Lagarista.com

Don’t know anything about Cinemalaya? The dates? The tickets? The movies? The venues? The schedule?

Don’t worry. We’ve compiled this Cinemalaya F.A.Q out of some real world questions we’ve been getting about the festival. And here are the real world answers.

1. What’s Cinemalaya?

The Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival is (in case you haven’t already guessed) an annual film festival celebrating locally produced independent films. The festival is a project of the Cinemalaya Foundation, Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Film Development Council of the Philippines and Econolink Investments, Inc. Suffice it to say, maraming tao ang nagtutulongtulong para mabuo siya.

2. How long does Cinemalaya run for?

This year’s festival runs from July 16 (Friday) – 24 (Sunday), 2011. The opening ceremony is on July 15 and the awards night is on July 24.

3. So what’s there to see?

The most popular highlight of the festival is the New Breed film category where up-and-coming filmmakers are given the opportunity to showcase their talents by premiering films funded by the Cinemalaya Foundation.

More recently, the Director’s Showcase (which focuses on more established directors) has also garnered a lot of interest for the festival. Finally, the Short Feature category premieres a collection of this year’s best short films.

All of these categories are in competition that culminates in an awards ceremony honoring the best indie films in the festival.

4. Indie Films!? Hindi ba panay social commentary at gay films lang ang indie?

Though there are independent films loaded with social commentary and explicit themes of homosexuality (with a good number of them being quite good), they aren’t representative of all independent film content.  There are independent films that tackle horror, comedy, drama, family, friendship and even heterosexual romance. Local independent cinema is a pretty eclective mix of styles, genres and themes.

Independent films, in the broadest of terms, don’t have the support of major film studios.  They rely on grants, partrons, friends and family to put up the costs for production.  It’s how they are made, rather than what they make.

5. Ayus. Where do I watch?

Cinemalaya has been held at the CCP for the past seven years. The CCP is the main venue for the festival so all major activities and films are housed there.  Within the CCP, movies are screened in five different venues.

However, this year the Cinemalaya screenings have branched out to Greenbelt 3 Cinemas for the very first time.

Two theatres in Greenbelt 3 will be showing films in competition in the New Breed Full Length Feature category, the Short Feature Category, the Director’s Showcase, and NETPAC Philippine Premieres. The films of the new Focus Asia section of Cinemalaya will also be shown there.

6. Wait, ba’t ang dami pang categories? Ano pa ang meron?

Cinemalaya is a lot bigger than most people think. Despite the popularity of the competition categories, there are a total 16 others offering different flavors of independent films. The festival also showcases everything from non-competition shorts, film retrospectives, forums, talks and special screenings of foreign films.

We’ll be running in-depth articles on each of the various categories of the festival. But for a bird’s eye view of what Cinemalaya has to offer, check out the schedule for yourself.

7. Ilang pelikula ba yung ipapalabas?

A LOT.  31 digital films in competition, plus more than a hundred in exhibition (seryoso).  For in-depth features on the different Cinemalaya films and events make sure to check back on our site regularly.

To find out what’s showing and where, check out the schedule.

8. Sounds Great! Where can I get tickets?

You can get them at CCP ticketbooths, Greenbelt ticketbooths and any Ticketworld outlets. 

9. How much are tickets?

Tickets are 150 pesos a head, per screening, at both CCP and Greenbelt.

10. Shit. Ang mahal. Wala bang packaged deal? Or season pass?

They have those too!

A One Day Pass will cost you 700 pesos. It features access to all screenings during one single day.

A Two Day Pass will cost you 1200 pesos. It features access to all screenings during two consecutive days.

A Festival Pass grants you access to all competition films. It goes for 2000 pesos.

A Flexi Pass grants you access to all competition films and eight (8) exhibition films of your choice for 3000 pesos.

Finally, the Premium Pass is an all access pass and gets you into special events for 5000 pesos. 

11. Pero estudyante lang ako! Talo na ako sa pamasahe!

Sandali lang.  If you are a Student, Senior Citizen, or are a Millitary or Government Employee, you can avail of a 50% Discount.  Just steal present an I.D confirming you as such.

But take note, no such discounts are available at the Greenbelt Screenings unless you are a Senior Citizen. Senior Citizens who watch at the Greenbelt Screenings can avail of their regular privileges.

12. Buti na lang may MTRCB pass ako.

Unfortunately, MTRCB passes will not honored in Greenbelt. The festival’s been granted blanket exemption. So there.

[UPDATE] They’re not honored in CCP either.

13. Wala bang tickets na mumura pa?

God you guys are cheap.  There are also 50% block sales discounts which you can work out with CCP Marketing at 832-1125 locals 1405 or 1803.

[UPDATE] You can’t reserve tickets via phone for CCP Screenings.  But you can reserve tickets for the Greenbelt screenings at sureseats.com

14. Okay, ready na ako bumili ng tickets! Ano na?

PLAN AHEAD. Check out the updated schedule first and find out what you want to see. It’ll be good to know what you’ll be watching before you buy tickets. ‘Wag kang bastos. Don’t hold up a line because you can’t decide which screening to go to.

