Artistic Stakes Are Higher With Cinemalaya 2024 Finalists

 

ALIPATO BY JL BURGOS

LOGLINE: The brother of missing activist Jonas Burgos bares in this documentary the untold stories behind the confidential leads, damning evidence, and why the disappearance of his brother remains a relevant case today.

GULAY LANG MANONG BY BC AMPARADO

LOGLINE: Pilo is a struggling, old vegetable farmer in Benguet. His stoner brother, Ricky, is part of the prominent Benguet Marijuana Cartel and is being trained by his best friend, Razer, a cunning midget and a well-known personality in the underground Ganja community.  Amidst the all-out drug war, Ricky falls into the hands of a promising patrolman, Ariel, who is in pursuit of the organization. In a desperate attempt to uncover the cartel, Ariel tasks Pilo to fetch Razer in exchange for Ricky’s head. Unable to fulfill the terms in his attempt, Pilo now pledges his alliance with Ariel, and together they try and catch Razer to expose the Cartel and its members learning shocking secrets as they burrow deep into the world of this so-called “drug”.

KONO BASHO (THIS PLACE) BY JAIME PACENA II

LOGLINE: An introspective journey of a Filipino son attending the funeral of his estranged OFW father in a city in Japan that is rebuilding from the aftermath of the March 2011 tsunami.

THE ERRAND BY SARGE LACUESTA

LOGLINE: A driver is sent on a simple errand: to pick up a designer t-shirt and a tin of viagra for his boss, who is shacked up in a hotel with his lover. Simple as it sounds, the road trip crisscrosses the chasms of time, class, and character.

ANG TUMANDOK (THE INHABITANTS) BY KAT SUMAGAYSAY AND RICHARD SALVADICO

LOGLINE: Based on real-life trials of the Atis, the indigenous people of Central Panay, and starred by the Atis themselves, ANG TUMANDOK features a 16-year-old chieftain’s daughter as she fights tooth and nail with her people for their ancestral land. The gripping tale takes us deep into the heart of their fight, highlighting their unwavering spirit and their unbreakable bond with the land they call home.

BALOTA BY KIP OEBANDA

LOGLINE: A land-grabbing tycoon and a former sexy male actor are locked in a tight race for mayor in a small town. When violence erupts, Emmy, a teacher, runs into the wilderness with a ballot box, the last copy of the election results. Emmy and the community try to outsmart and outmaneuver the goons who want the elections to fail.

KANTIL (TRENCH) BY JOSHUA CAESAR MEDROSO

LOGLINE: While facing threats of demolition, a coastal community of informal settlers in Purok 12, Tibungco, Davao City discovers a strange, unearthly shell by the sea. This makes them more vulnerable to menacing powers set out to destroy their homes and their humanity.

LOVE CHILD BY JONATHAN JURILLA

LOGLINE: Young, unmarried couple, AILA and PAO must agree on certain terms on how to properly raise their son, who is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), if they wish to keep their relationship afloat. Or would they rather heed the call of their unfulfilled dreams?

THE WEDDING DANCE BY JULIUS LUMIQUED

LOGLINE: In 1942, a Kalinga woman is personally invited by her husband, a warrior of their tribe, to his new wedding dance.