Cinemalaya names powerhouse jury for 22nd edition

Sari Dalena leads a diverse panel of global filmmakers, critics, and cultural voices for this year’s film festival.

Sari Lluch Dalena, a key figure in Philippine alternative cinema, is leading the Main Competition jury of this year’s Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, alongside a diverse roster of filmmakers, curators, critics, and cultural practitioners from the Philippines and abroad.

Dalena’s work spans documentary, experimental, and narrative film. She is known for titles such as “Ka Oryang” and “The Guerrilla is a Poet.” Her 2025 Cinemalaya entry “Cinemartyrs” earned her Best Director, Best Musical Scoring, and the Special Jury Prize.

Joining Dalena are independent curator and cultural critic Marian Pastor Roces, Indian filmmaker Pradip Kurbah, Italian producer and events organizer Lorenzo “Lello” Carvelli, and cinematographer-filmmaker Dan Villegas.

Roces brings decades of experience shaping discourse on art, politics, and cultural heritage through museum work, international exhibitions, and policy research.

Kurbah, an award-winning director from Meghalaya, has helped bring Khasi-language cinema to global audiences, earning recognition from festivals in Moscow, Busan, and India.

Carvelli contributes extensive experience in international productions and cultural events, including collaborations with the Cannes and Venice film festivals.

Villegas, a three-time Cinemalaya Best Photography winner, is known for his work both behind the camera and as a director, with credits that include “Mayohan” and the Gawad Urian-winning cinematography for “Kono Basho.”

Meanwhile, the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) jury will select the recipient of this year’s award for outstanding Asian film.

The NETPAC panel is composed of filmmaker and educator Alvin Yapan, Chinese filmmaker and scholar Haolun Shu, and director-producer Perci Intalan.

Yapan is an award-winning director whose works have been recognized locally and internationally, while also mentoring young filmmakers at Ateneo de Manila University.

Shu, a faculty member at the Shanghai Film Academy, brings a global perspective shaped by festival screenings across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Intalan, co-founder of The IdeaFirst Company, has championed Filipino stories that have resonated both locally and abroad, with several projects earning NETPAC recognition.

Organizers said the combined expertise of this year’s juries reflects Cinemalaya’s continuing role as a platform for bold and diverse cinematic voices in the Philippines and across Asia.

Co-organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Cinemalaya Foundation, the festival runs from Aug. 6 to 18, 2026, with screenings at Red Carpet Cinemas at Shangri-La Plaza, Gateway Cineplex, and select Ayala Malls Cinemas.

Now on an extended run with multiple venues, Cinemalaya continues to showcase the evolving landscape of Philippine independent cinema, featuring nine full-length and 10 short films in competition.

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