Since its inception as a small competition of five-minute short films affixed to the feature length films of Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, Sine Kabataan continues to advocate for youth cinema. For the second year now, the Film Development Council of the Philippines has been giving young Filipino filmmakers the chance to realize their story concepts by awarding them production grants through Sine Kabataan. Extensive film labs and workshops under industry veterans throughout film production are also undertaken by these filmmakers to guide and flesh out their concepts to inception.
On its sixth edition this year, Sine Kabataan was held as its own festival — firmly giving the proper spotlight youth cinema is due. 10 short films were selected and screened at the Shangri-La Plaza Red Carpet Cinema. They were separated into two sections. Each section contains a spectrum of tones. The selection takes a look at varied issues concerning different age groups in the youth sector, from a queer pre-adolescent’s budding crush to a young adult reconnecting with friends after being undetectable with HIV.
The selection
Grade-schooler Philip is caught by his bully playing FLAMES. Crossed out with his name is his classmate Kenneth. What ensues is the anxiety of being outed, and the yearning of eventually being accepted by his crush, and his mother who loves him dearly. “Crush” (dir. Louisse Carlo Ledonio) is a feel-good exploration of finding oneself and one’s place at a young age. It is, however, not without inconsistencies. There is a dissonance between what characters say and present and in its production elements. The wedge between Philip and his mother is not tangible enough to take the film’s punchline to its maximum effect. Production design, however, is the best asset of “Hot Seat” (dir. Johmar Damiles). It reflects how children perceive and cope with the environment around them. Siblings Kat-Kat and Poy are searching for their missing cat in a sari-sari store when they are accused by its owner of stealing. Their mother was called and it was revealed that the siblings have domestic issues at home due to their parents’ consistent fighting. Only through their cat do they find comfort. They perceive these problems through their childish imaginations, as reflected by outlandish headgear and a “Scott Pilgrim”-like video game fight sequence. “Hot Seat” shows how children escape a world harsh to children, both literally and figuratively.
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