaries, Filipino film classics, and art films.

For more information about Cinemalaya, visit www.cinemalaya.org, www.culturalcenter.gov.ph and the Cinemalaya facebook page or CCP Media Arts Office at telephone number 832-1125 local 1704-1705 and the CCP Box Office at 832-3704. (Photo by Kiko Cabuena)

The 27th CCP Independent Film and Video Winners Announced

Press Update:

THE Cultural Center of the Philippines named the winners of the 27^th Gawad CCP Para Sa Alternatibong Pelikula At Video (Gawad Alternatibo) in awarding ceremonies on August 11 at the CCP.

This year’s competition was held on August 8, 9 and 11 as part of the 11^th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition ongoing until August 15 at the CCP and Greenbelt 3.

This year’s awardees are:

ANIMATION

·1st Prize - No winner

·2nd Prize - HALIMAW by Jaypril R. Bataller (Ateneo de Naga University)

·3rd Prize - TACÁY by Ryan Cuatrona (Ateneo de Naga University)

·Honorable Mention - SUNGIT By Reynald T. Balmes (Ateneo de Naga University) and CONTRAVINI (To Stand Against) by Izaac Niccol L.V. Chiong (Ateneo de Zamboanga University)

The jury for the animation category was comprised of Bryan Quesada (Award-winning Filmmaker and Animator), Eleanor C. Ramos (Award-winning Filmmaker/Freelance Graphic Designer), David R. Corpuz (Award-winning Filmmaker/Film & Communication Professor).

EXPERIMENTAL

·1st Prize - CINÉMATIQUE by Kyle Nieva (UP Film Institute – UP Diliman)

·2nd Prize - MEMORIAL OF AN INQUIRY by Jan Patrick Pineda (University of the Philippines – Diliman)

·3rd Prize - FIB by James Robin Mayo (Independent – JMYO Productions)

·Honorable Mention - GRAVITY by Glenmark C. Doromal (Independent) and AMBAHAN 246 by Hiyas Baldemor Bagabaldo (Mapua Institute of Technology)

The jury for the experimental category was comprised of Bryan Quesada, Eleanor C. Ramos and David R. Corpuz.

DOCUMENTARY

·1st Prize - GLORIA by Jethro Jamon (University of the Philippines – Diliman)   

·2nd Prize - SUKAT by Jae-Re Louise S. Liwanag (Colegio de San Juan de Letran / Plan Z Production)

·3rd Prize - YANBU by Aleia Garcia (Mapua Institute of Technology)

·Honorable Mention - BOBO: A YOUNG MAN’S LIFE by The Creative Playground (Jose Dennis C. Teodosio, Joamar-John D. Canosa & Myo Min Htwe) (Independent – Filipino Filmmaker in Myanmar); SA NGALAN NG KAUNLARAN (In the Name of Development) by Cristina Cordero, Chinina Perez, Armida Reyes & Alex Tan (St. Scholastica’s College, Manila) and LILA by Chrissy Cruz Ustaris (UP Film Institute)

The jury for the documentary category was comprised of Eva Mari G. Salvador (Associate Artistic Director, CCP Arts Education Department), Rodrigo "Jiggy" D. Manicad, Jr. (TV News Producer/Reporter) and Anna Isabelle Matutina Estein (Filmmaker/TV Producer/Editor)

SHORT FEATURE

·1st Prize - ANG MAANGAS, ANG MARIKIT, AT ANG MAKATA by Jose Ibarra E. Guballa (UP Film Institute – UP Diliman)  

·2nd Prize - No winner

·3rd Prize - UMUUGA ANG NGIPIN NI CLARISSA by Jose Ibarra E. Guballa (UP Film Institute – UP Diliman)

·Honorable Mention - ANG KAPITBAHAY KO SA 2014 by Anya Zulueta (Independent – Go Motion Productions)   

·Best Regional Entry - SUSUKDUL KING BANUA (HIGH AS THE SKY) by Cheska Salangsang (Independent – Pixel Legends Media)

·Best Entry For/On/By Children - ANG KAPITBAHAY KO SA 2014 by Anya Zulueta (Independent – Go Motion Productions)

The jury for the short feature category was comprised: Luisito Lagdameo Ignacio, Sigrid Andrea Bernardo and Eduardo W. Roy, Jr.

