Kalilas’ Anggulo reaps Cinemagis awards

Kalilas’ Anggulo reaps Cinemagis awards

by Irish Mae Fernandez-Dalona

The siege in the Islamic City of Marawi claimed hundreds of lives, destroyed homes, and caused the displacement of over 230,000 people. After a year, people seemed to have moved on, yet there are wounds that never heal and will continue to haunt those who survived in spite of their efforts of moving forward.

 This is the theme of the film “Anggulo”, a magnum opus of Kalilas, a newly established student organization of film-enthusiasts in MSU-IIT, which bagged awards in the recently concluded Cinemagis XI – Digital Short Film Festival in Northern Mindanao last January 26, 2019 at Xavier University, in Cagayan de Oro City.

 The film captures the struggles of displacement of a 17-year old Ahmad who is forced to flee his hometown and finds himself relocated to another city under the care of his aunt. It narrates how the trauma and horrors of his past constantly inflicts suffering as he seeks comfort in his new environment.

When asked for her inspiration for writing the story, scriptwriter Ainosalam Serad, a Bachelor of Arts in English Language (BAELS) freshman, said in an interview, “The media has always been talking about the physical damage [sa Marawi Siege] and all that political stuff. I thought that I also need to talk about the emotional struggles of every internally displaced persons (IDPs)….” Aino also posited that Maranaos are not the kind of people who talk about their internal struggle even if they badly want to, and so she finds it necessary for other people to know what her fellow Maranaos have been dealing with after the siege.

 “It’s not just about what stories we tell, or how we tell them. It’s about why we should tell them,” Norielle Joyce Dalman, a BS Information Systems junior, the film’s director, recounts when asked for her motivation to finish this film.

 The film stars Best Actor nominee Justin Cabiara as Ahmad, Caironesa Capal Dimatanday as Ahmad’s aunt, and Almojeb Mangotara as trisikad driver. The other members of the team include Angielle Schnaider for Cinematography and Editing, Aphrodite Bjork Colao for Sound Scoring, and John Robert Omandam for Art Direction.

Anggulo won the awards for Best Short Film, Best Story, Sound Scoring, Editing, Art Direction, including the coveted Sulyap Kultura Special Award. They have also been nominated for Best Actor, Cinematography, and Best Director. Anggulo bested twelve other films for Student Category, including other entries from MSU-IIT students, “Handuraw”, which was nominated for the awards Best Cinematography, Story, Actress, Director, Editing, and Film; and “Sa Paboritong Anak ni Papa”, which was nominated for the awards Best Story, Sound Scoring, Director, and Film. “Handuraw” was directed by Angielle Schnaider, a BSN student, while “Sa Paboritong Anak ni Papa” was directed by Christian Alan Toring, a BSIT student.

 For eleven years, Cinemagis has helped provide an avenue for young filmmakers like Kalilas to produce short films that address and reflect on Mindanao experiences, voices, issues and aspirations. This event was supported by NCCA and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

 The MSU-IIT, in its persistent concern for social issues, continues to inspire its students in becoming sensitive to the needs and muted voices of its neighboring communities. This is why the Institute, through its Cultural Development Office (CDO), celebrates this feat.  

Topics : film festival  cinemagis  Kalilas  Anggulo

Freshman MSU-IIT students’ entry, SANGIL, wins Best Short Film at CINEMAGIS 7

Freshman MSU-IIT students’ entry, SANGIL, wins Best Short Film at CINEMAGIS 7

by Mark Tristan J. Quimque


Cast and crew of Ambiance Productions with award-winning director Brillante Mendoza

Cagayan de Oro City – Sangil bagged the best short film and best cinematography awards for the student category during the Awards Night of CINEMAGIS – 7th Digital Short Film Festival in Northern Mindanao on January 24, 2015. It is the only festival entry outside Cagayan de Oro City in this category.

CINEMAGIS is an annual short film festival in Northern Mindanao organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts (XCCA) of Xavier University. The various activities of the festival, including a Brillante Mendoza film exhibit and workshop, were held on January 21-24 at SM, Cagayan de Oro City. CINEMAGIS picks the best representatives of Region X to the CINEMA REHIYON, a national film festival organized by the National Committee on Cinema of NCCA.

Sangil was produced by Ambience Productions headed by its director and screenwriter Christian Alan E. Toring, a first year BS Mechanical Engineering (BSME) student of MSU-IIT. The crew members and cast of Ambiance Productions are likewise freshman MSU-IIT students: Frederick Irving Rico (cinematographer, editor); Mark John Caballero (musical director, sound scorer, and editor); Jacques Russel Saladaga (art director); Winslyn Vega and Paul Andrew Mancia (story); Robert John Omandam (costume); and Justin Cabiara, Raven dela Cruz, John Benz Umbay, and Mitz Tapi-on (actors).

The film centers on a poor, young male student (Cabiara) whose character is depicted through the lens of the present society. At the start, he is portrayed as an introvert, socially awkward, and is often seen oddly checking out an attractive college girl (dela Cruz) from afar like a stalker. Only after being confronted for his odd behavior towards the girl will a revelation of his true character and intentions happen.

During the 3rd Peace Film Festival (PFF) held here in MSU-IIT last December 1, 2014, Sangil was among the top short film entries. The film garnered the following awards: People’s Choice, Second Best Film, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor.

The 3rd PFF was organized by the Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao (IPDM) of MSU-IIT, in partnership with the Civil Peace Service Program of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

Topics : sangil  cinemagis  short film festival