LibreViews

Batch review by Vives Anunciacion The organizers of the third Cinemalaya Film Festival declared it the best and biggest the festival has ever been. True, and maybe: it has earned its biggest boxoffice since the first festival but “best” tag is up for debate. This year, none bore the mark of transcendence the way Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros made people outside the festival look at “indie” the same way they did mainstream. Consider eight full-length competition films, down from the original ten after the former two finalists, quote-unquote, failed to finish on time. One of the two, it was heard from the vine, had the most promising script of the lot. Should it be produced independently, it shall uphold the very essence of the festival outside the festival. Such is the festival’s irony, for independents can exist outside the “indie” festival. Among the eight, however, only two entries are solidly constructed from beginning to end: Endo (written and directed by Jade Castro), winn...