[Press Release] Now on its 18th installment, Piling Obrang Vidyo (POV) of University of the Philippines (UP) Cinema comes back as an intercollegiate film competition featuring both new and recognized short films by various student filmmakers from across the country. The festival will take place from March 12 to 18, 2022 via MOOV of Cinema Centenario.

Encouraging the youth to connect with the community through powerful audio-visual storytelling has always been the goal of the student film festival. Hence it expands its celebration of student filmmaking through its new program called Pelikolektibo, an alternative film school. 

Amidst the restriction of the pandemic, POV XVIII embraces the theme, Sa Lansangan, that recalls the significant space that normally empowered the youth to form and share Filipino narratives that serve and inspire.

Here are the Piling Obrang Vidyo XVIII finalists:

1. 𝗔𝗻 𝗘𝗶𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 (Hans Piozon, University of the Philippines – Diliman)
2. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗔 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻 (Keiko Carasig, University of the Philippines – Diliman)
3. 𝗗𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗺 (James Magnaye, Malayan Colleges Laguna)
4. 𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗪 𝗞𝗔𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗔 𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗞𝗔𝗟𝗨𝗟𝗨𝗪𝗔 (Sef Tafalla, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde)
5. 𝗞𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗹𝗮𝗺 𝗞𝗼 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗮 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻 (Aki Red, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde)
6. 𝗠𝗴𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗱 (Gabriel Carmelo, University of the Philippines – Los Baños)
7. 𝗡𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗹𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗯 𝗔𝗸𝗼 𝘀𝗮 𝗜𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗸𝗼𝗸 𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗶𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴 (Kukay Zinampan, University of the Philippines – Diliman)
8. 𝗡𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗜𝗧 (John Patrick Manio, University of the Philippines – Diliman)
9. 𝗢𝘂𝘁 (Mary Claire Amora, Cebu Institute of Technology-University)
10. 𝗣𝗶𝗴’𝘀 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 (CM Bautista, De la Salle-College of Saint Benilde)
11. 𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗨𝗧𝗔𝗡 (Shayla Claire Perales, Mapua University)
12. 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻 (David Collado, De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde)
13. 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗮, 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗼! (Ben Francis De Lima and Patrick Demition, University of Santo Tomas)
14. 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗮 (Xyron Parapara, De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde)
15. 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘇 𝗼𝗳 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗺 (Francis Tavas, Far Eastern University)

The select films will not be exhibited on the big screen like usual, but it will bring these student short films online for free as a response to the limitation and challenges of traditional film viewing in theatre spaces and to issues of access that troubles Philippine cinema. 

The 15 short film finalists showcase diverse genres from narrative to experimental pictures. Ultimately, these shortlisted pictures by the festival’s special committee would be reviewed by an esteemed board of judges which include Jason Tan Liwag (film critic), Therese Malvar (actress), Carla Pulido Ocampo (filmmaker), and Ligaya Villablanca (filmmaker). 

The finalists will compete for major and special awards such as Piling Obrang Vidyo (Best Film), Best Direction, Best Production Design, Best Performance, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Design, Best Editing, and Best Music among others. 

The winning films of major awards will receive trophies, certificates, and cash prizes amounting to Php 15,000.  

Below is the complete event lineup. 

• March 12: Opening Program with Roundtable Discussion
• March 14 – 17: Filmmaker’s Talkback
• March 18: Awards Night and Afterparty
• February 18 – April 22: Film Workshop Series (for Pelikolektibo students only)

UP Cinema invites the public to the 18th Piling Obrang Vidyo Film Festival and to join the festival’s Discord Server to get direct updates and interact with the film community.

Piling Obrang Vidyo XVIII is sponsored by MOOV of Cinema Centenario, UP Diliman – Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (UPD-OICA), Witty Will Save The World, Co, Bellfrei Spa, Gardenia Project 8 Projects, TBA Studios. 

Its organization partners include Dakila, FEU Film Society, Mapúa •MOVE, PLM Independent Film and Arts, Sinepanghalina, UP Cebu Tug-Ani, Ateneo Film Society, Benildean Film Works, Thomasian Film Society, UP College of Arts and Letters – Freshie, Shiftee, and Transferee Council (UP CAL FSTC), UP College of Mass Communication – Freshie, Shiftee, and Transferee Council (UP CMC FSTC), Cinema ’76 Cafe, Cinema ’76 Film Society, Mapúa University Senior High School Student Council (Mapúa SHSSC), UP Diliman – University Freshie Council (UPD UFC), and UP School of Economics Student Council (UP SESC).

Piling Obrang Vidyo is presented by UP Cinema, a student film organization based in the College of Mass Communication of the University of the Philippines Diliman that promotes progressive and alternative cinematic practices in various film disciplines such as filmmaking, film appreciation, and film criticism. 

This year’s POV media partners include Adobo Magazine, Archers Network, Asian Film Festivals, Benildean Press Corps, BLOG-PH.COM, Klik Media Group, Radyo Katipunan (New Wave), Sine Liwanag, and UPD Kalasag.

For more information, visit Piling Obrang Vidyo’s official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/UPCinemaPOV) or follow them on Twitter and Instagram (@UPCinemaPOV)