The festival
Cinemalaya, established in 2005, is the Philippines' foremost independent film festival, organized by the Cinemalaya Foundation with support from the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It is dedicated to developing and promoting Filipino independent cinema, most visibly through its film competition and grants for new works, and has become a launching pad for many notable Filipino filmmakers.
Worth knowing
Historically held in July and later August, the festival's schedule has shifted over the years. It is traditionally centered on the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex, with screenings also at partner cinemas.
How to attend
Cinemalaya is open to the public, with tickets sold for individual screenings at the CCP complex and partner venues. It draws large local audiences for its competition films and forums.
Awards & submissions
At the heart of Cinemalaya is a competition built around seed grants: each year the Cinemalaya Foundation awards funding to a slate of new Filipino filmmakers to produce festival films, which then compete for the festival’s top honor, the Balanghai Trophy, along with awards in numerous craft and performance categories and a dedicated short-film competition. The grant has grown substantially over the years as government and institutional partners have increased their support, making it one of the most significant production platforms for Philippine independent cinema. Centred on the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex with screenings at partner cinemas, the festival draws large local audiences for its competition films, forums and filmmaker discussions, and has served as a launching pad for many notable Filipino directors. Submission and grant-application details are published on the official Cinemalaya website ahead of each edition.
Official site →Dates and programs change year to year — check the official site for the current edition.