Plan out your screenings. Know what films are showing on what day. If you’re planning to go attend the festival regularly, map out your week.  With the addition of theatres in Greenbelt 3, it should be easier—IF YOU PLAN AHEAD.

[UPDATE] The folks at Cinemalaya suggest buying all your tickets in one go so that you don’t have to keep coming back.  At para hindi din kayo maubusan.

15. Paano ‘yan? May mga kaibigan akong kasama?

If you plan on watching with friends, force them to plan with you. It’s their fault if they didn’t know you guys were watching the no dialogue cinéma vérité from japan (note: not an actual film this year). Kung umangal sila, unfriend mo na lang sila sa facebook.

Carpool if you can to avoid adding to the traffic and difficulty of parking. To help you plan, we’ll be posting updated skeds as we get them so check back regularly for those.

16. Panno kung wala akong friends?

It’s cool. Neither do we.

17. Pero first time ko mag Cinemalaya!  I don’t know what to see!

Start with the competition films! After all, they are what the festival is built around.  It’s usually a good mix of genres so you’re sure that there’s at least one film you’ll find interesting.  And if you haven’t the time for a feature length film, there are always the Short Films in competition.

All these films are a good gauge of what Cinemalaya is all about. But it always helps to do your research, so check back here on exclusive articles on what films are making waves at the festival.

18. I’m only free after work! How do I prioritize what to see?

If you’re eyeing the competition films this is no problem, a bulk of the schedule are the competition films and there are screenings at night for you to catch.

But if you’re eyeing the exhibition films or the talks, there’s a chance you might miss them because they’re usually scheduled during the day.

If you work really late, there are also midnite screenings. Unfortunately, these films aren’t in competition.

19. Putangina! Sold out na ang inaabangan kong pelikula! Paano na!?

You could still try your luck at the last minute by waiting at the counter or asking some of the ushers.  Sometimes not all the press and media folk watch the screenings they have slots in, so try and ask if it’s okay to have theirs. 

But you didn’t hear it from us. Unless you’re cute, single, and need a date. E-mail us.

20. Do they have a dress code?

None. But don’t abuse it and come naked.

The best advice we can give is dress accordingly and practically.  If you’re going to marathon films for a whole day, make sure you’re ready to do a lot of walking and a bit of waiting, so dress comfortably.

Bring a jacket (or a date) to keep you warm. If you’re attending a gala, show some respect to the film and the filmmakers by not dressing like you’ve just rolled out of bed (though yun nga naman yung uso ngayon.)

[UPDATE] Formal attire is required for the Galas.

21. OMG! Si (insert name of artista / direk / grip)? Puwede ba ako magpakilala?

Sure you can!  The Festival is as much a venue for the exchange of ideas and dialogue as it is a venue for the films.

It’s not uncommon for the directors, actors and speakers to be wandering around the venues just killing time.

Just make sure you’re polite and don’t be obnoxious.  If they seem dismissive give them the benefit of the doubt that they’re worrying about the film and a billion other details that come with the public screening of their films.

Kung wala kang makausap, ba’t ayaw mo na lang magpakilala sa katabi mo? Malay mo, baka-pelikula in the making yung magiging kuwento niyo (yiheeeee!)

22. Tagal pa ng screening. Mag-aantay pa ako. Anong gagawin ko?

The place is called the CULTURAL Center of the Philippines for a reason- it’s full of culture.  Besides the screenings, the CCP also houses a lot of art exhibits and galleries.

Take the time to loiter, explore and get lost in the CCP.

If all that culture isn’t your jam, Harbor Square is a brisk walk away from the venue and has a lot of bars and restaurants to hang out in.

But if you’re at Greenbelt, Mag-time-zone ka na lang muna.

23. Okay. Gutom na ako. Where can I eat?

If you’re at CCP, you’ll need to travel to Harbor Square for the closest bite to eat. Unfortunately, they do not sell food and beverages within the premises. But if you’re invited to a Gala, you can be lucky to find some hors d’oeuvres being served.

Century Park also has a lot of eateries and from what we hear has the best sushi in Manila (drop us a line in the comments if you agree or disagree), but may be a bit farther than Harbor Square.

But if you’re strapped for cash then the best option is to pack something for yourself. Eating is allowed within CCP. ‘Wag ka lang sana maghain ng Lechon.

24. Anything else I need to know?

Remember that Cinemalaya is a celebration of cinema, so make sure to relax, have fun, and bring an open mind when watching a lot of the movies.

They may be different from what you’d expect from the usual cinema, but that makes watching them even more satisfying.

25. Great!  Am I all set?

We don’t know. Are you?

———————————————————————————————————————————————————-

We’ll be updating this F.A.Q as soon as we get new information from Cinemalaya. Is there a question you think should make it on the list? Do you have more answers to suggest?

Let us know in the comments below!

                                                 

Comments