We present the complete programme for the 34th Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibo Pelikula at Video (Commonly known as Gawad Alternatibo) which will take place from August 6 – 14, 2022 at the Tanghalang Manuel Conde (CCP Arthouse Cinema). This event coincides with the 2022 Cinemalaya.

For the full schedule please follow the FB Page of the Gawad Alternatibo: https://www.facebook.com/gawadalt

Competition

Short Feature Section

A Sabbath on the Longest Day of the Year by Edmund M. Telmo – 15 minutes
While their lives are about to change, Historia and Criselda both defy the most critical day of their lives in the most mundane way, tantamount to doing nothing in the day when the holy image of the Virgin finally returns to the City and a fertility ritual is performed by natives now considered pagans by the religious majority.

Ang Bunga sa Tiyan ni Adam by Ella Louise Salomon – 6 minutes
When Adam, a 17 year old boy, finds out he is pregnant, he confronts his longtime girlfriend Lily about the situation as this pregnancy threatens his life. They argue about what must be done. After an explosive argument, Adam finally makes a choice for himself.

Ang Pangungumpisal by Minnesota S. Flores – 14 minutes
Manila, 1896. A troubled wife confides to a priest, wanting to find solace for her husband’s sins. But when the priest uncovers a plot that will endanger the church and the state, the usual confession quickly turns into a fire-and-brimstone interrogation.

Arcanghel by Theophany Dionisio – 20 minutes
The night after receiving their passports, the Arcanghel siblings discover their eldest sister, Abbie, is in bad shape due to an ailment she’s been keeping to herself. It causes a rift amongst the three, who have conflicting plans and purposes. Through a familial token during sickness, the siblings make a decision to stay home in the country together—for the better.

Clairvoyant by John Luke Miraflor – 12 minutes
Haunted by an eerie image of a young girl, Angela struggles as she deals with her visions alone. Clairvoyant revolves around the story of Angela’s family as they navigate life through the pandemic, poverty, and the unexplained elements haunting their family.

A frustrated faith healer, Angela’s father always encourages her to embrace her “gift” and acknowledge what she sees. Still unable to speak at the age of ten, Angela is left helpless as she is forced to face the elements as it comes to her every so often. It turns out they are against something more dangerous than the elements, which is ignorance.

Cut/Off by Von Victor Rivera Viernes and Sean Russel Romero – 13 minutes
Under the roof of a masculine household, Chris mistakenly reveals his sexuality to his father. As all goes down to his vulnerability, Chris faces his biggest threat that ultimately embodies the opposite of his belittled confidence.

Don’t Touch the Bay-ags by Allyssa Marielle S. Garcia – 15 minutes
After finding out that his wife has shown symptoms of the COVID-19 Omicron variant on New Year’s Day, Pepe takes his wife’s role in doing the household chores for a day. He then takes precautious actions when his son also shows symptoms of the variant later that night. His hysteria grows stronger when he panicked because he could not taste the flavors of his dinner. The next day, the results came back negative for the family Bay-ags.

DOSENA by Kyla Romero – 20 minutes
A timid young boy who grew up with misfits deals with confusion and tragedy on the night of his 12th birthday.

Itom nga Bugas Kanaryo nga Ugat by Leonard Ian Blancada Billones – 14 minutes
It is a semestral break, Leanna and Shaine are left in their ancestral house for vacation by their parents, wherein their superstitious grandmother, Lola Helena lives. As the kids try to rest themselves during noon, an unexpected visitor comes and tries to call the attention of Shaine, who eventually hears it and wakes up. Shaine sees another kid wearing a clean white shirt sneaking and pointing at something as she opens her eyes. Shaine approaches the kid. However, the mysterious kid quickly runs away to the forest as soon as Shaine gets close to him but Shaine decides to run after him. That is where Leanna notices that her little sister is nowhere to be found and decides to wake Carlos to help him find her sister but without the knowledge of their Lola Helena.

This is where their search for Shaine inside the forest starts. They encountered a few elemental creatures inside the forest toying with them. With their bravery and wit, they find their way out of that dreary forest returning to their Lola Helena. But are they still the kids that Lola Helena knows? Or someone, something takes over in between?

MyDay by Kevin Van Sulitas – 13 minutes
Vic and his sister share one mobile phone as they struggle to continue their online and modular classes.

Pagbilang Kong Tatlo by Xzy Dumabok – 20 minutes
Game turns into reality when a group of friends meet up and celebrate their annual Christmas tradition.

