DAVAO CITY (PIA)—Since its inception in 2013, the laid-back town of Nabunturan, the capital of Davao de Oro province, has been buzzing with creative excitement every third week of September as the Nabunturan Independent Film Exhibition (NABIFILMEX) takes over various locations across the municipality, nestled amidst verdant hills.
The town, whose lone cinema closed down in the 1980s, has managed to host a regional film festival through open-air plaza screenings utilizing a giant inflatable screen lent by an NGO. These screenings are complemented by those held at various schools in the town.
“In Nabunturan, we have no cinemas; we do not have malls with cinemas. So, when we started NABIFILMEX, we started using alternative screening venues like schools and then outdoors using the inflatable screen,” explains Atty. Karen Santiago-Malaki, the former municipal administrator and a founding member of the festival.
The festival was initially organized by the Municipal Tourism Council with the help of regional filmmakers from the province and Davao City, 100 kilometers away, which also boasts a vibrant independent filmmaking scene.
Over the years, NABIFILMEX has received support from government offices such as the Department of Education, the Cinema Committee of the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).
In 2017, recognizing NABIFILMEX’s impact in inspiring other regional cinemas, the NCCA chose Nabunturan to host the 2017 Cinema Rehiyon, the NCCA’s flagship film festival that brings together films and creatives from different regions across the country.
The FDCP also established a 100-seater cinematheque in the town, providing a dedicated cinema facility for year-round screenings.
Many local filmmakers are students and teachers, particularly those involved in the Special Program for the Arts (SPA) in schools across Davao de Oro.
This year’s NABIFILMEX, held from September 18 to 21, attracted 170 films from different regions in the Philippines. Of these, 38 short films were shortlisted for the competition, including five produced by Davao de Oro students. There were also 15 non-competing exhibition films.
Richard Arellano, the current festival director, says they have accepted more documentary films for competition this year. The theme for this year’s festival is “Cinema in the Open: Embracing a New Decade.”
Arellano, a filmmaker and public senior high school teacher, emphasizes that the film festival has always been a collaborative effort between educational institutions, private citizens, and national agencies.
“This year’s festival started with honing our grassroots artists, especially our students from neighboring municipalities, with our annual Sine Indie Filmmaking workshops. This is also a collaboration with Education Program Supervisor Emman Clarion, supported by outgoing School Division Superintendent Cristy Epe and the incoming SDS Phoebe Gay Refamonte, with mentors Mindanaoan Filmmakers Arbi Barbarona and Edmund Telmo, which has been a collaboration with FDCP’s Academic Film Society,” Arellano says.
Aside from the municipal plaza screenings and those held at schools, NABIFILMEX also expanded its reach with “NABIFILMEX on Wheels,” a new addition to the festival, in collaboration with the FDCP’s Academic Film Society.
Arellano attributes the longevity and success of this year’s NABIFILMEX to the strong support of the municipal government led by Mayor Myrocel Clarin-Balili, who graced the festival as one of the award presenters.
“The festival, since its inaugural year, has been supported by the LGU Nabunturan with the Tourism Office as the technical working group headed by the Tourism Operation Officer Leah Calamba, who also serves as the Festival Manager together with her staff,” Arellano said.
The town envisions NABIFILMEX as a platform for local artists and filmmakers to reach a wider audience. It also empowers local creatives, boosts the local economy, and promotes tourism.
“The festival provided workshops/training to hone artists’ skills, provide income to our local artists when they can sell their artworks, and provide small business owners an avenue to market products. NABIFILMEX also revitalizes the economy of Nabunturan as regional filmmakers come to Nabunturan and enjoy the different tourism establishments,” Arellano said.
The rest of the NABIFILMEX winners include:
Best Screenplay:
Dale Gugudan – Today Can’t Be Thursday because Thursday was Yesterday
Best Production Design:
Rochelle Crisostomo – Animal Lovers
Best Music:
Jansen Adarlo, Gian Ciriaco, & Bernard Guinto – Bata Bata Ka Lang
Best Sound Design:
Jed Dumaguina- Animal Lovers
Best Actor:
Jorell Balanay – Open Time
Best Actress:
Jade Mary Cornelia – Text FIND DAD and Send to 2366
Best Editing:
Seph Tan – Kiang
Best Cinematography:
Carlos Mauricio – Animal Lovers (PIA/RGA)
