MANILA, Philippines—Sony Philippines strengthens its commitment to supporting Filipino craftsmanship and creativity through a recent partnership with the Cinemalaya XIX Awards, uplifting exceptional indie filmmakers.
Sony awarded grand prizes of FX3 Cinema Line Full-frame cameras (valued at Php 235,000 each) to the Best Directors at Cinemalaya XIX: Mike Cabarles, Best Director for “Makoko sa Baybay” in the Short Film Category, and Ryan Machado, Best Director for “Huling Palabas” in the full-length category.
The Cinemalaya Awards XIX is dedicated to recognizing outstanding achievements and celebrating the talents of Filipino independent filmmakers, as showcased in the 19th Cinemalaya Film Festival. This annual competition and festival serve as a platform for the development of innovative cinematic creations and the promotion of Filipino culture and experiences within the indie filmmaking community.
Image Courtesy of Kiko Cabuena.
As first-time participants in this prestigious independent film festival, winning filmmakers Cabarles and Machado expressed their gratitude for the recognition and the opportunity to showcase their films to a broader audience. They also shared the challenges they faced during filming, particularly dealing with limited camera gear. Cabarles mentioned, “Most of our scenes are outdoors, so we had difficulty adjusting as they often became overexposed due to sunlight. We had to wait for hours before we could continue shooting.”
“Makoko Sa Baybay” was shot entirely with Sony’s Alpha 7 III full-frame mirrorless camera, allowing cinematographer Anne Valmeo to achieve their desired shots for the beach setting.
In contrast, Machado faced financial challenges during the filming of “Huling Palabas,” relying on seed money and grants from Cinemalaya, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) to cover logistics for the cast and crew.
Otake Nobuyoshi, President and Managing Director of Sony Philippines, expressed Sony’s mission to empower the creative industry and congratulated the winners and participants of the Cinemalaya XIX Awards, hoping to inspire more aspiring filmmakers to tell their stories powerfully.
Image Courtesy of Kiko Cabuena.
Cabarles and Machado emphasize the importance of matching the right camera to different scenes and budgets in filmmaking. They stress that it’s not just about the equipment but also about the filmmaker’s skill and storytelling. Cabarles shares his experience with Sony cameras, including the reliable Sony A7S and Alpha 6300 with a Sony FE 50mm lens.
Both filmmakers are excited to use the Sony FX3 Cinema Line Full-frame camera in their future projects. Cabarles plans to use it for “Nakaalaak Ti Sida Di Rabii,” while Machado is eager for its low-light performance and shallow depth-of-field. The Sony FX3 offers 4K high-frame-rate recording and cinematic color science with S-Cinetone™, setting new standards for cinematic excellence and empowering the creative community.