Cinema of alternative noise

FROM ONLINE SPACES TO GRASSROOTS COMMUNITIES, KINOISE PH IS PUMPING NEW LIFE INTO ALTERNATIVE AND INDEPENDENT CINEMA. IT'S BIGGER THAN MOVIES AT THE END OF THE DAY.

- By Lé Balta r

Armed with a Facebook "sh*tposting" group, a penchant for movies and memes, and a dream, Kinoise PH organically evolved into a close-knit film collective driven by its shared "passion for the niche and underground."

Now, a bit of Kinoise lore. "Kinoise," a portmanteau of "kino" (meaning "cinema" in European languages) and "noise," is an iteration of the Facebook group's original name, "Keenoise," itself a variant of the local music Facebook group named "Peenoise," a silly autological word coined from "Pinoys" and "noise."

Though Kinoise Filmposting Philippines, the local film Facebook group with over 1,600 members, had already been up years prior, it was only in 2023 that it became a serious deal. It began at a screening and forum on Super 8mm cinema at the Ateneo Art Gallery, featuring the likes of Nick Deocampo, Raymond Red, Erwin Romulo, Jun Sabayton, Jesed Moreno, and Roxlee.

Kinoise core Red Sales, Jetri Bolintiam, Mac John Bautista, and Kalila Camilon were all there. Inspired by the event's insights on Philippine alternative cinema, they thought of kickstarting a similar initiative through Kinoise PH, as the group was growing its reach. "During the pandemic, in the lead up to that point in 2023, we had a ton of Discord screenings," says Bolintiam, a filmmaker and programmer, over Zoom. "So it was kind of the online community that we formed over the pandemic that kind of activated (the idea) in our brains that film things are happening again, (so why not) jump right on it."

Thus began the commitment, alongside other core members: Hiraya Buan, Jaden Tomacruz, FJ Calvario, Karl Maalab Paredes, Renée Frizca, Javi Villaluz, Riann Limcangco, and Ligaya Lugosi. The collective tried its hand at making original films, covering various film efforts, and creating discourse around alternative and independent cinema. "That evolved from early 2024 into more of the screening and curation type that we heavily do (now)," Bolintiam continues.