Binisaya at 15: How bold, creative voices keep the Cebuano film fest alive

Doing away with the courteous nature of most local film festivals, the Binisaya International Film Festival is one of a kind, having just wrapped its 15th edition from August 17 to 24.

- By JANUAR JUNIOR AGUJA

Known for its eccentric sense of humor, only in Binisaya can you see a karaoke session on the big screen before the awarding, parody commercials using everyday items to promote its EXIT YouTube channel, and giant teddy bears given away as trophies.

"It's almost kind of a satire of all the cliches you would see in film festivals," Cebuano director and Binisaya founder Keith Deligero, who attended the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, told The FREEMAN.

The best way to describe the atmosphere of Binisaya is that it feels like a gathering of filmmakers and cinephiles who share the same passion, spoken in a unique language they all understand.

"It's not about being on the red carpet or being in a film festival for the clout. We did Binisaya without the fanfare in the first place," Deligero added. "It's pure, genuine, and sincere. Those three words best describe Cebuano filmmaking and its audiences."

With a filmography that includes the 2018 Cinema One Originals entry "A Short History of a Few Bad Things" starring Victor Neri, and the 2013 cult favorite "Iskalawags," some may assume Binisaya's offbeat identity reflects Deligero's personality. But according to him, that's not the case.

"I may be part of that, but it's not 100 percent," he said. "I think this is a Cebuano thing because it's a collective of us doing this initiative. Whatever it is people might describe me as, that description also applies to many local filmmakers. It's a cultural thing, and we can't deny it. It will always reflect in the things we do because our eccentricity is very Cebuano."

Filipino film critic Jason Tan Liwag and Cavite-based filmmaker Arvin Belarmino, who both served as jury members and guest speakers at the Binisaya Talks with the Film Development Council of the Philippines on Aug. 22 at The Kabilin Center, praised the festival's uniqueness.