SINEPIYU XVI: College Students Celebrate Student Filmmaking
SINEPIYU XVI: College Students Celebrate Student Filmmaking
Feature art by Abigail Manaluz
The Far Eastern University Film Society recently held the 16th year of their film festival, SINEPIYU XVI. Curated under the banner “LIGAW: Paglibot sa Kawalan,” (Liberated from Convention) SINEPIYU XVI presented 34 student-produced short films across two divisions, All-Tamaraws and Interschool, and four categories - covering both divisions’ narrative outputs, as well as experimental and documentary sidebars in the Interschool division. Over the week of April 29 through May 3, SINEPIYU XVI presented various screenings across the Far Eastern University Manila campus and Cinematheque Center Manila.
One of the week’s centerpieces was the SINEPIYU XVI Awards Night held at the FEU Main Auditorium on May 2, where the cast and crew of the various student short films produced were in attendance. There were many students who took the opportunity to display their unique fashion sense with their outfits, eventually crowning two Best Dressed winners who each culled from film influences and goth subcultures. You could make the case that there were many worthy contenders that night. Their sense of style was certainly in line with the range of short films which won that night.
The big winners of the night were Patient 08: the case of Seraphiel Manolito’s divine potentiality - year 20__ and Walang Sining sa Ulo, with four awards each. Walang Sining sa Ulo, a psychological horror film following a writer’s descent into madness, was the All-Tamaraws Second Best Film, also nabbed the Best Performance for Male award for actor Don Melvin. Experimental science-fiction film Patient 08 won Best Film in the All-Tamaraws division. Regarding production on Patient 08, [director] stated that despite their time constraints, “Tinreat na lang namin ‘tong project na ‘to as happy-happy lang talaga. And… ‘di ko naman gusto sabihin na no pressure, but, as in mas nangibabaw yung lightness, yung saya, and… yung craftsmanship ng everyone para sa pagbuo ng Patient 08.” (We just treated this project as “happy-happy,” really. And… I don’t wanna say, “No pressure,” but what prevailed was the lightness, the joy, and… the craftsmanship of everyone in making Patient 08.)
The Interschool Division also had their fair share of winners. Cagayan-set drama film Desilyas was the Interschool Best Film, winning two additional awards. Indigo, a drama film with time-travel, was the Interschool Second Best Film and winner of Interschool Best Director. The musical film Bata, Bata Ka Lang won two awards along with being named the Interschool Third Best Film.
FAMAS Award-winning actor Bembol Roco was in attendance to support Bilanggo ng Kinahinatnan, a period film set in World War II where he plays a supporting role as a Filipino tending to a Japanese soldier, which was named the All-Tamaraws Third Best Film. Character actor Rolando T. Inocencio was also there for Indigo, which was the Interschool Second Best Film. Child actor Prince España was the night’s stand-out, as he represented four short films from both the All-Tamaraws and Interschool divisions. España would end up winning the Interschool Best Actor for Male for Ang Sandata ni Mama.
SINEPIYU XVI Festival Director Luke Salazar concluded the Awards Night with a speech celebrating the achievements of the students, acknowledging the festival organizing team members, committees, and departments. Salazar’s speech circled back to the festival’s theme while also emphasizing the voice of student filmmakers. “Katulad ng isang pelikula, ang film festival ay maaaring maging isang porma ng protesta... Isa itong pagtitipon-tipon kung saan lahat tayo ay nakakapaglahad ng ating mga kuwento sa pamamagitan ng pelikula. Sa espasyong ito mabibigyan ang lahat ng kalayaang magkuwento, magpahayag, at magbahagi ng iba't-ibang perspektibo na ikinahaharap ng sangkatauhan.
