Indie ko na rin alam: Who’s gonna save independent cinema?

There has been a recent discussion about Cinemalaya being inaccessible.

And honestly, I understand the criticism.

For 22 years, Cinemalaya has largely been a Manila experience. And because the Cultural Center of the Philippines has been under construction, the festival has had to move around. There was the PICC—which, let’s be honest, was not exactly built with cinema screening in mind. We were literally sitting on regular chairs, trying to settle into a film while our bodies were already negotiating with the venue.

Then there was Ayala Malls Manila Bay, which was actually decent.

And now, for two consecutive years, Cinemalaya has found itself in Shangri-La.