It takes a great deal of artistry and imagination to be able to tell a meaningful story in a span of twenty minutes. This is the challenge faced by filmmakers who have been chosen to compete in the Short Feature Category of the 2008 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Competition.



The ten finalists in the Cinemalaya 2008 short feature category have been announced by the organizers of Cinemalaya. They are: Andong by Rommel "Milo" Tolentino; Ang Ibang Mga Pamilya by Joel P. Ruiz; Angan-Angan (Dreams) and Trails of Water by Sheron R. Dayoc; Diamante sa Langit by Vic Acedillo, Jr.; Only God Knows by Mark V. Reyes; Huling Biktima by Vitaliano A. Rave; My Pet by Anna G. Bigornia, Panggaris by Dexter B. Cayanes, and Tutos by L.A. Yamsuan.



Andong is a story about a six-year old boy's obsession, as well as family dynamics, and the real value of a hard-fought twenty pesos.



Ang Ibang Mga Pamilya is about a woman who overcomes the grief of losing her adopted son.



Angan-Angan (Dreams) centers on a mute nine-year-old girl named Satra, whose determination to secure a good education reverberates clearly amid the strictness of her Yakan culture. The Yakan are one of the 13 Moro groups in the Philippines. They mainly reside in Basilan, Mindanao.



Trails of Water is an experimental film about a young boy's emotion as seen through his make-believe story.



Diamante sa Langit is about two brothers' journey to compete in a kite flying contest. But getting there takes some time. In the end, they face something unexpected and discover something more precious than winning.



Only God Knows focuses on the disturbing and gut wrenching tale about the realities of life in the sprawling metropolis of Manila.



Huling Biktima is a film noir style about a detective's last minutes.



My Pet is a 7-minute animation about an 8-year-old girl and her relationship with her first pet, a chick, the subject of a class experiment.



Panggaris is about a prostitute whose life changed when her mute sibling learned to talk, uttering only the word "panggaris."



Tutos tells about the dynamics and complexities of a single father-daughter relationship in a postmodern patriarchal Filipino society.



The final winning entry will be given a grant of P100,000 plus the Balanghai trophy during the awarding ceremony on July 20 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater. All the films will be screened during the 2008 Cinemalaya Film Festival on July 11-20 at the CCP.



Cinemalaya, now on its fourth year, is presented by the Cinemalaya Foundation, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Film Development Council of the Philippines, University of the Philippines Film Institute and Econolink Investments Inc.



For more details, please call the CCP Film Division at tel. no. 832-1125 local 1705.





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