Vlad Bunoan

'Phantosmia' being shown during the recently held Sine Sampaloc film festival, held at the municipal park in Sampaloc, Quezon. Photo from CCP FB page

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Totel V. De Jesus

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767501064367Quezonian filmmaker Lem Lorca conducting a workshop. Photo by Nikki Lim.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Quezonian filmmaker Lem Lorca conducting a workshop. Photo by Nikki Lim"/>Quezonian filmmaker Lem Lorca conducting a workshop. Photo by Nikki Lim</div>SAMPALOC, Quezon — For the first time in Sampaloc, the landlocked, touristy municipality surrounded by Mount Banahaw and Sierra Madre ridges in Quezon Province known for its cooler climate, rivers, waterfalls and verdant forests that auteur Lav Diaz now calls home, an open-to-the-public film festival called Sine Sampaloc was successfully held last December 11 to 14 for its residents called the Sampalukins.What is dubbed the 1st Sine Sampaloc Film Festival offered open-air film screenings at the municipal park with workshops and talkback sessions by renowned filmmakers participated in by grade-school pupils and high-school students. Organized by the Sampaloc local government in cooperation with the Cinemalaya Foundation and the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Film, Broadcast and New Media division under its Lakbay Sine program, Sine Sampaloc started the festival with a tricycle float motorcade and competition. Student participants showcased their talents with designs depicting the themes and stories of 10 selected short films that won in the previous Cinemalaya and Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video independent film competitions.“The youth and students of Sampaloc ‘adopted’ a short film, designed floats and created street performances inspired by the 10 shorts, hence, enhancing the experience of film appreciation that was share to the local community by parading through the puroks. It’s taking art education to the streets for the 1st Sine Sampaloc Film Festival, which proved to be an effective and infectious strategy for youth-led arts education,” said Cinemalaya festival director Chris Millado, one of the organizers of Sine Sampaloc. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767501016269One of the tricycle float designs during the parade on the first day of Sine Sampaloc Film Festiva. Photo by Chris Millado.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="One of the tricycle float designs during the parade on the first day of Sine Sampaloc Film Festiva. Photo by Chris Millado"/>One of the tricycle float designs during the parade on the first day of Sine Sampaloc Film Festiva. Photo by Chris Millado</div>Fellow organizers are cultural advocates Nikki Lim, Sampalukin Beth Suarez and Sampaloc Mayor Nikko Devanadera. CCP’s Film, Broadcast and New Media department officer Vicky Belarmino and her team were also present. After the parade, come nighttime, the opening film “Siglo ng Kalinga,” a full-length feature by Quezonian filmmaker Lemuel Lorca, was shown. It tackles the Filipino nurses’ struggles that span over a century.The morning of December 12, the second day of the festival, a talk-back session and filmmaking workshop by Lorca for participating students were held at the municipal park. In the afternoon, award-winning director-screenwriter Zig Dulay conducted a film appreciation workshop. Nighttime, the group of students performed their dance interpretations of the 10 short films. Next, the first five of the selected 10 short films were shown. They were “Carabao Noises” by Kyla de la Peña, “Pot” by Carl Pala, “Anak ng Santol” by Karen Ismael, “Taya” by Adi Bontuyan and “Heist School” by Julius Renomeron. A talk-back session with the filmmakers followed. Since they were short films, the event ended at around a little past 8pm. On the third day, a one-day film animation workshop with screening of output was handled by visual artist, arts educator and De La Salle University-College of St. Benilde animation professor Rosevie Sevilla. From morning to noontime, the filmmakers for the shorts were give a tour of the settings that Diaz used for “Magellan” and “Phantosmia,” two of his three recent films that were shot in Sampaloc. The other one is “Ang Kawalan ng Kawalan,” which is still in post-production. They also visited the rivers, lakes, resorts, the buri handicrafts factory and heritage sites that were the town’s tourist attractions and potential film locations. At night, the rest of the five short films were shown. They were “Trip” by Jon Red, “Asan si Lolo Mê?” by Sari Estrada, “Ang Liwanag ng Bakunawa” by Alvin Joshua A. Gasga and Elisha Shem E. Domingo, “Black Rainbow” by Zig Dulay and “Primetime Mother” by Sonny Calvento. There were also the talk-back sessions that followed. On separate occasions, other visiting Manila-based directors like Paul Sta. Ana and JL Burgos were assisted by the LGUs tourism officers and rescue team members to go around town, up in the hills and forests for possible locations for their next projects. Sta. Ana’s film titled “Dangeom” and Burgos’ new work titled “Ganggang” were among the 10 Cinemalaya finalists for 2026.