If one must be pedantic about it, Sinag Maynila just entered its second decade. But due to that odd blip called the pandemic, this edition is only their seventh. The film festival started in 2015 with a lean roster of five, with Lawrence Fajardo’s Imbisibol earning the lion’s share of accolades. 

When I entered the picture in Year Three, the field had expanded to include Short Films and Documentaries. Back then, 15 entries seemed like a reasonable load to carry in my then-capacity as social media and website manager. Loosely put, the latter felt like maintaining their humble answer to IMDb. It was as fun as simple tasks could get. And, on many counts, it was an extended homecoming for me, as Solar Entertainment was my first ever employer. 

I managed to stick around for two more editions. 2018 was “back-to-the-drawing-board”, while 2019 marked a significant increase in my involvement. By then, I already had a hand at accepting, and at certain points, even screening the submissions. Come 2020, most of the would-be Shorts and Docus line-up were my picks. But again, that virus went in the way and, eventually, most of the Full Length entries were migrated to another festival. By the turn of 2021, they shelved the festival indefinitely. 

2024 marked Sinag’s first year out of “hibernation” and, in my case, my return to the scene, albeit as mere spectator. Much as I was already in another engagement, I couldn’t skip the chance at touching base. And how could I, given that it was once functionally my online alter-ego? But sadly, due to rather somber circumstances at the time (a friend’s passing), I couldn’t complete the festival as initially planned. So, consider this year my second attempt.  

Now, as the festival marks its 10th anniversary (if years-in-existence were to be the sole basis), submissions were at an all-time high. With roughly 300 submissions, the powers-that-be were finally compelled to create separate divisions for students and bolstered the roster up to 61. That includes five feature films, two restored classics, and a profusion of shorts and documentaries divided into 10 sets. It’s definitely a distant cry from the number I had to handle years ago and a clear sign the festival’s roaring back.

And what a time to be invited to its opening ceremonies.

UP NEXT: A run-through of the full-length entries