Replay by Franky C. Arrocena – 3 minutes
Ria, seemingly prepares and makes herself beautiful as she talks to her mother via video chat, she emphasizes that she and her mother rarely sees each other but her mother replies you are already beautiful. They continue to talk about how they are and Ria reveals that the covid-19 restrictions shortened their food supply and that the overall situation makes them sad, but they still get by. Her mother also replies that she is fine but she talked more about wanting to send Ria and her family some money but she can’t because the hospital schedules are hectic.

Sayaw sang Buhi by Rikki Lyn S. De la Cruz – 17 minutes
The film follows a pair of polar opposite best friends who share a passion for dancing. Upon learning that his best friend is taking advantage of a girl, Jigo creates a fake social media account to expose the wrongdoings of his best friend, Jai. As they are practicing for an upcoming dance performance called Himaya-an, a cultural dance about healing, freedom, and awakening, Jigo’s actions backfire and spark an unfamiliar feeling within him. Jigo tries so hard to hide his secrets from everyone which confuses the oblivious Jai. With his identity and their friendship at stake, Jigo is torn between keeping the truth to avoid further chaos or letting the truth set him free.

THIS IS NOT A COMING OUT STORY by Mark Felix Ebreo – 20 minutes
Dino moved into his new apartment–a safe space to embrace his sexuality. After an unexpected visit from his parents, he meets Vince, and a friendly relationship starts to emerge.

Tiempo Suerte by Jonathan Jurilla – 19 minutes
9 year-old Gingging, is upset when she wakes up realizing that her older brother has already left without waking her up and bringing her to work. When Manong arrives home later that afternoon, Gingging shares her intention to quit school and work at the sugarcane plantation like her brother. Manong disapproves leaving Nanay to explain their poor financial condition. The next day after school, Gingging comes home and finds Nanay and Manong talking to her brother’s school teacher, Ms. Cruz. The teacher is begging Manong to go back to school, but the boy refuses and leave.

Gingging runs after her brother and tries to convince him to change his mind by insisting that she should handle the work in the field. Unable to contain his frustration, Manong shuts her up and mocks her lack of understanding.Gingging unleashes her frustration on a pile of sugarcane she spotted on her way back home. Eager to prove her strength, she bundles some sugarcane and try to carry them up with her young fragile body. There, she realizes, she is not ready for the job.

Animation Section

Ang Amomonggo sa Aton by VinJo Entuna – 17 minutes
During the Marcos Dictatorship in Negros Island, Philippines of 1985, the Magbuelas family and their community of dumaan farmers face a brutal threat from the mythical creature called the Amomonggo. The creature is said to be the culprit behind the series of killings among the community. One day, a corpse was again found having sustained brutal mauling. The community is forced to further submission into solitude for their safety while in a non-violent struggle for their rights.

Ang Liwanag ng Bakunawa by Alvin Joshua Gasga and Elisha Shem Domingo – 12 minutes
In a small village lives an albino girl. Feeling like an outcast and unwanted by peers, she spends her days alone by the sea; until one day, she chanced upon an unlikely friend that filled her days with warmth, adventure, and mystery. A tale of love so steadfast, it weathers the storm.

Ang mga Sisiw sa Kagubatan by Vahn Leinard C. Pascual – 4 minutes
A chick who lives in the forest, together with its own community, aims to live peacefully as because there’s a hungry giant that keeps on lurking around their town.

Black & White Road by Jericho Cedric Nepomuceno Maravilla – 3 minutes
Black and White Road, is a digital animation by Jericho Cedric Maravilla which contains a sensitive topic such as self-harm and suicide. It is a story that tells about the artist’s personal journey of how he walks on the “black and white” road for him to escape reality just to find his ‘perfect place’. Through a creative visual representation which inspired from his artworks, it is parallel to the real events and situations of his life that shows how he fell out of love for himself that causes him to have suicidal thoughts and to do these self-harm actions. A perfect place can be anything, it could be someone or something that makes an person feel happy. But in this animation, for the artist to find his perfect place by hurting himself which also becomes his addiction until it gets worse until he ended up stuck in his desired place.

Daligmata Delivers One Last Time by Minnesota S. Flores – 6 minutes
The Daligmata is a benevolent spirit that finds lost things and returns them to their owners. As the night falls, it rises to begin the search.

Hazmat by Noli Agbayani Manaig – 5 minutes
Life in the Philippines can be a test in resiliency. Earthquakes, typhoons, volcanic eruptions strike with cyclical regularity. In the time of pandemic, threat to survival has been no more pronounced for the nurses, the frontliners trapped in dire circumstances and suspended dreams.

