Cinemalaya 20: Here’s everything you need to know

“For two remarkable decades, the cinema has navigated the vastness of Filipino cinematic imagery and creativity,” says Festival Director Chris Millado. 

“Ancient Filipino ethno astronomers believe that the constellations in the sky are reflections of their souls, when they looked up to the heavens, they saw not just the sky but their culture, humanity, and morality. This coming August, Cinemalaya enamours anew as it marks 20 years of navigating the cinematic imagination,” he adds.

Below are ten full-length films to watch in this year’s Cinemalaya festival: 

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A land-grabbing tycoon and a former sexy male actor are locked in a tight race for mayor in a small town. When violence erupts, Emmy, a teacher, runs into the wilderness with a ballot box, the last copy of the election results. Emmy and the community try to outsmart and outmaneuver the goons who want the elections to fail.

Young, unmarried couple Aila and Pao must agree on certain terms on how to properly raise their son, who is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder if they wish to keep their relationship afloat. Or would they instead heed the call of their unfulfilled dreams?

A driver is sent on a simple errand: to pick up a designer t-shirt and a tin of viagra for his boss, who is shacked up in a hotel with his lover. Simple as it sounds, the road trip crisscrosses the chasms of time, class, and character.

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This film is an introspective journey of a Filipino son attending the funeral of his estranged OFW father in a city in Japan, which is the process of rebuilding from the aftermath of the March 2011 tsunami.

While facing threats of demolition, a coastal community of informal settlers in Purok 12, Tibungco, Davao City discovers a strange, unearthly shell by the sea. This makes them more vulnerable to menacing powers set out to destroy their homes and their humanity.

Based on the real-life trials of the Atis (Aeta), the indigenous people of Central Panay, and starred by the Atis themselves, Ang Tumandok features a 16-year-old chieftain’s daughter as she fights tooth and nail with her people for their ancestral land. The gripping tale takes us deep into the heart of their fight, highlighting their unwavering spirit and unbreakable bond with the land they call home.

Set in 1942, a Kalinga woman is personally invited by her husband, a warrior of their tribe, to his new wedding dance.

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The brother of missing activist Jonas Burgos bares in this documentary the untold stories behind the confidential leads, damning evidence, and why the disappearance of his brother remains a relevant case today.

Also read: Tatler Review: A Fearless Forecast Of Winners In Cinemalaya 2020's Main Competition Category

The press has yet to obtain an official poster/trailer and plot of Cinemalaya 2024 entry The Hearing by Lawrence Fajardo.

This film is top-billed by Mylene Dizon and Ruby Ruiz, who both won Best Actress awards at the Cinemalaya in 2008 and 2019, respectively. The director, Lawrence Fajardo, was behind the Cinemalaya 2012 Best Film Posas. In 2005, his short film Kultado earned the Special Jury Prize at the Cinemalaya, which set his career as a filmmaker to greater heights.

Pilo is a struggling, old vegetable farmer in Benguet. His stoner brother, Ricky, is part of the prominent Benguet Marijuana Cartel and is being trained by his best friend, Razer, a cunning midget and a well-known personality in the underground Ganja community.  Amidst the all-out drug war, Ricky falls into the hands of a promising patrolman, Ariel, who is in pursuit of the organisation. In a desperate attempt to uncover the cartel, Ariel tasks Pilo to fetch Razer in exchange for Ricky’s head. Unable to fulfill the terms in his attempt, Pilo now pledges his alliance with Ariel, and together they try and catch Razer to expose the Cartel and its members, learning shocking secrets as they burrow deep into the world of this so-called “drug”.

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