𝗧𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗸𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗼́𝗸 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 — 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐀𝐃𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍!

 

Kalibo, Aklan – In the heart of the Ati-Atihan capital, where the beat of the drums meets the whisper of ancient stories, ten short films crafted by the hands and hearts of Aklanon filmmakers are ready to step into the light.

On 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, the 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘇𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 will transform into a temple of cinema for the 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗼́𝗸 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, a celebration of homegrown artistry that bridges memory and modernity, tradition and innovation.

At 5:00 PM, audiences will enter worlds built from Aklan’s soil, seas, and soul as the official film screenings begin. By 7:00 PM, the red carpet will unfurl and under the soft glow of stage lights, the year’s finest storytellers will be honored.

Beyond the venue, the air will be rich with the aromas of the 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝘇𝗮𝗮𝗿, a gathering that nourishes not only the body but the movement for regional cinema, powered by 𝗔𝗸𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗮, the organic collective uniting Kalibo’s growing film community.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Ten films. Ten distinct voices. Ten ways of seeing the world through Aklanon eyes:

• 𝗥𝗼 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗲 𝗻𝗴𝗮 𝗚𝗮𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗼𝘆 𝘀𝗮 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗸 – Anjo S. Salmorin

• 𝗬𝗮𝘄𝗮-𝗬𝗮𝘄𝗮 – Chandelmer Salido Ginoy

• 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 – Dave P. Tumbagahan

• 𝗣𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗸𝗮𝘄 – Jero Nijinsky O. Suco

• 𝗔𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗮𝘀 – Jomer M. Melgarejo

• 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘄 – Jozhed Syned Reyes

• 𝗧𝗮𝗼 𝗞𝗶𝗺𝗼 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗸 – Kenneth Kim L. Villocino

• 𝗥𝗼 𝗨𝗹𝗶𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗲𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗶 𝗡𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘆 – Kent G. Ibardolaza

• 𝗥𝗲:𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘆 – Mariel Joanachim I. Rovero

• 𝗔𝗴𝗶-𝗔𝗴𝗶 – Sean Eloid L. Dominguez

𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

• Best Short Film – ₱80,000 + Bueawan Trophy

• 2nd Place – ₱40,000 + Bueawan Trophy

• 3rd Place – ₱30,000 + Bueawan Trophy

• Merit Awards will also be given for Cinematography, Screenplay, Acting, and the Jury Prize

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

The journey began on June 21 at the Ati-Atihan County Inn during Film Pitching Day, where filmmakers presented their stories to industry professionals. This marked the start of the Sarók Short Film Development Program.

𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟭 (𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟭𝟮–𝟭𝟯)

• Dir. Mia Reyes – Storyboarding

• Dir. Kevin Piamonte – Film Appreciation & Education

• Prof. John Barrios, Ph.D. – Scriptwriting

• Dir. Eusebio “Seb” Valdez III – Film Talk

• Dir. Henri Dioval Candelario – Cinematography Insights

𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟮 (𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟭𝟵–𝟮𝟬) with FDCP Film School

• Dir. Michael Angelo Dagñalan – Storytelling & Visual Language

• Dir. Ma-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan – Place-Based Narratives

FDCP programs such as CreatePHFilms and JuanFlix were introduced to support filmmakers beyond the region.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵

On July 24–25, each selected team received ₱15,000 in subsidies from the Municipality of Kalibo through the Kalibo Council for Culture and the Arts (KCCA). Festival Director Romart Malapad Martesano calls it more than financial aid, but a vote of confidence in Aklanon stories.

𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹, 𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

Sarók is supported by LGU-Kalibo, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), JCI Aklan Kalantiao, and Aklanon Cinema.

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀

• August 25 – Submission of rough drafts

• September 1 – Final film submission

• September 15 – Jury deliberation

• September 20 – Festival Night

𝗧𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗸𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺𝘀, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.

As lights dim and frames begin to flicker, Kalibo speaks — through cinema, to the world.

𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗼́𝗸 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀.