The premier screening of short films by two Negrense filmmakers, which are in competition in this year’s Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, was held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on Sunday, August 6.
The short films of Kurt Soberano and Kent John Desamparado, “Golden Bells” and “Ang Kining Ambahanon kag Binalaybay ko Para sa Imo”, were screened at the Cinema Rizal of the PICC.
They are among 10 films vying for the Best Short Film award at the festival.
Soberano and Desamparado’s films were part of the Cinemalaya Shorts B program which involves stories about familial love shot and produced from various regions in the country.
Soberano is a filmmaker from Bacolod City while Desamparado is from Sagay City in Negros Occidental.
They both graced the red carpet of the biggest independent film festival in the country, which opened on Friday, August 4, at the PICC.
They joined film industry luminaries like national artist for film Ricky Lee, national artist for dance Alice Reyes, renowned actress Dolly de Leon, Director Joey Javier Reyes, among others, and their fellow directors and filmmakers whose films were selected in the short and feature film competition categories.
Now on its 19th year, the festival is traditionally held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines but the venue is now under a three-year renovation.
The festival will run from August 14 to 13 with screenings at the PICC, Glorietta Mall, UP Town Center, and Ayala Mall Manila Bay, all in Metro Manila.*