The School of Arts and Science Council conducted a Film Showing event held at the PE Viewing room last Tuesday February 13, 2024. It is the second in a set of LoveFest events held in anticipation of Valentine’s Day for our hopeless romantic Carolinians. 

The event featured 16 short films each boasting skill and artistry of the Bachelor of Fine Arts major in Cinema students. Taglined “love inspires creative birth”, each film explored the nature of love, from love for oneself, romance, to love within families

The first on the list is Lunod directed by Nyle Justin Bacolod, inspired by Ben&Ben’s song of the same title. The story is of a young man drowning in his problems as he traversed adulthood. The film masterfully used the imagery of drowning to portray the gravity of his despair.

Hobby by Lance Gabriel was shown next. This story follows a hobbyist finding her way through the world—from finding comfort in her very niche hobby, to being discriminated against, to literally and figuratively embracing the light that it is for her.

Third on the list is Lawom kong Kahidlaw, a story of a college student in the crossroad between passion and practicality as she is confronted with the need to decide between continuing her nursing degree or following her passion for film-making. Reutsche Colle Lime’s film is relevant and relatable to many students, judging by the reactions it garnered as it was being shown in the PE Viewing Room.

If there is a word to describe Mary Catherine Omega’s Cake and Wishes, it would be: “disturbing”. This is the story of a man, Ignacio Sanrael, dealing with, I quote, his sister, the “difference between independence, and loneliness”. It narrates the rawness of involuntary solitude in such an eerie manner. Artistic, yes, and relatable enough so as to incite discomfort and more.

When were you last reminded of your childhood? The main character of Nyle Justin Bacolod’s second entry in the film fest, Just for Today, returns to her childhood home and finds a rest from her responsibilities. True to the quote from The Little Prince that inspired it, the film is nostalgic and reminiscent—bittersweet, and sad in its own way.

Wednesdays is a music video about loneliness in adulting and growing apart. Kylzee, the singer, also portrays the main character that visits his senior high school and looks back to his days with his friends. The music evokes memories from the 2000s to 2010s, when most of the audience in that PE Viewing Room enjoyed their childhood—that probably made it sting a little more.

Que Tal by Owen Lepiten is dramatic and fantastical, for good reason. It’s about a student who finds out he failed his cinema entrance exam and spirals into despair. Finding solace in being alone, he hides in his closet and realizes that his life is not over yet—he realizes who he truly is. Que Tal is Chabacano for “who are you”, much to this film’s story of self-discovery. Its use of fantastical elements to dramatize human emotions is raw, skillful, and nothing short of beautiful.

Despite the then-awaited romantic occasion, not everyone prioritizes romance, or considers it as a lifestyle choice at all. For many of us, romance is a luxury. One of these people is Jacob, Saunter’s main character, a night-shift call center agent who comes across a beautiful nurse in a jeepney terminal too often, and finds himself catching feelings. Saunter will leave you wondering if these people will allow themselves to saunter amid the fast-paced city, or if they will neglect their own desires to uphold their responsibilities.

Días Abajo del Sol is another Chabacano film of Owen Lepiten featuring two young boys confronted by change. This film is just one of many films in the array that narrates a loss and how it can derail someone’s life.

Silingan, in the direction of Lauren Mariscal, teaches us the connections we make in the oddest of chances. Franco and Yanna meet at an off chance, and a series of notes start to string them together. It is cute, and romantic—the perfect love story for the occasion.

With loving comes loss, because regardless of how long some people stayed, people who came will always go. This is the reality Shane of Unang Gugma who deals with her grief with the passing of her boyfriend. The figment of reality she has of her late lover confronts her as she holds a conversation with him, shaken to reality by a friend who passed by.

Paghupay continues the theme of grief as it features the great love and loss of its main character. Ichael Cenabre directed the film beautifully heart-breaking, generously sprinkled with cinematic shots and excellent actors.

Edward Porlas Jr. ‘s direction of Katagbawan is another that breaks the peace. It is crude, brash, without a hint of rose-colored lenses. It is a real-world problem. In the age of what feels like a drug addiction epidemic, this film shows what it’s like to be in it, to be in love with someone afflicted with it, to be addicted. It is not poetic, nor is it metaphorical. Unlike the others in the lineup that showed how beautiful it is to be in love, Katagbawan is ugly and raw. After all, love is not all sunshine and rainbows.

Viewers in the PE Viewing Room expected My Unconditional Gugma (M.U.G.) to be the rest we all needed after those consecutive film incarnations of emotional distress. It follows two parallel storylines, one of dinnerware, and the other is of their owner. The owner is a man whose father gifted him a yellow mug. Other dinnerware welcomes the newcomer expecting that the yellow mug will only be used occasionally, until the formerly favorite mug is replaced in its status. Cute is what many of its audience think as the film started. The story is animatic and refreshing. It is stop motion and the dinnerware have such adorable faces, but it later descends into a discussion of self-worth, and coping with grief.

Bana-Bana is the sole horror film in the line up. An argument between a married couple devolves into a supernatural affair. Jane Narciso’s skill in narrating with terror and shock shook the PE Viewing Room when it was shown. Creepy, to say the least.

Lastly, Dilaab concludes the film-showing. This film that poetically narrates a musician coping with grief, is aesthetically pleasing, from the characters, to the shots, to the camerawork, thanks to the direction of Sean Mondejar. It is vibrant, and heart-breakingly so.

Ending the film showcase, the directors present in the viewing were invited for a few words in a director’s cut segment. Over a series of questions from the audience they discussed various issues in the cinema industry from finance, to production limitations. The directors also discussed their techniques that set their narration from others. 

The discussion concluded with an invitation towards the audience to the CINEMATA’S 12th Sinedisipulo in Ayala Central Bloc on Saturday, February 24, 1:30 to 8:00 PM, the first ever event that hosted both Cebuano and Mindanao Filmmakers, as it was traditionally exclusive to the former.