Two short films from Far Eastern University Department of Communication, “Ani” and “Oguima,” were screened as part of the official selection for the 13th Nabunturan Independent Film Exhibition (NABIFILMEX), which ran from September 16 to 18, in Nabunturan, Davao de Oro.
Written and directed by Ayessa Chloe Tan, “Ani” is set in an alternate reality impacted by climate change. The story follows Noli, a farmer driven by his wife’s medical needs, who competes in a high-stakes harvesting challenge issued by a wealthy trader amid severe grain scarcity.
The short film, which explores the struggles of agricultural workers, features performances by Karl Medina and Sharon Ceneta, with cinematography and editing by Jose Gabriel Unson.
On the other hand, “Oguima” is a psychological drama centering on Samuel, a farmer working through a failed harvest whose quiet, routine life begins to unravel. As suppressed desires and guilt surface, an enigmatic presence named Oguima emerges.
Writer-director Zarrina Fernandez worked with supervising producer Rai Mercado, production manager Bjorn Pestaño, director of photography Kenneth Flores, production designer Jeffrey Waje, editor Angelo Greñas, sound designer Kristian Samson, musical scorer Jezi Giel, creative consultant Jet Leyco, and actors Bodjie Pascua, Marjorie Uson and Maria Ysabel Delos Reyes.
NABIFILMEX 13 had film screenings, community roadshows, educational talks, and cultural exhibits across its three-day run.
The Tipok-Tapok Arts Exhibit, which features artworks by local students and regional artisans, opened last Sept. 16, 4 p.m., at the NICO Cooper FoodYard, followed by a motorcade at 5 p.m. and a program at the Municipal Plaza at 7 p.m.
Mackie Galvez, LPS, facilitated a basic cinematography workshop at the Cinematheque Centre from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., while Atty. Andrea “Andi” Banadero conducted a legal consultation for filmmakers from 1 to 3 p.m. last Sept. 17. Screenings of exhibition and competition films were held at Assumption College of Nabunturan and Colegio de Nabunturan throughout the day. An open-air film screening from 7 p.m. onwards concluded the program for the day.
Film Academy of the Philippines Director General Paolo Villaluna talked about what an arrangement of a single frame means in terms of power, class, and social hierarchy in “Mise-en-Scène and the Politics of Composition” last Sept. 18, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon at the Cinematheque Centre. Villaluna discussed how every element in a shot, the lighting, blocking, set design, and even where characters stand, carries political weight. Award-winning filmmaker Sherad Anthony Sanchez tackled “Filipino Time & Contemporary Cinema” from 1 p.m. onwards.
Closing and awarding ceremonies were held at the Municipal Covered Court from 6 p.m. onwards.
Leading up to the main event, the NABIFILMEX team conducted a multi-stop educational roadshow across Davao de Oro, bringing previous award-winning short films directly to students at Maco de Oro College and Davao de Oro State College, including its Main campus, Maragusan, and New Bataan branches.
Seymour B. Sanchez
Seymour Barros Sanchez is an advocacy filmmaker, communication and film lecturer, freelance writer, creative producer, technical consultant, and a former producer for news and current affairs programs. He served as Bacolod Film Festival director in 2024 and Technical Consultant for Academic Linkages of the Film Development Council of the Philippines from 2022 to 2025. He is a member of the Academic Film Society Advisory Committee of the FDCP, a representative of the Education Sector to the National Committee on Cinema Executive Council, and Secretary of the NCC.
