Here’s who won Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and more at the Cinemalaya 22 Awards Night.
For years, Cinemalaya, presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Cinemalaya Foundation, has championed independent film and the filmmakers who bring bold, original stories to the screen. After two weeks of screenings, the country’s premier independent film festival has officially come to a close, celebrating this year’s standout films and filmmakers with awards recognizing their creativity, craft, and excellence. Here are the winners who took home top honors at Cinemalaya this year.
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Who Won At The Cinemalaya 22 Awards Night
Best Film
The psychological horror film Mag-iina was awarded the Balanghai Trophy for Best Film. The film follows three generations of women bound by grief, madness, and a dark family secret. Under the direction of Giancarlo Abrahan and Guelan Varela Luarca, Mag-iina’s layered narrative of family secrets, deep-seated grief, and matriarchal dynamics also reflects broader truths about Philippine society and politics.
For the Short Film category, Rey Anthony Villaverde’s Silkscreen took home Best Film. The film was recognized for its textured cinematography, precise color grading, and meticulous sound design, while telling a story about legacy and reconciliation between a struggling son and his aging father.
Best Director
Cinemalaya awarded two filmmakers the Balanghai Trophy for Best Director. Giancarlo Abrahan was recognized for Mag-iina, with the jury praising his command of atmosphere and the way he brought together the film’s technical elements to build its layered family drama.
Gabriela Serrano also received the award for Elenita Elena Elaine. Her direction was recognized for bringing together the film’s visual and technical elements while guiding its female cast through a story about heartbreak, failure, hope, and sacrifice.
Best Screenplay
Mag-iina continued its winning streak with Best Screenplay in the Full-Length Category. Writer Guelan Varela Luarca was recognized for the film’s complex script, layered storytelling, and richly drawn characters, as well as its reflection on domestic grief, family dysfunction, and darker realities in Philippine society.
The Best Screenplay award for the Short Film Category went to Lysa Catolico and Jazmine Gin Pateña for Runo!. The animated film was recognized for balancing humor and emotion while telling a story about unconditional loyalty, love, and sacrifice.
NETPAC Award For Best Film
Vahn Leinard Pascual’s Status: Rejected received the NETPAC Award for Best Film in the Full-Length Category. The film was recognized for its character study and its unapologetic portrayal of desire and the realities of aging.
In the Short Film Category, the NETPAC Award went to Lot-lot Hermosura’s The River Flows In Different Places, praised for its personal and resonant storytelling despite the limitations surrounding its subject.
Best Actor
Martin del Rosario took home Best Actor for his performance in Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam. His restrained performance carries much of the film’s emotional weight, portraying the quiet grief and resilience of a gay man caring for his dying partner.
Best Actress
The Balanghai Trophy for Best Actress ended in a tie between Ruby Ruiz for Status: Rejected and Marietta “Pokwang” Subong for 2 Valid IDs.
Ruiz was recognized for her nuanced performance as an aging woman navigating an online romance and yearning for love and companionship. Subong, meanwhile, earned praise for a deeply transformative performance that showed a different side of the actress, moving away from her comedic roots for a more grounded portrayal.
Best Supporting Actor
Another tie came in the Best Supporting Actor category, with Lucas Andalio of Mag-iina and K.D. Omalin of Hand Of God sharing the award.
Andalio was recognized for his complex role and his ability to move through intense character shifts, including a transformation from an innocent child into a darker force within the film. Omalin was praised for his portrayal of a young Mindanao child soldier whose discovery of football gives him a glimpse of a life beyond violence.
Best Supporting Actress
Bituin Escalante took home the award for Best Performance of a Supporting Actress for A.ni.mál. The singer and actress was recognized for a performance that moved between dark comedy and drama while portraying a woman navigating political scandal, pain, and resilience.
Technical Awards
Cinemalaya 22 also recognized the filmmakers and creatives behind the technical work that brought this year’s films to life.
Best Editing: John Rogers for A.ni.mál, recognized for the film’s sharp pacing and cutting, which strengthened its dark humor and satire.
Best Cinematography: Adam Dumaguin for Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam, recognized for his use of light, shadow, camera angles, and intimate compositions to heighten the film’s emotional weight.
Best Production Design: Katrish Aristoki for Mag-iina, for creating the film’s gothic atmosphere and visual world, reflecting the dysfunction and secrets of its central family.
Best Musical Scoring: David Yuhico for Mag-iina, for a haunting piano-led score that builds the film’s atmosphere while underscoring its tension, grief, and family dysfunction.
Best Sound: Elian Idioma for Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam, recognized for using subtle sounds, pauses, and silence to heighten the film’s emotional impact.
Best Ensemble Performance: The cast of Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam, composed of Martin del Rosario, Yayo Aguila, Miguel Oldron, and Epy Quizon, for their portrayal of a family and partner united by care and grief.
Special Jury Prize
The Special Jury Prize was awarded to 2 Valid IDs by Ma-an Asuncion-Dagñalan and Abet Pagdagdagan Raz, and Para-Paraan (Finding A Way Through) by Mae Chan Li. The former was recognized for its look at bureaucratic red tape and everyday struggles, while the latter focuses on accessibility, inclusion, and the barriers faced by disabled people in urban spaces.
Audience Choice Award
The audience also had their say, with 2 Valid IDs taking the Audience Choice Award for the Full-Length category and Hoy, Hoy, Ingat! (Hey, Hey, Take Care!) winning for the Short Film category.
Photos courtesy of Cinemalaya’s website
Frequently Asked Questions
Mag-iina, directed by Giancarlo Abrahan and Guelan Varela Luarca, won the Balanghai Trophy for Best Film in the Full-Length Category.
Giancarlo Abrahan won Best Director for Mag-iina, while Gabriela Serrano also received the Balanghai Trophy for her direction of Elenita Elena Elaine.
Martin del Rosario won Best Actor for Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam. Best Actress ended in a tie between Ruby Ruiz for Status: Rejected and Marietta “Pokwang” Subong for 2 Valid IDs.
Status: Rejected by Vahn Leinard Pascual won the NETPAC Award for Best Film in the Full-Length Category, while The River Flows In Different Places by Lot-lot Hermosura won in the Short Film Category.
2 Valid IDs won the Audience Choice Award for the Full-Length category, while Hoy, Hoy, Ingat! (Hey, Hey, Take Care!) won for the Short Film category.
