The Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival is a film festival in the Philippines held annually during the month of August. Started in 2005, the festival is an avenue for Filipino filmmakers to showcase their stories in different walks of life.

COMPETITION SECTION

Coverage of the Feature Length and Short Film Competition section are found here.

NON-COMPETITION SECTION

Coverage of other categories (Opening Film, Newly Restored Classics, Closing Film, etc.) can be found here.

PRESS RELEASES

PRESS RELEASES
Film about Ayala (ALI) displacements in Sicogon to screen at Cinemalaya Film Festival
Film about Ayala (ALI) displacements in Sicogon to screen at Cinemalaya Film Festival

This Friday, August 9, ASOG – an award-winning feature film depicting the lives of Sicogon residents displaced by Ayala Land Inc (ALI) – will have its Filipino premiere at Ayala Malls Cinemas at Manila Bay as part of the 20th Cinemalaya Film Festival.

Project 8 and Mentorque partner up for the Cinemalaya film about grief and family, 'Kono Basho'
Project 8 and Mentorque partner up for the Cinemalaya film about grief and family, 'Kono Basho'

Take a trip to Japan with Kono Basho, an official film entry to the yearly awaited Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival – in theaters this August 2024.

FILM FEATURES

FILM & TV
Finding a Place of Healing in 'Kono Basho'
Finding a Place of Healing in 'Kono Basho'

Director Jaime Pacena II and actress Gabby Padilla talk about their Cinemalaya 2024 film, ‘Kono Basho’, and the many ways a geographical place bears witness to the hardest of human experiences.

Outpacing the Usual Steps through Cinemalaya
Outpacing the Usual Steps through Cinemalaya

From skipping two sets of stairs to being immersed in an inimitable experience, the personal joy of going to movie theaters must be cherished more despite the addictive ease of our restless screens. With Cinemalaya nearing, there's even more reason to embrace it.

From Romblon to Berlinale, Ryan Machado on the unlikely journey of ‘Huling Palabas’
From Romblon to Berlinale, Ryan Machado on the unlikely journey of ‘Huling Palabas’

‘Huling Palabas’ director Ryan Machado talks about getting into Berlinale with a genre-bending coming of age film.

John Rogers Gets Real With 'As If It's True'
John Rogers Gets Real With 'As If It's True'

In 'As If It's True', a social media influencer and a musician enter a fake relationship to resuscitate their dying careers. Read our interview with director John Rogers as he talks about the process of making his film and more.

ARCHIVES

Articles about previous iterations of the Cinemalaya FIlm Festival can be found here

FILM REVIEWS
'Tether' REVIEW: Intriguing concept with a half-baked execution
Abigail Manaluz
'Tether' REVIEW: Intriguing concept with a half-baked execution
Abigail Manaluz

Gian Arre's debut feature is lackluster on all fronts. It leaves you wanting for more, in the most baffling way possible.

Abigail Manaluz
'Gitling' REVIEW: Breaking barriers through language
Abigail Manaluz
'Gitling' REVIEW: Breaking barriers through language
Abigail Manaluz

From its direction to the performances, ‘Gitling’ perfectly captures that melancholic and quiet sense of loneliness and the pure joy of finding someone who’ll listen and understand you.

Abigail Manaluz
‘When This Is All Over’ REVIEW: Turning an intimate story into one big trip
Ryan Capili
‘When This Is All Over’ REVIEW: Turning an intimate story into one big trip
Ryan Capili

When This Is All Over may occasionally be confused at times, but it shows how you can turn an intimate story of a son who just wants to reunite with his mother into a one big trip.

Ryan Capili
‘Marupok AF’ REVIEW: A cursory glance at what the Trans community goes through
Ryan Capili
‘Marupok AF’ REVIEW: A cursory glance at what the Trans community goes through
Ryan Capili

Marupok AF (Where Is The Lie) comes from a sincere place of wanting to raise awareness on the struggles and difficulties that Trans people go through in our modern society, but the film doesn’t really do it justice by having Quark Henares tell the story and going with a dark comedic treatment.

Ryan Capili