Cinemalaya’s 20-Year Legacy: Filipino Filmmakers and Independent Cinema Flourishing Through Cinematic Narratives

To date, Cinemalaya has nurtured over 200 Filipino filmmakers and showcased more than 1,000 of their works, including full-feature films, shorts, documentaries, Filipino film classics, and art films.

The country’s biggest and pioneering independent film festival has been relentless in developing and supporting the production of independent Filipino films since its founding in 2005, bringing new narratives that reflect the ever-evolving landscape of Filipino cinema each year.

Shortly after celebrating its 20th year, Cinemalaya has once again welcomed another batch of filmmakers, giving them the opportunity to articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity. With two decades under its belt and many filmmakers propelled to success, we look back at some of the pioneers who helped establish this tradition.

“I couldn’t believe I would become a director,” said 2005 Cinemalaya director Michael Angelo Dagñalan. “Joining Cinemalaya opened so many doors and windows for me.”

Dagñalan is a writer, director, and composer/vocalist for the alternative rock band KontraLuz. He also founded Kuwentista Productions, a creative studio for film, television, and advertising. His debut full-length film, Isnats, is a crime-comedy about a snatcher who steals a drug dealer’s phone.

He worked with a script he had already completed before joining Cinemalaya—a script he had pitched to directors for two years without success. When Cinemalaya came along, he seized the opportunity to finally bring his work to life.

“It was a big deal because it gave you recognition and credibility for finishing a feature film, which is really hard to mount. Even now, making a film is difficult. It’s funny because the DVD of Isnats even froze during the premiere night,” he shared.

Isnats also won First Prize in the Dulang Pampelikula category of the 52nd Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. It was selected as an exhibition film at the 7th Cinemanila International Film Festival and included in the official selection of the New York Filipino Film Festival.

For Rica Arevalo, the first recipient of the Balangay trophy for Best Director, Cinemalaya was a great experience because they were trained to be professional filmmakers.

“The awards were secondary for me,” she said. “I made the film because I wanted to, and I had something to say.”

Arevalo is a writer, director, and educator. She is currently the head of the Education Division of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

The filmmaker revealed she has a soft spot for films about family, which led her to debut with ICU Bed #7, a quiet, funny, and moving family drama about an ailing father and his two daughters, who are torn between ending or prolonging his life.

Arevalo fondly recalled how she envisioned Eddie Garcia as her lead actor while she was still writing the script back in 2003. Through Raymond Red, she met Garcia and cast him as the ailing father. She praised his professionalism as a veteran actor, which further inspired her craft.

ICU Bed #7 was also nominated for Digital Movie of the Year, with Arevalo nominated for Digital Movie Director of the Year and Eddie Garcia for Movie Actor of the Year at the 2006 Star Awards for Movies. Arevalo also won second place at the 53rd Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature for the same film.

Like Dagñalan and Arevalo, multi-awarded writer, director, producer, and creative executive Aloy Adlawan joined the rest of the pioneer Cinemalaya directors as a first-time full-length filmmaker.

“I had been working in TV since 1994 until 2002. So, I thought, maybe it was time to make films,” Adlawan said. “I wanted to pursue filmmaking since I already had access to the industry.”

A chemical engineer by profession, Adlawan tested the waters of filmmaking with his debut full-length Room Boy, a drama about a motel room boy who falls in love with a prostitute helping him find a new place to live. It was inspired by an episode he wrote for Star Drama Presents, an ABS-CBN Saturday program that featured a mix of veteran and upcoming stars from 1993 to 2001.

“I twisted the concept and turned it into a dramatic film with a love story,” Adlawan mentioned. “It was character-driven, which gave it life.”

Adlawan also shared how his ongoing career in the entertainment industry helped him with casting, as he would write scripts with specific actors already in mind: “Some actors look for something edgy, something dramatic or offbeat, so they can deeply explore their craft.”

In discussing the craft, Dagñalan emphasizes the freedom that art provides. As someone who started out in theater and writing before transitioning to film, he celebrates the accessibility of tools and resources for aspiring artists to pursue their passion.

“People are excited to tell stories because it's natural for us,” Dagñalan said. “Art has no age—it’s immortal. No matter your status—rich or poor, educated or not—you can become a storyteller of the nation.”

For Arevalo, who rejoices at the thriving community of young filmmakers today, new talents are always something to look forward to.

“They’re more daring, more fearless. Their storytelling approach is unique.”

Meanwhile, Adlawan urges aspiring filmmakers to find their voice and strive for authenticity in their craft: “If you're that passionate and you know who you are as a storyteller, filmmaker, or artist, you’ll always land on your feet and find yourself in the right place.”

In its future editions, Cinemalaya will undoubtedly continue to uphold its vision of discovering, encouraging, supporting, training, and recognizing talented Filipino independent filmmakers.