The Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival concluded its 20th edition with an awards ceremony recognizing filmmakers who explored the theme “Loob, Lalim, Lakas.”
Richard Jeroui Salvadico and Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay’s film Tumandok was a standout, winning several awards including the Best Full-Length Film.
The film, which depicts the Ati ethnic group’s fight to reclaim their ancestral lands in Western Visayas, received P350,000 from the Cinemalaya Foundation and a post-production package from Central Digital Lab.
Sumagaysay expressed gratitude for the recognition, noting that participation in the festival had already been a success in raising awareness and support for the Ati community.
“Before the awards, we felt we had already won. Winning the Best Full-Length Film is a huge bonus because it allows us to reach even more people,” she said.
In an interview with Manila Standard Entertainment, Sumagaysay highlighted the collaborative effort behind the film.
“We are thrilled because this project involved not just Richard and me, but also the entire cast and crew, and the 296 people from Sitio Kabarangkalan who contributed to its completion,” she added.
She also credited the seven communities that she and Salvadico had been visiting for the past five years to ensure the accuracy of what they were portraying on screen.
Sumagaysay admitted to having several challenges during their lengthy yet eventually fruitful production, one of them being how she needed to translate the script to English, Tagalog, and Hiligaynon, as well as Inati, the language of the Ati, for both the film crew and the members of the Ati community to understand each other.
Another came with how many of the Ati actors did not know how to read so they had to resort to dictating their lines to them.
“From 7:00 a.m. hanggang mag-11:00 p.m., nagdidictate kami ng lines nila para mamemorize nila,” said Sumagaysay.
Despite the difficulty, the director and scriptwriter shared how they were able to connect with the community and learn more about their language throughout the production.
“Worth it naman pala kapag yung pinaglalaban mo [ay] tama,” said Sumagaysay.
Apart from the Best Full-length Film award, Tumandok also took home the awards for Best Original Music Score (Paolo Almaden, The Ati People of Kabarangkalan and Nagpana), Best Screenplay (Sumagaysay, Arden Rod Condez), Best Supporting Actor (Felipe Ganancial), and the NETPAC Jury Award for full-length film.
Meanwhile, other notable winners included Enzo Osorio, who received the Best Performance by an Actor award for his sensitive and convincing portrayal of a boy who speaks out about his abuse in The Hearing.
Marian Rivera and Gabby Padilla were honored with the Best Performance by an Actress award.
Rivera was recognized for her spirited role as a public school teacher defending the integrity of the ballot in Balota. Padilla was celebrated for her moving portrayal of a young woman grappling with cultural and personal challenges during a foreign funeral in Kono Basho.
Sue Prado won Best Performance by a Supporting Actress for her role in Kantil, where she portrayed a community leader striving to maintain unity in a coastal village facing eviction.
The 20th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival awards night was held last Aug. 11 at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay.
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