There are compelling reasons you should watch films in the 20th edition of Cinemalaya when it opens Friday, August 2 up to Sunday, August 11.
Jansen Magpusao as Mateo in ‘Gospel of the Beast’
The opening film, Gospel of the Beast by Sheron Dayoc, had its world premiere at the Tokyo film Festival in 2023, and this year won Best Film at the Ho Chi Minh Film Festival in Vietnam and in another international film fest in Bali, Indonesia.
Cast of ‘Love Child’ RK Bagatsing and Jane Oineza, directed by Jonathan Jurilla
The featured films are virtual state-of-the-nation works, from the Marian Rivera-starrer Balota to Southern Lanterns Studios offering Tumandok, and glimpses of the pains of parenthood in Love Child. Its closing film is the Lino Brocka favorite Bona, which wowed a new generation of film audiences in the recent edition of Cannes.
The Cinemalaya opening film also marks the film comeback of the 2019 Cinemalaya Best Actor Jansen Magpusao, who was only 15 when he bagged the Best Actor trophy in John Denver Trending. Now 20, Jansen delivers another award-worthy performance in Gospel of the Beast, which has made the rounds in prestigious film festivals in Asia.
At the Tokyo film fest, the Hollywood Reporter noted the utter helplessness of the character (Mateo): “The film feels both realistic and determinedly fatalistic, offering little redemption for Mateo or others like him. Dayoc’s vision of his country’s youth is certainly a grim one, and yet the director never resorts to mere poverty porn, focusing instead on the upsides of communal gang life, including a drunken sing-along sequence filled with tenderness and warmth.”
Distinguished filmmakers from Southern Lanterns Studios: Arden Rod Condez, Sheron Dayok and Sonny Calvento
The three featured films—Gospel of the Beast, Love Child, and Tumandok—all came from the Western Visayas-based indie film outfit, the Southern Lanterns Studios (SLS). An active member of this film outfit is Arden Rod Condez, director of John Denver Trending. In this year’s Cinemalaya, he put his director’s role on hold to be one of the co-producers of the three landmark Cinemalaya offerings.
A film shot entirely in Western Visayas (Iloilo and Antique), Gospel of the Beast was also an attraction in the Czech Republic for the world’s oldest film festival dedicated to films for children and youth. Now in its 64th year, the Zlín Film Festival (International Film Festival for Children and Youth) showcased around 300 films from over 50 countries worldwide, drawing an attendance of over 100,000 children and adults since 2010. The Sheron Dayoc film was part of its “Beyond the Childhood Horizon” section. It was also screened in the 54th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) under the Cinema of the World section.
Condez revealed how he got involved in the three featured films of Cinemalaya. SLS consists of Sheron Dayoc, Sonny Calvento, Condez, and three other people.
Condez told The Diarist: “After John Denver Trending, we agreed that whenever someone in the company directs a film, the other members of the company will produce it. Sonny and Sheron produced John Denver Trending. Sheron and I are producing Sonny’s next film, which will be shot next year. Sonny and I produced The Gospel of the Beast with Sheron.”
For Love Child and Tumandok, Condez was approached by the filmmakers Richard Jeroui Salvadico and Kat Sumagaysay. They were part their online mentoring program for filmmaking during the pandemic. “The director of Love Child, Jonathan Jurilla, was my literature professor in college at the University of then Philippines Visayas in Iloilo City. They are very promising filmmakers from our region who are eager to create their full-length films. For this collaboration with new filmmakers, I couldn’t say no.”
‘They are very promising filmmakers from our region who are eager to create their full-length films. For this collaboration with new filmmakers, I couldn’t say no’
Planning and shooting three films and doing post-production for all of them were gargantuan tasks, says Condez. “It was a challenge managing these projects, from their development through securing logistics for production, especially Love Child and Tumandok, since they were both finalists of Cinemalaya with the same deadlines to meet. To be honest, I was hoping that just one of them would make it into Cinemalaya this year because I knew it would be a significant challenge. I was involved with both films from the stage when the projects were just ideas. I helped the filmmakers develop them and submit them to Cinemalaya. When they were selected as part of the 20 semi-finalists, I was involved in script development, script revisions before production, and continued to be involved through production, editing, and even packaging the films for screening at the festival. Without the help of other members of Southern Lanterns Studios, it would have been much more difficult for me to secure funding for these projects.”
Looking for financing was the biggest challenge in producing both films with almost the same timetable. “Since funding from Cinemalaya and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is provided in tranches, we had to seek additional funds from other sources. For Love Child, it was fortunate that Regal Entertainment agreed to co-produce with us. For Tumandok, we had to borrow money from friends.
“Aside from financing, juggling both films was really difficult. During the script development stage, I spent one whole week with the Tumandok filmmakers, and the following week, I spent another week with the Love Child filmmaker. We worked on both scripts every day for two weeks.”
The pressure and the work involved were so intense, Condez fell ill after doing his part. “Fortunately, I received help from the rest of the Southern Lantern Studios team. They took charge of building the production team and scheduling the shoots. We filmed Tumandok in February and Love Child in April.”
The main challenge was that they were working with first-time filmmakers, which involved a degree of mentorship. “We needed to guide them through a more professional film production setup. Thankfully, these filmmakers were patient and eager to learn.”
From Sheron Dayoc, the director of Gospel, The Diarist learned how the project come about. He got the idea for the project when he went home to his native Zamboanga for a vacation. “I casually met with my friends and relatives. But one afternoon, much to my surprise, someone close to my family shared his deep dark secret. He candidly shared with me that until he started working for our family, he used to be a hired killer for a vigilante group in my hometown. According to him, it all started when he accidentally killed his high school classmate during a fight. He was able to run away—only to be eventually trapped in the world of the syndicate. I was startled to hear of this. I have known this man all my life as someone caring and loving. I never would have thought that he’d experienced such things. After that long conversation, we never spoke about it again. I asked myself then and there why he suddenly entrusted his story to me. But his life story is as important as those of the iconic people we have gotten to know in books or TV. His story inspired me to write and develop Gospel of the Beast as a coming-of-age film about a young boy’s journey into beasthood.”
The role was not written for Jansen. Pointed out Dayoc: “When we developed the script, we didn’t have a specific actor in mind. Our priority was creating a character that authentically serves the story’s purpose. Jansen’s character Mateo and his world were crafted to reflect truth and create a believable persona on paper. During the casting process, Jansen went through the same audition as everyone else, but ultimately landed the lead role of Mateo due to his remarkable tenderness and deeply rooted emotions, essential traits for the character. As the director, I firmly believe Jansen embodies the essence of Mateo—a gentle gaze, a robust physique, and a juxtaposition of vulnerability and strength that resonates with the film’s themes. I believe it is important to continue discussing violence in cinema, as it mirrors the current social environment of many countries, including the Philippines. Rather than denying it, we should admit and recognize that this is what is happening now. In doing so, it may even help shed light on why such a culture of violence persists and why it is embraced. I hope this film will help the audience transcend to a greater consciousness of the terrible consequences of tolerating or being silent towards the growing acts of violence around us.”
Having observed and worked closely with Jansen in John Denver Trending when he was only 15, Dayoc noticed a significant transformation, since his role in the short film Dandansoy and now in The Gospel of the Beast. “Beyond his instinctive and natural talent for acting, I believe that as he matures, he has gained a deeper understanding of life, encompassing both its struggles and joys. As a director, I see this maturity contributing to his profound connection with the character Mateo. Jansen’s performance is rooted in truth and authenticity, not merely from a conscious effort to act but as an expression of his deep-seated emotions. This is why he comes across as so genuine—tender yet tough—as Hollywood Reporter noted in the film.”
Condez was drawn to the projects mainly because of the stories they tell, and also the filmmakers’ intentions. “I know from the start that producing a film is doubly tough, but it’s difficult to pass up the chance to be part of something worthwhile. For Tumandok, I was drawn to its simple yet powerful portrayal of the ordinary struggles faced by the Ati community of Sitio Kabarangkalan. The film aims to raise awareness and raise funds to help the community process their ancestral domain. While some may view film as mere art, for us—and especially for these people—a film like this has the potential to make a real difference: It could save homes.”
‘While some may view film as mere art, for us—and especially for these people—a film like “Tumandok” has the potential to make a real difference: It could save homes’
For Love Child, he admired the sincerity of filmmaker Jonathan Jurilla in sharing his family’s journey in raising a child with autism. “More than just a filmmaker, I see him as a father. The film highlights the struggles of couples raising children in today’s economy, making it highly relatable. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be involved.”
For Gospel and Love Child, he didn’t just work as a producer. “I also co-wrote both films with the filmmakers to help them unlock the full potential of their stories.”
Doing Tumandok was by far the most difficult shoot he was involved with. “We filmed for only seven days, five of which were spent in the mountains of Sitio Kabarangkalan in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo. The area is accessible only by 4×4 vehicle and habal-habal. These mountains required us to carry heavy production equipment. Our team, consisting only of around 25 people, stayed in a small tribal hall while others slept in tents. We had just one toilet with a worn-out blanket as its door (we played Spotify to signal its occupancy, though the data signal was very limited). Our water came from a line connected directly to a spring. Sometimes, we found small fish swimming in the containers.”
The Tumandok shooting itinerary had the team moving from mountain to mountain. “The sun blazed during the day, but at night, heavy rain poured. We had to navigate the trails in the middle of the night, in pouring rain, to return to our quarters. I’ll never forget what our director of photography and editor and filmmaker Pabelle Manikan said while we walked on those steep, slippery trails: ‘Parang ang tanda na natin para dito.’”
But they pushed through. “We continued, unbothered by difficulties. As days passed, we fell in love with the community. More than anything, this shoot allowed us to experience life with the Atis and learn about their struggles. The script has kilometric lines and it required translation into three languages: Filipino, Hiligaynon, and the Ati language, Inati—only to find out that some of our actors couldn’t read or even count. This is because there were no schools in Kabarangkalan. Going to school to the nearest barangay, which is kilometers away, is only for the families who have the privilege of having a habal-habal. With the help of other Atis, these actors memorized their lines by ear. They were determined to see the film through because they understood what was at stake. Before filming began, we held a mini-workshop where we explained that the film aimed to raise funds to support the NCIP (National Commission on Indigenous Peoples) to finance the processing of their land title. Upon learning this, Atis from other tribes also helped. The film became a reason for them to be involved in dagyaw (bayanihan).”
During filming, even bystanders lined up for the food meant only for the production team. “We welcomed them because we learned that for some of them, it was their first time to experience eating three times a day. These are only some of the many encounters we had that really broke our hearts and made us realize the film’s value to the Atis. I feel the difficulty for them to memorize lines and perform in front of the camera. But they pushed through because of their collective dream—to have homes they can call their own. I have the biggest admiration for the tribe.”
Cinemalaya and CCP officials in presscon: Dennis Marasigan, Chris Millado, Laurice Guillen, Joey Reyes, and Tess Rances
The 20th edition of Cinemalaya opens August 2 with Sheron Dayoc’s The Gospel of the Beast. Tumandok screens on August 4, 8:30 pm, and Love Child on August 5 at 5 pm. Part of the proceeds from the Cinemalaya screening of Tumandok will go directly to the Ati community of Sitio Kabarangkalan as they seek funding to process their ancestral domain title. Screening schedule of Tumandok: Aug. 3 (Sat), UP Town Center and Greenbelt, 5 pm; Aug. 4 (Sun), Manila Bay 2, 8, 9, 10 (Gala), 8:30 pm; Aug. 5 (Mon), Trinoma and Market Market, 5 pm; Aug. 6 (Tue), UP Town Center (Talkback) and Greenbelt, 5 pm; Aug. 8 (Thu), Trinoma and Market Market, 11 am, and Manila Bay 8, 10 (Talkback), 5:30 pm; Aug. 10 (Sat), Trinoma and Market Market, 2 pm; Aug. 11 (Sun) UP Town Center and Greenbelt, 8:30 pm.