I, Labyrinth by Jag Garcia – 11 minutes
The Pilgrim finds himself faceless in the crowd. The city is noisy, the world is chaotic… he wanders.

His wandering brings him to a labyrinth. Labyrinths are an ancient spiritual exercise used for meditation, prayer, and contemplation; but unlike a maze, it has only one path that leads towards the center. Reaching the center of the labyrinth is a journey around the labyrinth itself.

Inside he will face challenges, distractions on his path to the center. He will confront stifling Normalcy, resist the need to please Others, and struggle against Perfection and his sense of Self.

I, Labyrinth is not just about The Pilgrim’s journey to find himself. It is also the story of finding ourselves.

Maris by John Gabriel Gantala – 2 minutes
Pagkatapos ng isang taong paghihiwalay ng paaralang pinapasukan, nagdesisyong maglakad pauwi ng bahay si Luigi kasama si Mario, ang kanyang “pre-school best friend”, sa pilapil sa gitna ng taniman ng mga palay. Nagpaguusapan nila ang kanilang mga karanasan sa private at public school. Hindi pa sila nakalalayo at kasisimula pa lamang ng kanilang pag-uusap nang biglang maalala ni Luigi ang kanyang guro sa kanyang “Arts Class” na magsisindi sa mainit na pagtatalo nila ni Mario.

SOMEWHERE I BELONG by Jyrah Dotarot and Shamy RAsma Jailani – 8 minutes
A boy made of paper named Carta has been traveling alone in a cardboard box he calls home. Gusts of wind constantly sweep it from place to place but the repetition of a solo routine bores him.

One day, the box is separated from Carta in the middle of a cramped city. He then meets a strange, ragtag group of friends who offer to help him get back to his home. As they venture up an alley to reach Carta’s box, they explore acts of friendship which fascinates Carta who – never having experienced a life among others – begins to enjoy their company.

As the group reaches Carta’s box, the wind turns violent as it knocks obstacles between him and his home – threatening to be blown away by the force. Adrenaline-fueled chaos ensues, causing one of Carta’s new friends to accidentally rip his paper arm off in an effort to pull him into safety. Carta feels wronged, he retreats to his home.

He is alone again. It takes him a moment in the stillness of his solitude. He decides to leave the box. Before the wind sweeps the box away, he leaps off to rejoin his newfound friends.

Wetsitales: Aponibolinayen and the Sun by Jade Dandan Evangelista – 12 minutes
Aponibonilayen is a lovely maiden who went into an unplanned trip to the heavens and met the man of her life, Ini-init. An enchanted adventure mixed with culture and traditions of the Tinguian Tribe.

Documentary Section

Ang Pinanggang Anak ni Julieta (Julieta’s Beloved Child) by Marco Romas – 12 minutes
Julieta, 57, is the only female kutsero (driver of horse-drawn carriage) in Cebu City, Philippines. She struggles between making a living for her remaining children as her husband is already dead and his son is in jail for being allegedly involved in illegal drugs.

How can she, at her age, keep up with the difficulties and risks brought about by the pandemic?

Bayi: Stories of Women Human Rights Defenders by Chantal Eco – 10 minutes
Filipino human rights defenders Zara Alvarez, Anna Mariz Evangelista, and Elisa Badayos were among the 62 women killed in the Duterte administration’s counterinsurgency campaign. Their loved ones remember the lives they led and the legacies they left behind.

The documentary is a salute to the brave Filipinas who are considered heroes by women’s and people’s movements in the Philippines.

Diva, Divine? by Francisco Tavas – 14 minutes
Diva, Divine? (A Diva, Right?) follows the life of Angelica Mapanganib, a 57-year-old nonprofessional comedic entertainer and pre-pandemic beauconera, as she struggles to live her life behind the screen amidst the global pandemic, and unravels her undisclosed state as part of the LGBTQIA++ community in the Philippines.

Lingkis by Yvonne Elizabeth Salazar and Isable Margarita Valenzuela – 15 minutes
LINGKIS (2021) mixes mythology, animation, and documentary to tell the story of a country plunged into darkness from the Marcos to Duterte regimes by a mythological serpent, whose only hope is the light people bring to fight against it.

On Hands and Knees by Nico Antonio Bagsic – 22 minutes
Two women share personal accounts of their lives as sex workers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in Metro Manila.

Palengke Day by Mervine Aquino – 11 minutes
“Palengke Day” recounts experiences within the Baguio Public Market during the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s Community Quarantine. Through the words and images of vendors and market-goers, the film glimpses into the space’s history and its possible future with the impending redevelopment and modernization undertaken by the city government and SM Prime Holdings.

