𝗞𝘂𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝘆𝘂𝗽 𝗔𝘁𝗯𝗽. 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝘆. 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗼

Students from the University of the Philippines Film Institute (UPFI) received major awards in the recent 21st CineMapua Student Film Festival held from May 19 to May 23, 2025 at Mapua University.

Having this year’s theme “Expand Your Vision”, CineMapúa is the longest-running student film festival that has become a hub for showcasing the talents of young filmmakers from the different educational institutions in Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

“Ang Halikan sa Water Fountain” by Clyde C. Gamale won Best Film in the Intercollegiate section, along with Best Sound (Hannah Gagalac), Best Cinematography ( Maki Makilan), Best Screenplay (Clyde C. Gamale) and Best Director (Gamale).

“Sa Likod ng Salamin” by Joseph Vitali won Second Best Film in the Intercollegiate section along with Best Production Design (Jude Lim), Best Editing (Emmanuel Tañada), and Best Performance of a Male Actor (Benjie Belano).

“Manic-ing” by Gab Rosique won Best Experimental Film.

“Please Keep This Copy” by Miguel Lorenzo Peralta won Special Jury Prize in the Experimental films section.

“Mama” by Alexandra Brizuela won Special Jury Prize in the Documentary films section.

The storyline of “Ang Halikan sa Water Fountain” reads, “A silly bromance sparks out of the closeness of two laidback high school boys, Maki and Kaloy. When a night of reckless drinking with their friends leads them to share a bed together, they discover the true nature of their bromance and now must decide whether to embrace this or risk losing each other’s friendship.”

The synopsis of “Sa Likod ng Salamin” reads: “A local barbershop will be closing soon after serving for 28 years. Rey, the barber, has decided to open his shop for one last time. His last day will reveal his true purpose in life.”

CineMapua started as a class competition which evolved into an Intercollegiate Film Festival in 2015. Senior High School category was added in 2019 while experimental and documentary categories were added this year.

All Mapúans Category is an exclusive category for Mapúa college, senior high school, and master students from Intramuros and Makati campuses in the Philippines.

A film entry has a maximum length of 20 minutes and a minimum of 10 minutes, including the credits.

Cinemapúa aims to enhance the students’ awareness of the importance of film arts in the academe, community, and the world as a whole and to develop the skills of the students in using film technology as a tool for learning.

It likewise aims to depict and preserve the values of social realities and cultural heritage such as local folklore, traditions, language, and social knowledge.

A narrative film tells a structured story with characters, conflict, and resolution—bringing imagination to life through compelling storytelling.

A documentary film is a nonfiction work that captures real people, events, and issues to inform, enlighten, or inspire its audience.

An experimental film challenges traditional storytelling by using unconventional techniques, structures, and visuals to explore new ways of expression.

UPFI is attached to the UP College of Media Communication (CMC) and engages in theater and extension services, academics, and research related to cinema.

UPFI was officially established in March 2003 that unifies two previously separate constituents of the University of the Philippines Diliman: the UP Film Center and the Department of Film and Audio-Visual Communication of the UP CMC.

According to its mission, the UPFI aims to produce graduates who would share in its goal of “contributing to the development of genuinely Filipino national cinema.” Its current end is in “increasing professionalization in Philippine film practice and upgrading local film scholarship.”

Some young film makers had the opportunity to be mentored by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Ricky Lee who describes a good writer/ filmmaker as” someone who can transport his reader to a place that he has never been before.”

“The good writer is always able to let us see what we did not see, even if it’s just staring us in the face all this time. He can transport us even to a place inside our being which we never knew was there. Good stories let us experience death and rebirth almost at the same time, all the time,” Lee said.

He added: “Some stories are left untold. For the legend, however, he would leave behind an immortalized legacy of movies that transcend both past and posterity. The rest, as they say, is history—or should we say, his stories.”

Cinemapua is running for the past two decades simultaneously with Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.

Cinemalaya’s vision is: “The creation of new cinematic works by Filipino filmmakers that boldly articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity.”