TO empower the Cebuano cinema is the main goal of the Binisaya Film Festival (BFF), and it is that time of the year again that the organization will showcase Binisaya films as it officially launched the films that made it to the final selection last Monday.

The BFF is divided into different categories: Binisaya Shorts, a category which champions the vernacular films; the Asian Shorts, which shows films made by neighboring Asian countries; the Binisaya Shorts in Exhibition, films which showcase the region in contemporary Filipino Cinema; and the Homecoming category, which exhibits Cebuano films that have been shown around the world except Cebu.

The growing reach of Binisaya since it started nine years ago, also means a growing number of participants each year showcasing their films.

This year’s BFF carries the theme “Tan-aw Man Ka.” It has selected 25 films in all categories.

From approximately 40 film entries, the heads selected nine to compete in the film festival (Binisaya Shorts). The other categories are merely for exhibition.

Grace Marie Lopez, one of the founding members of Binisaya Movement Inc., said during the press launch that Cebuanos should be proud to have films that are good and something that can be called their own.

Through this vision, filmmakers from Cebu, Visayas and Mindanao got the chance to showcase their films. Here are the BFF 2018 entries.

ANG WA’ DAMHANG IMPORTANSYA SA TELESERYE

(18:27 minutes)

Directed by Cagayan de Oro native Rodiell Veloso, the film shows the struggle of a soap opera screenwriter, Joe. He is at odds with the soap opera showrunner, who wants a cliché ending for the show. A battle of external and internal conflicts arises as Joe tries to deal with the pressures of catering to the general audience’s taste and his own creative fulfillment.

SA PAGSALOP SA ADLAW

(5:31 MINUTES)

Within five minutes, the short film directed by Cebuano filmmaker Angelo Abella shows the journey of a young man who wanders around the city to bring back old memories. He then pays a visit to the person he loves the most. While the young man faces the challenges he encounters in his journey, the film also shows the significance of time.

BREAKDOWN

(7:20 MINUTES)

Directed by Neil Nanta, a Cebuano filmmaker, the film shows the projection of urban dysfunction within Cebu.

WALAY NIDANGUYNGUY

(11:32 MINUTES)

Glorypearl Dy, a filmmaker from Davao, shows in her film how a group of women forced to leave their place, face the challenges throughout their journey. Dealing with various challenges, their lives are depicted in visual and musical score. When familiar spaces become strangers, these women transform into the departed.

PROPESIYA

(13:09 MINUTES)

Depicting the life of nature, this Alyssa Manugas film dares to ask: “What if the doomsday is one of us? Will she continue what she is destined to do or give us another chance? How will she decide? Do our actions on treating Mother Earth affect her decision?” The film tries to answer these questions.

THE LAST QUESTION

(17:24 MINUTES)

Jeremy Damazo’s film tells the story of a man named Greg, who finds himself trapped and tortured in an unknown location. Of all the things he has been through, his last question is “Why?”

DISKRO

(19:54 MINUTES)

A film by another Cebuano filmmaker, Dan Banate. It tells the story of an art student named Kido, who lives a mundane college life. Circumstantially, Kido was introduced to an emerging drug that psychedelically affects people, making him more creative and ecstatic, but at the expense of having a dysfunctional sense of time.

WALA’Y HUMAYAN SA TANGLAD

(20:12 MINUTES)

Neil Briones, another local filmmaker, directs this film showing the lives of farmers. A documentary crew goes out to the Philippine agricultural heartland to tail the lives made rich by miracle rice--a prized strain of the grain with almost mythic qualities.

DRIMSIKOL

(10:14 minutes)

Cebuano filmmaker Tyl Abellanada tells the story of Jennieh, a woman troubled by a recurring nightmare. With the desire to stop the nightmare, she visits a dream shop to alter her dreams.

Aside from these films competing in the BFF, there are also other films from other categories which will be exhibited during the festival.

In the Asia Shorts, the competing films are “The Nameless Boy” by Diego Mahameru (Indonesia), “A Dream of Interest” by Huiyi Li (China), “The Eternal Journey” by Sunil Pandey (Nepal), “The School Uniform” by Shunn Lei Swee Yee (Myanmar), “Spring Awakening” by Ya-chih Cheng (Taiwan), “Kampung Tapir” by See Wee Aw (Malaysia) and “And What Is the Summer Saying” by Payal Kapadia (India).

There are eight films under the Binisaya Shorts in Exhibition: (Peripheral Mindanao) “House Under the Crescent Moon” by Gutierrez Mangansakan II, “Angan-angan” by Sheron Dayoc, “Apple” by Sherad Sanchez, “Victor” by Jarell Serencio, “Memoryal ng Isang Saliksik” by Jan Pineda, “Wala’y Naa Diri” by Jean Dy, “Panicupan” by Bagane Fiola and Keith Bacongco, and “Ang Ikaduhang Pagbalik” by Jeffrie Po.

Meanwhile, a new category was added in this year’s festival: Homecoming section. It will showcase the film “Babylon,” which had been exhibited in Berlin. It was directed by Keith Deligero, the founder of the BFF.

BFF is a venue for local filmmakers in the Visayas as well as in Mindanao, to showcase their talents in filmmaking. It aims to promote the Cebuano cinema.

Aside from the film showing, for the first time, BFF will also have a Block Party on Sept. 20 to 22. (S)