The Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival has tapped renowned local and international filmmakers for the jury of its 21st edition this 2025.
The main competition jury is composed of veteran actor Christopher de Leon, award-winning director Pepe Diokno, screenwriter Michiko Yamamoto, Japan-based Americann critic Mark Schilling, and script consultant and writer Sophia Wellington.
De Leon has been a staple of Philippine entertainment for over five decades, earning him the title “King of Philippine Drama” and the recipient of numerous honors from the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards, the Metro Manila Film Festival and Gawad Urian.
Just a few of his iconic films include “Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos,” “Ganito Kami Noon… Paano Kayo Ngayon?,” “Kakabakaba Ka Ba?,” “Aguila,” “Bituing Walang Ningning,” “Madrasta,” “Dekada ’70,” “El Presidente,” “Smaller and Smaller Circles” and “On the Job: The Missing 8.”
Diokno is best known for directing “GomBurZa” and “Isang Himala,” and his first three films “Engkwentro,” “Above The Clouds,” and “Kapatiran” have screened in a number of international film festivals.
“Engkwentro” won a Special Citation at Cinemalaya 2009 before going on to win “Luigi de Laurentiis” Award for a Debut Film and Orizzonti Prize for Best Picture at the Venice Film Festival.
Yamamoto debuted as a screenwriter in 2003’s “Magnifico” and followed it up with the screenplays for “Santa Santita,” “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” and “Zombadings: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington.”
She also wrote the screenplays of “On the Job,” its sequel “On the Job 2: The Missing 8,” “Kubot: The Aswang Chronicles 2,” and “Honor Thy Father” with her husband, director Erik Matti.
Schilling reviews Japanese films for Japan’s oldest English-language newspaper The Japan Times, covers Japan for Variety, and serves as a program advisor for the Udine Far East Film Festival.
Wellington previously taught at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts Asia’s MA in Film and Dramatic Writing and is currently the Head of Screenwriting at the London Film School.
Three esteemed filmmakers make up the jury for the NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) Award: Loy Arcenas, Ina Feleo, and Pradip Kurbah.
Arcenas started out as a production designer before venturing into writing and directing beginning with “Niño” and “REquieme!” which won back-to-back Cinemalaya Special Jury Prizes.
“Niño” also won supporting actor honors for Arthur Acuña and Shamaine Buencamino and the Best Production Design award while “REquieme!” also won Best Screenplay.
He also wrote and directed “Elehiya” and “Ang Larawan,” the latter a musical film adaptation of Nick Joaquin’s “A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino” which won five awards at the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival, including Best Picture.
Feleo won Best Actress in Cinemalaya 2007 for her debut performance in “Endo” and two years later won the award again for “Sanglaan.”
Other films she has starred in include “Rewind,” “The Hearing,” “The Healing,” “Family Matters,” and the previously mentioned “On the Job 2: The Missing 8.”
Kurbah is a self-taught Indian filmmaker and a leading voice in Khasi-language cinema. His latest movie “Ha Lyngkha Bneng (The Elysian Field)” served as the opening film for this year’s Cinemalaya.
The 21st Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival runs until Oct. 12, 2025.