Cinemalaya and the Filmic Articulation of the “Filipino Experience”

This research project problematizes cinematic articulations of the nation and nationhood by independent Filipino filmmakers within the context of thickening flows of global cultural exchange in cinema, primarily via international film festivals. It engages in conversation with recent academic work on Philippine independent cinema and film history and transnational/world cinema, and aims to contribute to the growing field of film festival research. By taking Cinemalaya as case study, the research also looks at the role of funding- and award-giving institutions in the definition of a “national” cultural formation—in this case, Philippine cinema. The increasingly central role of the state (via the Cultural Center of the Philippines [CCP]) in Cinemalaya—initially established by the collective efforts of private and public institutions—also enables this research to contribute to discussions on cultural policy and state support of Philippine cinema.

Journal Article

Contesting a National Cinema in Becoming: The Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival (2005-2014)
Humanities Diliman
Emerald O. Flaviano