Veteran actress-director and Cinemalaya Foundation president Laurice Guillen (wearing red) during the opening ceremony of Cinemalaya at Evia Vista Cinemas. Photo by Glaiza Lee

The eyeball balloons dropped again on Thursday night, August 7, from the ceiling of a cavernous hall.

But this time, it’s at Evia Vista Mall on Daang Hari in Bacoor City, Cavite, signaling the opening of Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival at mainstream cinemas nationwide until August 13.

Cinemalaya Foundation president Laurice Guillen led the ceremonies, explaining how 15 years ago, the festival started with a mission to help a new breed of filmmakers.

“Noon, hindi pa uso ang indie films. Ang napapanood lang natin ‘yung mga commercial films na wala nang masyadong pinupuntahan,” she said in her informal speech. She narrated it started like an experiment, how screenplays were chosen, and the finalists, or the aspiring filmmakers, were given seed money.

Guillen said now, there are about more than a hundred new filmmakers that Cinemalaya has helped over the years.

“Marami sa kanila nagdidirek na rin ng commercial films. Masaya kami na nabigyan sila sa kanilang pagsisimula sa industriya,” she added.

Among the finalists in this year’s festival, director Sheryl Andes introduced the cast and crew of “Pandanggo sa Hukay,” one of the 10 full-length films in competition. The night was capped with a film showing of “Pandanggo.”

The first eyeball balloon-dropping incident happened on August 2 at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, where the closing ceremony will also take place on Sunday, August 11. Reportedly, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra will perform with Itchyworms.

In the last 14 years, Guillen has been one of the prime movers of the independent film industry. As Cinemalaya Foundation president, she has seen how young and new filmmakers have grown in the festival, and how some veteran filmmakers who needed an outlet from the commercial system would join to fulfill their dream projects.

“Looking back, we are basically the same group of people here today – people with diverse interests, from the arts, academe, film industry, business, and government – but with one common interest: nurturing the dream of Filipino films that are truly reflective of our culture,” she said in a prepared speech she read a couple of weeks ago during the launch of the 15th Cinemalaya, a hard copy of which this writer asked from her.

“Year after year since 2005, that dream has seen how events and changes here and worldwide are reflected in the films selected for competition. Political, environmental, social, technological upheavals find their way into the changing face of independent films,” she added.

With the words “films that are truly reflective of our culture,” we try to get a glimpse of what we’ve experienced in the past 14 years, and the filmmakers who made such an impact.

We can remember the likes of director Adolfo Alix Jr., whose debut film “Donsol” in the second year of Cinemalaya (2006) was eventually released in commercial theaters and graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board.

Prior to “Donsol,” Alix was a sought-after scriptwriter. Now, Alix has been recognized here and abroad for his succeeding works which are too many to mention.

Another is Chris Martinez, who made his debut feature “100” in the fourth year of Cinemalaya (2008). It won the Best Director, Best Film, Best Screenplay, Audience Choice, Best Actress (Mylene Dizon), and Best Supporting Actress (Eugene Domingo) awards.

Nowadays, Martinez is among the most successful young directors for film, television, and theater. In commercial cinema, most notable of his works are the “Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank” series.

Not only young but even veteran directors were given assistance by Cinemalaya to make their dream projects.

We remember when it opened the-now defunct Director’s Showcase, a category that once catered to veteran directors. The likes of Mario O’ Hara (“Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio”), Joel Lamangan (“Hustisya”), Jeffrey Jeturian (“Ekstra,” “Bisperas”), Carlos Siguion-Reyna (“Hari ng Tondo”), and Gil Portes (“Two Funerals”) came out of their comfort zones.

We remember Lamangan once saying to us in an interview: “Mabuti na lang may Cinemalaya, otherwise hindi ko alam paano mabibigyan ng hustisya ang ‘Hustisya.’”

The film had Nora Aunor in the defining role of Biring, a woman framed up for murder. This premise obviously won’t make it to commercial theaters.

Among the younger but experienced directors in this category were Mark Meily (“Donor”), Jerold Tarrog (“Sana Dati”), and Joselito Altarejos (“Kasal”), among others. Tarrog went on to direct the biggest grossing historical film to date, “Heneral Luna.”

And the list goes on.

In her earlier speech, Guillen emphasized why going to the cinemas offers a better experience.

“In the age of streaming devices, filmmakers and other stakeholders in the movie industry are lamenting of the declining number of people going to the cinemas,” she said.

Cinemalaya offers a better alternative. She mentioned how it worked at the CCP venues: “Every year at the different venues at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the experience is like no other because it is there where the gala screenings, premieres, forums and other live interactions among audiences, filmmakers, and actors, among others, happen during the duration of the festival.”

Then she offered a challenge: “The question is, how can these films be seen by as many Filipinos as possible? How will their messages reach their audiences as quickly as the waves change take place? How will the films impact on humanity?”

“These are the challenges that face us in the next 5 years. Keeping the artistic integrity while evolving, and finding alternative distribution for alternative films. And keeping our optimism alive to keep looking ahead at where this dream will take us next!”

After all, cinema is all about the story and how well it is told by the filmmakers.

The 10 competing full length films and two sets of shorts can be seen in micro cinemas in Metro Manila and at selected Ayala Malls and Vista Cinemas nationwide until Tuesday, August 13.