“Hangarain parati ng organizers ng SINEPIYU na mabigyan ang ating mga student filmmakers ng kalayaang maglakbay, maligaw, at maglahad ng kanilang mga katotohanan ng walang pumipigil o nagtatali sa kanilang mga kamay. Kaya naman ginawa namin ang lahat para maisakatuparan ang proyektong ito. We did not rest because it would be a crime to let your films down.”
(“Similarly with film, a film festival can be a form of protest... It is a gathering where we can lay out our stories through film. In this space, everyone is given the autonomy to narrate, express, and communicate different perspectives facing humanity.
“The SINEPIYU organizers always yearn to give our student filmmakers the autonomy to explore, lose themselves, and unpack their truths with no suppressions or constraints on their hands. That is why we did everything to fulfill this project. We did not rest because it would be a crime to let your films down.”)
The full list of winners for SINEPIYU XVI is presented below.
Best Poster
Eskoba (Dir. Sherwin de Leon)
FCA Special Award
Baka Sakaling Umabot Sa Ulap (Dir. Patricia Anne Callanga)
Special Citation Award
Rod (Dir. Angelo Miguel Chua)
Honorable Mention - Experimental
Please Keep This Copy (Dir. Miguel Lorenzo Peralta)
Best Experimental Film
8 (Dir. Ervie Jay Torzar)
Honorable Mention - Documentary
Byukon (Dir. Ryand Angelo G. Ugalde)
Best Documentary
Kasama Kang Tumanda (Dir. Bianca Maxine Villanueva)
Best Sound and Best Editing - Interschool Division
Pusoy Dos (Dir. Isaiah Omana)
Best Sound and Best Editing - All Tamaraws
Patient 08: the case of Seraphiel Manolito’s divine potentiality - year 20__ (Dir. Vien Simbre)
Best Music - Interschool Division
Bata, Bata Ka Lang (Dir. Karl Cedrick Marquez)
Best Music - All Tamaraws
Crossing Fields (Dir. Gian Linezco)
Best Production Design - Interschool Division
Ang Sandata ni Mama (Dir. Grae Dela Cruz & Vynce Genica Ong)
Best Production Design - All Tamaraws
Bilanggo ng Kinahinatnan (Dir. Euxim Valonzo Garcia)
Best Cinematography - Interschool Division
Desilya (Dir. Toni Cañete)
Best Cinematography - All Tamaraws
Walang Sining sa Ulo (Dir. Andre Coros and Karl Ferrer)
Best Screenplay - Interschool Division
Desilya (Dir. Toni Cañete)
Best Screenplay - All Tamaraws
Walang Sining sa Ulo (Dir. Andre Coros and Karl Ferrer)
Best Direction - Interschool Division
Indigo (Dir. Ace Balbarez)
Best Direction - All Tamaraws
Patient 08: the case of Seraphiel Manolito’s divine potentiality - year 20__ (Dir. Vien Simbre)
Best Performance for Male - Interschool Division
Prince España (Ang Sandata ni Mama)
Best Performance for Female - Interschool Division
Zoey Madison Lim (Bata, Bata Ka Lang)
Best Performance for Male - All Tamaraws
Don Melvin (Walang Sining sa Ulo)
Best Performance for Female - All Tamaraws|
Raya Divata (Let’s Believe and Be Saved)
Third Best Film - Interschool Division
Bata, Bata Ka Lang (Dir. Karl Cedrick Marquez)
Third Best Film - All Tamaraws
Bilanggo ng Kinahinatnan (Dir. Euxim Valonzo Garcia)
Second Best Film - Interschool Division
Indigo (Dir. Ace Balbarez)
Second Best Film - All Tamaraws
Walang Sining sa Ulo (Dir. Andre Coros and Karl Ferrer)
Best Film - Interschool Division
Desilya (Dir. Toni Cañete)
Best Film - All Tamaraws
Patient 08: the case of Seraphiel Manolito’s divine potentiality - year 20__ (Dir. Vien Simbre)
SINEPIYU XVI’s short films are currently streaming for free on JuanFlix until May 16.
