Bridging cultural heritage with contemporary, mature student storytelling, the third-year Multimedia Arts students of De La Salle University–Dasmariñas successfully launched Sinelayan 2026: Mataya-Taya, a film showcase that bridges cultural nostalgia with contemporary student storytelling.
This year’s unique installment serves as a crowdfunding event featuring a collection of original short films inspired by classic Filipino childhood games. Student production houses were challenged to use traditional street games, such as Patintero, Tumbang Preso, Langit Lupa, and Luksong Tinik, as creative springboards to explore deep, complex human narratives. All consolidated proceeds from the festival will fund Batch 2027’s upcoming annual tradeshow PRISM 12, with a portion dedicated to supporting the One La Salle Scholarship Fund.
POSTERS
WINNERS
The festival concluded with two short films leading the roster of accolades. “Winner Takes It All” by Rabbit Hole Productions secured the coveted Short Film of the Year prize, alongside the awards for Best Actress for Allyana Morcoso, Best Supporting Actress for Regina Salvador, Best Editing, and Best Musical Scoring.
In “Winner Takes it All,” an older sister, who is driven by a relentless pursuit of victory, finds that her rigid ambitions shape her path to success, but at the heavy cost of damaging her bond with her younger sister.
Meanwhile, Lumina Studios’ “Bang-Sak” swept the technical and creative categories, earning Director of the Year for RJ Lumampao, as well as awards for Screenplay, Cinematography, Production Design, Visual Effects, Production Logo, and the People’s Choice Award for Set A.
Inspired by the Filipino version of hide-and-seek, “Bang-Sak” follows Sunny, a newly promoted barangay treasurer heavily burdened by the pressure to support his family. When drawn into signing off on questionable police reports, he is trapped in a high-stakes moral dilemma between integrity and survival.
“What started as an idea turned into something bigger because of the passion, creativity, and dedication poured by the people behind Lumina Studios. Behind this film were countless revisions, sleepless nights, and a team that refused to settle for anything less than the story we wanted to tell,” Lumampao revealed.
Frederick Versoto won Best Actor for “Sina Kla” while Joseph Lindo got the Best Supporting Actor trophy for “Laglag,” which also won the Best Poster award for Area C Productions.
“Sina Kla” by Truesight Productions is a harsh look at poverty and grief, centering on a struggling laborer turned breadwinner who is torn between saving the family home or giving his late elder brother a dignified burial.
Meanwhile, “Laglag” by Area C Productions is a grounded, soft romance following two lovers riding the high of a seemingly picture-perfect relationship, until a quiet, pivotal choice challenges their perception of reality.
The Best Gender Sensitive Film was awarded to “Kung Paano Magtago ang Liwanag” by Tara Shot Productions. The People’s Choice Award for Set B went to “Harang Taga” by Blk 317 Studios).
“Kung Paano Magtago ang Liwanag” by Tara Shot Productions is a poignant drama centering on a young man who stumbles upon a bundle of old letters, uncovering a hidden side to the grandmother he thought he knew completely.
In “Harang Taga” by Blk 317 Studios, a high school drama takes a dark turn when a classmate is found dead. Known for their strained history with the victim, two best friends are forced into choices that could either deliver justice or incriminate them.
The other entries are “Paborito ni Papa” by Flipflop Productions and “Silakbo” by Boombox Production. In “Paborito ni Papa,” three estranged sisters reunite after their father’s sudden passing in their childhood home, where an unexpected message forces them to confront deep-seated fractures and rediscover their familial bond.
“Silakbo” is a character study of a young artist trapped in her comfort zone, paralyzed by loneliness and routine. When an attempt to venture outside ends in failure, she returns to destroy everything she once loved.
The student films were evaluated by Rhendel De Vera, Glam Hour Creative Director, BSK Studios Director, and recipient of the Sinelayan 2024 Best Director award; Rossanni Recco Sarile, academician, creative writer, filmmaker, and cultural advocate; and Joshua de Vera, independent filmmaker and film marketer whose works have premiered in different film festivals here and abroad.
Sinelayan was first developed in the second semester of 2022-2023 by Film and Video Part-Time Faculty Kathryn K. Salvan and Nick Olayao. They looked at their students and saw something urgent: voices that needed room to breathe, stories from Cavite that deserved a screen bigger than a classroom projector.
Salvan shared that Sinelayan (from the words “sine,” “laya,” and “silayan”) is more than a festival name. It is “a promise that every frame can set a story free, and every glimpse can spark a revolution of imagination.”
The first Sinelayan was launched in 2024, under the guidance and support of Graphics and Multimedia Arts Department Chair Ernest John Sanchez. It started as a space for student filmmakers to screen their work, to fail safely, to experiment boldly.
“By 2026, the program had outgrown its beginnings. More films. Bigger audiences. Louder applause. Students who once doubted their stories found strangers crying, laughing, and arguing because of them. That’s when you know: it’s working,” Salvan added.
By channeling childhood memories into thought-provoking cinema, Sinelayan 2026 successfully highlights the vital role of emerging student creatives in driving the future of the Philippine creative industries. — Seymour Sanchez
