In its inaugural production of OMNIBUS: mise-en-scène, the DLSU Green Media Group (GMG) set the stage for Philippine cinema at the University last July 15 to 20. The festival had audiences flock to screenings at the Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium, Velasco Hall, and Learning Commons to witness the craft of various student-led pictures and award-winning productions. Featuring screenings of classic and contemporary films, talkback sessions with directors and producers, and an art exhibit, OMNIBUS paid homage to decades of talent and brilliance in the local landscape of filmmaking.
Shift to local lens
The week-long festival commenced with a screening of Cinemalaya 2023 Special Jury Prize awardee Ang Duyan ng Magiting at the Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium. A courageous tale of rebellion and police brutality, the film was opened for discussion as director Dustin Celestino and producer Janel Gutierrez came on stage to deconstruct the film’s production and inspiration. Celestino underscored the film’s message of the excessive reliance on the youth to be agents of change. He added that it meant to spark conversation on our concept of revolution and stressed, “A lot of perspectives must be considered if we are to understand our distorted nationalism.”
The second day of OMNIBUS was packed with back-to-back runs of critically acclaimed features and short films by emerging filmmakers. First to grace the silver screen was Sheryl Rose Andes’ drug war documentary Maria. The film follows three women named the titular Maria: two mothers whose sons and partner were killed in drug-related police raids, and a third who was a presidential candidate who symbolized change and justice amid the terror of Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.
In its talkback session, director Andes emphasized women’s disadvantaged position under Duterte’s presidency; from a woman running for the highest office to mothers at the margins of society, women struggle to attain justice. The film’s significant role in offering a voice to drug war victims was not lost as Mary Ann Domingo, one of the Marias featured in the documentary, declared, “Patuloy [kami] na nananawagan. Umaasa parin kami na masagot ‘yung mga nangyari sa amin.”
(We continue to appeal and hope that someone will be held accountable for what happened to us.)
More films were screened at V207, Velasco Hall, including Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s 1980 cult classic Brutal and Chito Roño’s politically-driven Badil. But the festival also honored Gawad Alternatibo short film entries through the years such as Alon, Elehiya Para sa mga Memorya, Ang Liwanag Na Bakunawa, and RRRWGHHRW (Carabao Noises) at The Learning Commons. Additionally, an art showcase displayed multimedia pieces such as photographs and paintings of cinematic stills at the same venue.
Reimagining quintessence
The evening of the second day gave spotlight to participating Cinemalaya shorts screened at the Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium. Included in the roster were Don Senod’s Sa Among Agwat, Glenn Averia’s Disconnection Notice, and Furan Guillermo’s Sa gabing tanging liwanag ay paniniwala. The list also headlined David R. Corpuz’s experimental silent film The Ordinary Things We Do, Gilb Baldozar’s Kontrolado ni Girly ang Buhay Nya, Thop Nazareno’s Eyeball, and Sheron Dayoc’s The Shoemaker.
Shortly after the screenings, directors Averia, Baldozar, Guillermo, and Corpuz shared with the audience how their projects came into fruition. From tackling themes of love and loss, the Cinemalaya shorts offered a diverse set of stories successfully compacted into short films.
The third and final day continued with another set of Gawad Alternatibo screenings at The Learning Commons. At the same venue, student-made film showings and communal speakeasies were held to encourage cinematic and production discourses among attendees. Sigfried Barros-Sanchez’s Sineng Pambansa Grand Festival Prize winner Ang Mga Kidnapper ni Ronnie Lazaro and Lino Brocka’s realism masterpiece Insiang were also screened at V207 during the day.
Continuing the theme of poignant social commentaries, John Denver Trending was also shown in the Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium. The film’s director Arden Rod Condez later engaged with the audience in a stimulating talkback. Five years after its release, it remains a widely lauded piece for its no-holds-barred depiction of bullying. But beyond this, it’s a moving film about a mother’s relentless care for their children and “how [she] becomes the standing defender who protects her child,” Condez emphasized.
To close the festivities, the auditorium housed a film viewing of period drama Ganito Kami Noon…Paano Kaya Ngayon? by Eddie Romero. As an acclaimed classic from 1976 and remastered in 2013, Romero’s masterful tale served as the perfect end to a festival celebrating the excellence of Philippine cinema through the years. It left the audience reflecting deeply on not just the state of filmmaking, but also the themes we impart—their transformations and parallels through time—in the craft today.
From reels to real
After a successful three-day run, project head Kleyra Marquez shared how special the festival truly is for GMG as their very own flagship event—a refreshing contrast to their usual role as production operators for the Culture and Arts Office’s performing groups. President Janna Kylene Chavez reminisced entering the media group with only five members. Now, she praised the 150-strong organization’s growth and persistence throughout the years to achieve bigger things.
“OMNIBUS reflects GMG’s dreams. This is proof that we can make things happen for our organization as well,” Chavez expressed.
OMNIBUS is a monumental project that pushes for a wider viewership of Filipino films. While already well-celebrated film festivals in the country including the Metro Manila Film Festival and Cinemalaya exist, OMNIBUS gave way for Filipino cinema to reach right where the budding creatives and filmmakers are—among the students. The film appreciation week not only showcased the greatness of Filipino films; it also memorialized the stories that mattered to Filipinos in the past and hinted at the promising future of local cinema.
