CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)  -- “What we need now is to deepen our frontier by representing and showcasing our narratives as Mindanaoans,” says Dr. Hobart Savior, Cinemagis Festival director and Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts director.

Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan, through its Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts (XCCA), brought back Cinemagis, the Northern Mindanao short film festival, on April 3–6 at the Xavier Ateneo Little Theater.

Cinemagis, which started in 2009 as a breakthrough film festival on this side of the country, now emerges as one of the long-running gatherings of regional filmmakers, celebrating cinematic works that reflect on the aspirations, experiences, images, lore, narratives, and voices of the people of Northern Mindanao.

Over the years, Cinemagis, which is a combination of the words “cine” and “magis” (to do more or greater), paved the way for some of the region’s filmmakers to be recognized both in the national and international scenes.

“Cinemagis Northern Mindanao Digital Short Film Festival started in 2009. Despite the pandemic, we feel that it is really supported by the community. The main purpose of this festival is to harvest the filmmaking potential of the region—that was the first goal,” said Savior.

He adds that there are a lot of filmmakers now in the region and the whole of Mindanao, but he believes that it is time to deepen Northern Mindanao’s filmmaking frontier by representing and showcasing our narratives as Mindanaoans and contributing to the overall creative industry of the country.  

Film in the Creative Industry

According to Jesusa M. Abear, OIC provincial director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Misamis Oriental, film festivals act as catalysts for economic development by leveraging the cultural and economic capital of host cities, such as Cagayan de Oro City, to promote tourism, stimulate local businesses, and foster innovation and investment in the creative industries. 

She said filmmaking is an audiovisual media domain in the creative industries, as stated in Republic Act No. 11904, also known as the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act.

The DTI secretary serves as chairperson of the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council, which was created to spearhead the development and promotion of the Philippines' creative industries.

“In line with DTI’s commitment to promoting creativity and innovation across various sectors, we are honored to stand alongside you in this endeavor. Your passion for the arts reflects values that resonate deeply with our mission of fostering growth, inclusivity, and sustainability in the creative industries,” said Abear.

CCP Cine Icons & Lakbay Sine

This year, Cinemagis featured two full-length films programmed by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) under its premiere programs, Cine Icons and Lakbay Sine.

Launched in 2023, Cine Icons is a premiere program of the Cultural Center of the Philippines with the aim of popularizing the remastered classic works of our national artists, while Lakbay Sine is an outreach program that brings different film projects to different regions, partner communities, organizations, and campuses to popularize the works of national artists and Filipino filmmakers and encourage film appreciation among the youth and the general public.

Mae Caralde, CCP Chief Culture and Arts Officer for the Film, Broadcast, and New Media Division Production and Exhibition Department, said, “It is our hope that through these films, screening—we inspire you  young filmmakers from Mindanao—to carry on in telling our stories—of our land and our people through your films. Storytelling, mind you, is powerful simply because it can change our way of seeing and being.”

The Cinemagis opening film is from the CCP Cine Icons program: the 2001 war/action film “Bagong Buwan,"  starring Cesar Montano, Amy Austria, and Jericho Rosales, directed by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Marilou Diaz-Abaya.

The Cinemagis Lakbay Sine programming showcased Alberto Monteras II's “Respeto” on April 5. The film stars Filipino hip-hop and rap artists Abra and Loonie. Cinemalaya released the film in 2017.

Also from the same programming is “Lando at Bugoy,” starring Allen Dizon and Gold Azeron and directed by Vic Acedillo, Jr., who also leads the selection panel for this year’s competition program of the festival.

Education and Audience Development

On April 4, Dr. Carthelyn Adajar, coordinator of the Social Development Humanities Cluster, and XU faculty held a talk on film anatomy and appreciation for students and guests as part of the Cinemagis Film Talk segment of the festival.

“We are talking about the structure of the film. By looking into the structure, we get to appreciate and realize that pinag-iisapan talaga ng direktor (the director really thinks about his craft); nothing is there by accident; it is all planned,” Adajar said.

She also notes that, similar to other artists, filmmakers spend time planning and executing scenes they wish to show on film.

As part of audience development, Cinemagis also held a series of paper presentations dubbed “Pelikula Places” on April 6. Orpheus Nery, Rodiell Veloso, Meckhan Tagarda, Alessandro Kennz Nioda, and Abigail James presented various cinematic journeys and creative realities in the region.

The 14th edition of CINEMAGIS Northern Mindanao Short Film Festival harvests nine films in competition as follows: “Da’un Ka Kayu’” (Leaf of Tree) by Geraldo Jumawan, “Aan Light” by Raj Valle, “Mi Verdadero Amiga” by Jun Senara, “Animal” by Alex James Cristino, “Dong” by Reyan Amacna, “Innocents” by Aldrin Cork, and “Desilya” by Toni Cañete, and three Zamboangueño films “Lente,” “Metamorphosis,” and “Mono” by Rosalie Escala-Sharif.

While former Cinemagis winners, tracing back to 2009, embraced the festival’s return in nostalgia, the film directors in this year’s competition braced for the announcement of winners on April 6.    

"Aan Light" won this year’s Special Award on Gender Advocacy, while the Best Actor award went to Charlie Rey Maata of "Lente,"  the Best Actress award went to Wally Walter of "Desilya," and a Special Citation for Alternative Cinema went to "Innocents" by Aldrin Cork.

Rosalie Escala Sharif won this year’s Best Director for "Lente."

The Best Short Film 2nd runner-up was awarded to "Aan Light," the 1st runner-up went to "Desilya," and the Best Short Film was "Lente."

“Cinemagis is one of the longest-running film festivals in Mindanao. We really have this commitment to put our community on the map of culture and the arts in the aspect of filmmaking—in the nation or even on a global scale,” said Savior.  

He continues by saying that this festival has provided a platform for regional filmmakers to showcase their realities, voices, and narratives to the community.

This year, the National Commission for Culture and Arts-led Cinema Rehiyon, which celebrates regional filmmaking on a national scale, the Gawad CCP Alternatibo, and the CCP Lakbay Sine: Pasalubong program of Cinemalaya will receive all films included in the Cinemagis 14 programming.

Cinemagis 14 is supported by the Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan-Office of Mission and Ministry, the Xavier Ateneo Film Society, the Cultural Center of the Philippines-Film, Broadcast, and New Media Division, the local government of Cagayan de Oro City, Mayor Rolando "Klarex" Uy, the Department of Trade and Industry-10, the Kagay-an Misamis Creative Council (KAMI Creative), Limketkai Luxe, Vice Mayor Jocelyn B. Rodriguez, 2nd District Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez, and the Philippine Information Agency-10. (SAYU/PIA-10)