We present the programme for the CINEMANDIRIGMA Film Festival (Philippines) which is taking place from April 29 until May 7, 2022 in their official Youtube Channel.

About the festival:
The CINEMANDIRIGMA is organized by the Silangan Film Circle (UE-SFC) a recognized university-wide student organization from the University of the East – Caloocan. Their objective is to serve as a laboratory for aspiring filmmakers of the university, created to enhance abilities and expand the knowledge of the members in the field of filmmaking. Their goal is to serve our immediate community by influencing a positive growth in filmmaking towards selfexpression and social change.

Festival’s Schedule:
April 29 – May 6, 2022 – Online Screenings
May 7, 2022 – Awards Night

Three tambays Makoy, Boyong, and Levi, decide to take a rest and have a snack on a bench after a game of basketball. While doing so, a Philippine flag catches their eye. As they admire its beauty and bold colors, they begin to wonder about the symbolism that it brings. The three friends then begin to have a debate on what they think is the significance of the flag to their country – questioning whether its beauty and complexity really does represent the nation it stands for.

In the days of pandemic, a girl with a front liner brother, and a man with a younger sister (COVID-19 patient) reminisces what is life back then and how its changes.

After watching a woman cry on television, an emotionless man finds a naked guy that looks exactly like him in his room. The doppelganger guides the man in his peregrination of confronting his identity and emotions.

In a seemingly peaceful garden, a lone seed blooms in the hands of love until consecutive natural disasters cloud, flood, shake, and dry out the joy in their peaceful sunny days. In the midst of catastrophes, the seedling struggles to stay rooted and grow where they are planted. They patiently wait for the rainbow to arrive, only to realize that some disasters are induced by humans when they eventually unveil violence in the guise of loving red gloves.

Paula is a 16-year-old girl wearing a hoodie jacket outside the guidance office. Moments after, RJ arrives to come to pick her up. RJ is the school guidance counselor who has a friendly face that greets you at any time of the day. Upon entering the cubicle, RJ prompts Paula to lift her hoodie. As Paula raises her hoodie, we see a heavily bruised, scarred, black-eyed face. RJ asks if she wants to talk about it, and as Paula opens her mouth, we travel back in time.

In revenge for being vanquished, the mythical Bakunawa has poisoned Philippine politics, ravaging the country with a spate of killings and corruption for the last 6 decades. A mother tells her child the story of the moon-eating Bakunawa  that plunged the world into darkness. She describes how the people took their torches and fought back. The serpent was gone. But not for long. The Bakunawa takes different faces, under different administrations, but all are marked by the same violence and oppression. We follow the stories of two activists: Tina Montiel, a Martial Law activist whose husband was arrested in the fight against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and Lean Porquia, a current-day activist whose father was killed at the hands of the Duterte administration. The narrator says that despite the inaction of many, there remain those who continue the fight. To vanquish the darkness, we must bring forth our own light. The film takes a sharp turn as the child of the narrator answers back, and questions whether the narrative is more than just a tale with a definite end.

A teenage girl finds herself in an apocalyptic situation, lock in her house alone. As she keep herself alive, she encounters all her inner demons.

A deaf young woman, whose disability is a post-traumatic repercussion of the corrupt Marcos regime, sneaks out to her childhood home and retrieves her old CDs in an attempt to regain her hearing while Filipinos overthrow the dictator in EDSA.

A girl with a pearl earing spurns the offers of disingenuous hands as she finds herself trap in a bourgeoisie world along with voiceless ghosts whispering on her.

A woman yearns and struggles to let go after the disappearance of her husband she then created the illusion of his death.

A run-of-the-mill theater actor got involved in a thought-out audition for a government propaganda. A director and his crew led the audition in a conventional manner, meanwhile a famous figure seems to be watching the filmed audition. After being satisfied with what inhumanity was filmed. Deceit and manipulation takes place in a room filled with cigarette smokes, heavy liquor and hard cash joyfully being consumed by the pigs in the pen.

A young boy who grew up with folk beliefs attempts to find out the truth behind the new girl in town.

A soldier wakes up at midnight to the sound of gunfire. He uses his training to protect himself from home invaders calling for support from his superiors. He survives the night, only to find out that the commotion was merely fireworks from the New year celebration. The soldier is revealed to have a traumatic experience during his service resulting in post-traumatic stress disorder. In order to recover, he seeks help.

Playing along with the zest of seemingly innocent childhood games, the players suffer through power play, oppression, and other injustices. The players struggle to break away from the circus set by the higher-ups when the three-part game unmasks as an allegory to the deep-rooted societal issues. People clamor for the games to be over when they find themselves not as players but as people who get played.

A one shot experimental theatrical approached film inspired by a true story. Fabela, a 15 year old girl was arrested by two drunk police officers due to curfew violations. Police escorted her to the police station but along the way, the officers raped her. Fabela was able to escape and reported the incident the next day. On her way home, she was shot dead 5 times by the police. Chief Officer of the City Station released press statements saying that justice will be served but the case will soon be dismissed due to lack of evidence.

To watch the films please visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9LmDtmaQ5e6JZn5n7XBeIw