The Gawad Alternatibo is considered the longest-running independent film competition of its kind in the ASEAN/Asian region. Since 1987, Gawad Alternatibo annually cites the best efforts of Pinoy filmmakers in four categories – Animation, Experimental, Documentary and Short Feature.  Winners each receive a cash prize, as well as certificate.  Aside from the main awards, special citations are given out to the best work from the regions, as well as works on/for/by children.  Many of today’s outstanding filmmakers and media practitioners are alumni of Gawad Alternatibo.

Cinemalaya 2015 Brings In Award Winning Asian Filmmakers

Press Update:

AWARD winning filmmakers will be attending the 11th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition on August 7-15, 2015 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Greenbelt 3 Makati.

Reis Celik, director of The Night of Silence (Turkey, 2012) will be present at the screening of his film on August 11, 6:15 at the CCP Main Theater.  Celik’s The Night of Silence tells the story of a child bride who is forced to marry a man more than fifty years older than her and who just returned to his hometown after doing years of jail time. Sitting in the nuptial chamber with horror, she will start to face with realities after grandfather-aged groom steps into the room. The Night of Silence won the NETPAC award in the 2012 Hanoi International Film Festival.  Celik will participate in a Meet the Artist session on August 12, 2:30-3:15p.m. at the CCP Third Floor Hallway.

Li Zhen Hua, producer of Poet on a Business Trip by Ju Anqi (China, 2014) will attend the screening of the film on August 11, 9 p.m. at the CCP Main Theater. Poet on a Business Trip is a documentary shot more than 10 years ago. In this film, a poet sets off on a ‘business trip’ through inhospitable Xinjiang province. The physically exhausting trip provides an existential brothel visit, bumping on bad roads, and a glimpse of a disappearing world. Poet on a Business Trip won the NETPAC Award for the best Asian film at the International Rotterdam Festival 2015. Li Zhen Hua will interact with audiences at the Meet the Artist session on August 12, 5:00-5:45 p.m. at the CCP Third Floor Hallway.

Sotho Kulikar, director of The Last Reel (Cambodia, 2014) will grace the screening of her film on August 12, 6:15 p.m. at the CCP Main Theater. The Last Reel is all about a lost film buried beneath the killing fields that reveals different versions of the truth. The Last Reel is a contemporary story about love, family and ghosts of Cambodia’s past. The Last Reel won The Black Dragon Award, Udine Film Festival, 2015). Kulikar will speak with audiences at the Meet the Artist session on August 13, 2:30-3:15 p.m. at the CCP Third Floor Hallway.

The Maw Naing, director of The Monk (Myanmar/Czech Republic/2014), will be attending the screening of his film on August 12, 9 p.m. at the CCP Main Theater. The Monk is a sensitive coming-of-age tale that revolves around a young monk, Zawana, who had spent most of his life in a monastery in the Burmese countryside. When his superior falls ill, Zawana is faced with the dilemma of deciding if the life of a monk is still his destiny. The Monk was the NETPAC winner in International Festival of Asian Cinema in Vesoul 2015. The Maw Naing will be discussing his film with audiences at the Meet the Artist session on August 13, 5-5:45 p.m. at the CCP Third Floor Hallway.

Cinemalaya is a project of the Cinemalaya Foundation and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Established in 2005, Cinemalaya is an all-digital film festival and competition that aims to discover, encourage and honor cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers.

To date, Cinemalaya has supported and promoted the production of 118 full feature independent films and 96 short films. Many of these films have won awards in local and international competitions and festivals. Through the annual festival, Cinemalaya has showcased over 1,000 works by independent filmmakers including full feature films, shorts, documentaries, Filipino film classics, and art films.

For screening schedules of Cinemalaya, visit www.cinemalaya.org, www.culturalcenter.gov.ph and the Cinemalaya facebook page or CCP Film Office at telephone number 832-1125 local 1704-1705 and the CCP Box Office at 832-3704.