<div> </div><div>‘Phantosmia’ for Sampalukins</div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767500859728&#x27;Phantosmia&#x27; being shown during the recently held Sine Sampaloc film festival, held at the municipal park in Sampaloc, Quezon. Photo from CCP FB page.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="&#x27;Phantosmia&#x27; being shown during the Sine Sampaloc film festival, held at the municipal park in Sampaloc, Quezon. Photo from CCP FB page"/>&#x27;Phantosmia&#x27; being shown during the Sine Sampaloc film festival, held at the municipal park in Sampaloc, Quezon. Photo from CCP FB page</div>On the fourth and final day, the four-hour long “Phantosmia” was shown in mid-afternoon until nighttime, followed by a talk-back session. The lead actors Ronnie Lazaro, Janine Gutierrez, Sri Arjhay Babon, Hazel Orencio and Dong Abay were present, as well as the Sampalukins who participated as extras in the film. Diaz couldn’t make it because he arrived from a long flight from Paris close to midnight and reportedly was nursing a bad cold.It was a memorable night because the Sampalukins were happy to see streets, houses and rivers in their town that were used as settings in the film. Some of those who had cameo roles brought their family members, relatives and friends and they were ecstatic while pointing to the screen whenever scenes they’re part of were shown, or familiar Sampalukins appear. Besides the students, among the Sampalukins who watched the nightly screenings were housewives, laborers, teachers and employees after office hours. There were even some young film enthusiasts who came from as far as Atimonan, Quezon, which is an hour-and-a-half away by jeep or bus from Sampaloc.Mayor Devanadera thanked his fellow Sampalukins, the guest filmmakers, actors, the people from Cinemalaya and CCP, for making Sine Sampaloc a resounding success. He reassured to continue the festival in the years to come as well as giving full support for visiting filmmakers who would like to shoot their films in the town. “Ready issuance of permits, tour assistance, security, provision of vehicles, guided accommodations, we’re ready to assist them,” he said. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767501106409Chris Millado, (extreme right, front row), Cinemalaya festival director and Sampaloc Mayor Nikko Devanadera (center front row) with Sine Sampaloc co-organizers from CCP and participating filmmakers. Photo from Chris Millado.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Chris Millado (extreme right, front row), Cinemalaya festival director and Sampaloc Mayor Nikko Devanadera (center front row) with Sine Sampaloc co-organizers from CCP and participating filmmakers. Photo from Chris Millado"/>Chris Millado (extreme right, front row), Cinemalaya festival director and Sampaloc Mayor Nikko Devanadera (center front row) with Sine Sampaloc co-organizers from CCP and participating filmmakers. Photo from Chris Millado</div>In return, Millado praised the Sampalukins and returned the gratitude to Devanadera for being open and fully supportive in holding what looked like the first well-organized film festival participated in by various stakeholders this side of Quezon province. Despite Diaz’s absence, they both acknowledged the world-acclaimed Filipino filmmaker for choosing Sampaloc as his home.“We hope after the 1st Sine Sampaloc, the town will be known for film tourism. Then again, there must be proper regulation, otherwise the influx of tourists might spoil the natural beauty of this town, Quezon’s best-kept secret,” said Millado.

CCP’s Lakbay Sine brings Gawad Alternatibo and Cinemalaya films to the countryside.

CCP’s Lakbay Sine brings Gawad Alternatibo and Cinemalaya films to the countryside.

‘Sine Sampaloc’ in Quezon province nourishes local film culture

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‘Sine Sampaloc’ in Quezon province nourishes local film culture

Totel V. De Jesus

Published January 04, 2026 12:33 PM PHT

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Sine Sanmpaloc

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Lav Diaz

Chris Millado

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