Pasilong by Toni Cañete – 22 minutes
A trip down memory lane as a filmmaker looks back at the past that has been chasing her onto the present. She enlists the help of her cousins, with whom she grew up with, to provide the lens with which she could look at her own past in the eye, hoping that in some way, she could finally stop running.

Rivers of Tears and Rage by Maricon Montajes – 26 minutes
Women’s rights activist Reina Mae Nasino was a month into her pregnancy when arrested by Manila’s police on suspected trumped-up charges. She endured a difficult pregnancy in one of the world’s most crowded prisons and gave birth to Baby River Emmanuel while in detention. Efforts to allow mother and child to spend more time together failed, the Philippine government justifying their early separation to the lack of infant care facilities inside prisons. Denied care from her mother, Baby River died at only three months old. Amid a raging coronavirus pandemic, a dead three-month-old infant became a symbol of political repression by a regime denounced worldwide for its crimes against the people.

Rocks in a Wildless Wadi by EJ Gagui – 22 minutes
The filmmaker and his younger brother filmed a wadi they describe as “windless” for being too quiet. With archives of footage and audio conversations, it recreates a lonely character contemplating to the deep muffled voices of the unseen real people; stillness of rocks to the unmoving conflict. The dialogues within the wordless exposé tackle traumatic memories as they become urgent stories relevant to both the past and the present.

See Us Come Together by Alyssa Suico – 10 minutes
Optodev Inc. Workers Union as they recount their individual stories, weaving together a collective reflection of what proved most essential to the workers, and especially so once the COVID-19 lockdown took effect in the eco-zones of Laguna and their factory had to temporarily close down.

Experimental Section

Bedtime Story #14 by Kristine Joy A. De Leon – 10 minutes
During the surge of farmers killing in their province, Junalyn stays awake missing her father, a farmer, who chose not to sleep with them that night. Her brother, Janjan comforted her by telling Junalyn a bedtime story, revealing that their father is an actual superhero protecting them from the monsters that would like to take over their lands. As the great tale finally puts Junalyn to sleep, a piece of unexpected news will keep them awake from now on.

Buwal na Mga Imahe by Gerard Bernardo – 4 minutes
An exploration of the distortion and decay of memory and culture as portrayed by a collection of rapid-fire, manipulated, and distorted sound and picture.

I wanna be a Tutubi by James Benedict Calleja – 1 minute
“I Wanna be a Tutubi” is based from the Filipino children’s game with the same name that involves hiding a small object such as a stone in their palms. The game’s mechanics and chant became a metaphor of how it feels as a queer hiding in the closet all their lives, and how the feeling of longing for freedom; hiding their true sexuality hinders them to live their lives to the fullest, to be free.

The film wants to show how someone who is aware about their sexuality for a long time was carrying this feel of longing to be free from the closet and the feeling of relief after they have the chance to finally release the “stone” or the fear that they have been holding on to their whole life.

Kasikas sa Ganiha ug Unya by Eric Bico and Kuda Bux – 8 minutes
A collapse of multiple lifetimes into pieces of amnesia; us, experiencing itself in dreams of life and death. A direct expression of the slow vibration as it currently is; you, a brief movement in the vestiges of nothingness.

Letters to Our Little Brown Brothers by Noli Agbayani Manaig – 10 minutes
After the genocides perpetrated by American expansionists during the Filipino-American War, the slogan of “Benevolent Assimilation” was more carefully set into motion by American civilian rule. Told in the epistolary form, excerpts of letters by William Howard Taft, appointed by American President McKinley to bring about further

Lumalabas by Mico Bondoy Tagulalac – 7 minutes
Lumalabas is an experimentation and documentation of two spaces, the indoor and the outdoor, in an attempt to present a journey of reconnection and recollection during pandemic through static images.

Memoria Pandemia by Mark G. Mirabuenos – 13 minutes
Memories of the days before the pandemic starts, lockdown and wearing face masks, this documentary is a personal documentation of how my parents and our family cope-up with the said pandemic. All we can do is sing our heart out.

PAGTATAPOS by Jhonny M. Bobier II – 2 minutes
This is a bold interpretation of all the student’s emotions who suffered from depression, anxiety, harassment, and pressure that they encounter in outside and inside the school.

Photocopied Distance by Andre Joachim Red – 3 minutes
A hornet that is stuck inside a photocopier is unable to fly. With nowhere left to go before its inevitable demise, the hornet reminisces a birthday greeting from the past until every word spoken begins to die.

