A Guide To Cinemalaya Film Festival 2017

This film tackles the story of an overseas Filipino worker as she escaped the hands of her rapist boss and heads back to her family in the Philippines to start anew. However, she is constantly troubled over her terrible experiences in the past.

Angeli Bayani leads the star-studded cast ensemble which also features Boots Anson-Roa, Sharmaine Buencamino, Yayo Aguila, Raquel Villavicencio, and Bing Pimentel. It is directed by Zig Dulay , Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival 2013 winner for Best Screenplay for Ekstra starring Star for All Seasons, Vilma Santos.

The story chronicles the travails of a woman desperate and hopeful that she can bring her children and husband back together while needing the help of a family that is known to never weep. This is the Megastar, Sharon Cuneta’s first Cinemalaya film festival entry, a must watch for all the Sharonians! Don’t let the title fool you, the trailer shows that despite the sad tone of the story, it has a little bit of comedy present with the help of Moi Bien.

Jake Cuenca plays Matt, a biker ill-stricken with Parkinsons’ disease and early blindness, embarking on his one last journey to ride his bike from Manila to Mt. Pinatubo. While on his journey, he encounters his old flame Sandy, played by Anna Luna. Together with Sandy, Matt faces the harsh terrains on his way. Bikers, adventure-seekers, and nature-lovers will appreciate this movie. Expect action, romance, breathtaking scenes, and thought-provoking dialogues from this flick. The movie is written and directed by Nerissa Picadizo.

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This musical drama film features real life rapper Abra as Hendrix, an aspiring rapper at the underground hip-hop scene. As he struggles with the hardships of his life, he encounters a veteran poet named Doc (Dido Dela Paz) who is constantly haunted by his past. The duo soon helps each other face their own weakness: Hendrix with his lyrics and Doc with forgetting his past. This movie is a treat for local hip-hop music fans as Abra’s fellow real-life rapper Loonie also stars in this movie.

Jason Harper becomes the primary suspect after his wife Luna mysteriously went missing. As Jason plans to leave the country, he is constantly stopped by the events and investigation following his wife’s disappearance. Billy Ray Gallein formerly starred in shows like Hawaii Five-0, Lost, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine before taking the lead in this movie Jason Harper, while Hashtag’s Jameson Blake plays as his son. The movie also stars Gina Alajar and JC Santos. The film is directed by Sonny Calvento.

After their sea suddenly went red after a violent storm, the residents of a peaceful fishing village perceive it as an omen coming from a mythical creature called Baconaua. However, the villagers are unsure whether the omen is a symbol of unforeseen bad luck or a blessing given by the gods. Bembol Roco, Elora Españo, Teri Malvar, and JM Salvado form the ensemble of the superstitious villagers living in an island located in Southern Tagalog. The film is directed and written by Joseph Israel Laban.

This inspirational heartwarming drama shows how important education is for children, even to those being trained as child warriors by extremist groups. Because of the worsening terrorism condition of their neighboring town, children of Aaquil’s (Alfred Vargas) barrio are deprived of basic education. Teachers and medical professionals are too afraid to come to their barrio so Aaquil, who is an illiterate farmer, pretends that he can read in order to teach children in his barrio while giving them hope for their own education. The film is directed and written by Perry Escaño.

Despite the masculine sounding title, this movie will tug heartstrings among viewers. This coming-of-age drama shows Kiko, an 11-year-old boy whose mother just died. While processing his loss, he attempts to reconnect with his estranged father (Yul Servo)-who is a former boxer way past his glory days. The two soon got closer again as they bond over grief and their similar love for boxing. Kiko is played by former The Voice Kids contestant Noel Comia Jr in his big screen debut.

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Upon hearing a confession of murder, Father Romi and the church’s lone altar boy Nonoy faces predicament and heavy guilt as they struggle to bring justice when they’re sworn to the “Seal of Confessional”—an oath that priests take that prevents them from revealing details about the confessionals. Angel Aquino plays Magda; the confessor who killed her friend Dolores whom she believes is having an affair with her husband. Jake Macapagal is the anxious Father Romi, Mercedes Cabral is Dolores, and Sam Quintana is Nonoy.

• Secure your tickets early! This event is yearly anticipated by a lot of film fans.

• Check the schedules of the screenings as you buy your tickets to see which time fits your schedule most.

• It’s more fun to watch with friends, ticket bundles are available for at least a group of five people.

• If you plan on watching many movies, secure a day pass. The tickets would cost cheaper instead of paying PhP150 per screening. A day pass that admits 4 screenings is worth PhP500 pesos. The total of watching 4 screenings with regular ticket price is PhP600.

For the complete list of venues and screening schedules visit the Cinemalaya website. Tickets cost PhP150 each and are available through Ticketnet.