READ-ONLY MEMORY by David R. Corpuz and Kristine Camille Sulit – 14 minutes
A man digs out his dead partner from the soil to spend another day with him.

Unti-Unti by Aliyah Balderama – 7 minutes
As time passes by with dementia patients, faded memories turn into fragments that their minds could not remember every detail. The power of photos holds in capturing moments, it can be a witness, and also immortalize time. Photographs fade too, over time details from the photo can be erased . But without one’s mindfulness as it degenerates, photos are just another tangible thing we have left. How can a machine process without its processor?

The Body by Justine Borlagdan – 15 minutes
The body ruminates in peace, wallows in fire, looks at you, lights the room, and drowns in war. A one man, one body film by Justine Borlagdan. The body is the prologue to the director’s debut slow experimental six-part film catalogue.

Curated Sections

Short Features Section
Ang Sakramento by Andrea R. Valenzuela
Black Sheep by Jay Ruiz
Hindi Kita Malilimutan by Vahn Leinard C. Pascual
In Case You Forgot to Return by John Thomas Trinidad
Kabuhi Kang Maaram by Elaine Joy M. Obsina
LORNA by Emmanuel Escondo
Maria Makinang by Gian Arre
Mga Boses sa Pader by Chic Cruz Mirano

Documentary Section
Balon by Maki Liwanag
Bente Quatro by Alyssa Suico
Budjang by Rhadem Musawah
Ing Paglayag by Rhadem Musawah
Like people, they change too by John Thomas Trinidad
Things I’ll Tell You by Demie Dangla

Animation Section
Con Ambre by Ma. Sofia Carro D. Falcasantos
In Passing by Joseph Dominic Cruz
Si Biboy Kag Ang Sigbin Sa Siudad by Hannah Britanico
SPACEBOUND by Stephanie Gwen C. Toribio
Wetsitales: How The Moon and Starts Came to Be by Jade Dandan Evangelista
Wetsitales: The Flood Story by Jade Dandan Evangelista

Gawad Alternativo Past Winners Section

2021 Short Feature Category Winners
Manyako by Kate Villanueva
Gutab by Mary Andrea Palmares
Bangungot by Moses Webb
Here not here by Mariah Vianca Quinesio
Laot by John Lester Rimorin
Nanay, nanay, gusto ka siya by Nicca Patricia D. Marcelino
Camille Alone by Kaya Guillen

2021 Animation Category Winners
My Mainly by Cha Roque
Home by Bryan Kent Abias
Haraya by Kem Jaspher D. Abayon
Langit Lupa by Cha Roque
Basurahan by Maki Liwanag

2021 Documentary Category Winners
Panambi by Jane Mariane Biyo, Katya Marie Corazon Puertollano, Myra Angeline Soriaso
Kambalingan by Terence Giourdan Gonzalves
Mga Gipaambit Gikan sa Tubig by Anna Miguel Cervantes
Iyallatiw by Melver Ritz. L. Gomez
Maliliit na Hakbang by Richard Soriano Lagaspi

2021 Experimental Category Winners
Transit Tyranny by Jonathan Jose Zamora Olarte
Mga Bag-ong Nawong sang Damgo kag Katingalahan by Mark Raymund Garcia
Let our Response Be by Ruka Azuma
Hugas Kamay ni Vahn Leinard C. Pascual
Somewhere a Destination by Celeste Lapida
Pekyu by Kristine Cerva
Atmosphere by Yuki Okazawa

2020 Short Feature Category Winners
Victoriana by Cecil Chloe L. Capatoy
Sorry by Kristian A. Cruz
Sa Hunasan May Santermo by Niño B. Maldecir
Tambay by Zyril Bundoc
Maupay nga aga, puniti kita by Ligaya Villablanca
Anne’s Talkshow by Gian Andre Rembrandt Arre

2020 Animated Category Winners
Sarung Banggi by Dominic James Barrios
Bigas by Bryan Almoneda
Meowbot3000 vs Fishzilla by Mio Dagsaan
Pauwi ka na ba? by Angel Thomas

2020 Documentary Category Winners
Dagami Daytoy (This is our land) by Nonilon Abao
Panaghoy sa Selda by Ruth Camacho
Still here, still walking by Katrina Isabelle G. Catalan
Teatro ng pagtangis by Glenn Atanacio

2020 Experimental Category Winners
Hollow Blocks by Jonathan Jose Zamora Olarte
Power Violence by Tron Victoriano and Chino de Vera
Laugh and Die by Jonathan Jose Zamora Olarte
Blinkers by JP Bonoan