In a society where corruption, bias, inequality, censorship, and social injustice persist, justice often feels distant and unheard. When voices struggle to be acknowledged, creative expression becomes a powerful platform for truth-telling. Through cinema, stories gain the strength to question realities, challenge perspectives, and inspire collective reflection. This spirit defined the SineMulat Tres Film Festival, a flagship initiative of the College of Information Technology, Entertainment and Communication (CITEC) and the Multimedia Arts Circle (UB MAC) of the University of Batangas Lipa City, which transformed filmmaking into a platform for advocacy, awareness, and social engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SineMulat Tres gathered student filmmakers, educators, industry practitioners, and film enthusiasts in a celebration of creativity grounded in purpose. The festival attracted approximately 750 students and professionals during the screening day and 150 to 200 students from various universities during the awards night, highlighting its growing influence as a regional platform for student-led filmmaking and collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A major highlight of the festival was the special screening of the highly anticipated documentary \u201cLost Sabungeros: The Complete Story\u201d<\/em> by director Bryan Kristoffer Brazil, produced by GMA Pictures and GMA Public Affairs. The documentary examines one of the most controversial unresolved cases in the Philippines \u2013 the disappearance of more than 30 sabungeros, or cockfighters, who have been missing since 2021. The film presents new revelations and previously unseen footage that deepen public understanding of the ongoing investigation and its social implications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to official statements from GMA News, the documentary drew widespread attention following the release of its trailer in March, which mentioned that the film experienced complications during the review process with the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) and faced the cancellation of its intended Cinemalaya premiere due to reported security concerns. The MTRCB later clarified that the film had not been rejected nor denied review. In response, GMA Public Affairs Senior Vice President Nessa Valdellon publicly affirmed that while the production respected the regulatory body, it also stood by its documented experience regarding the review process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The documentary was initially scheduled to premiere at Cinemalaya in August 2024 but was ultimately withdrawn citing security considerations. It later successfully premiered at the QCinema International Film Festival in November 2024 and was screened at the University of the Philippines Film Institute within the same month. Internationally, Lost Sabungeros: The Complete Story gained recognition after being shortlisted in the Documentary category under Investigative Journalism at the 2025 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards and receiving a nomination for Best Documentary at the 48th Gawad Urian Awards. Its inclusion in SineMulat Tres reinforced the festival\u2019s commitment to socially relevant storytelling aligned with its advocacy-centered vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Centered on the theme \u201cKatarungan\u201d <\/em>(Justice), the festival challenged participants to move beyond aesthetic storytelling and engage with pressing societal realities. According to festival director Jhon Albert Hertez, the organizing team deliberately selected the theme to encourage young filmmakers to embrace responsibility in their craft. He emphasized that Multimedia Arts extends beyond visual creativity and serves as a powerful tool for advocacy and for amplifying marginalized voices. By anchoring the festival around socially grounded narratives, students were encouraged to pursue courage, truth-telling, and social realism as essential foundations of meaningful filmmaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The festival showcased two major competition categories \u2013 the Brahmmy Series and the Prime Series \u2013 recognizing excellence across multiple aspects of film production. In the Brahmmy Series, \u201cYours Always\u201d<\/em> emerged as the festival\u2019s dominant entry, winning Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Musical Score, Best Editing, Best Poster, Best Production Design, and Gender Sensitive Film. \u201cSiklo\u201d<\/em> received the Special Jury Award and Best Screenplay, while individual performance honors included Shermaine Noche for Best Actress and Ping Medina for Best Supporting Actor, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, the Prime Series highlighted emerging storytelling voices, with \u201cHataw\u201d<\/em> winning Best Film and Gender Sensitive Award, while \u201cLily\u201d<\/em> secured multiple recognitions including Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Musical Score, and Best Production Design. Performances by Jhon Espelita (Hataw<\/em>) and Bea Samantha Berbo (Lustay<\/em>) earned Best Actor and Best Actress honors, reinforcing the festival\u2019s commitment to recognizing both technical mastery and compelling performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond competition, SineMulat Tres reflected the sustained growth of the Multimedia Arts Circle as a student organization. In just four years, UB MAC has evolved into what its director described as a creative powerhouse, sustaining momentum through diversified initiatives such as the recently launched MAC on Air! podcast, regular General Assemblies, and a continuing lineup of masterclasses designed to strengthen members\u2019 competencies across multiple multimedia disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The director noted that leadership development remains central to the organization\u2019s sustainability. Junior members actively participate in planning committees for major productions, allowing them to gain early exposure to organizational leadership, creative strategy, and professional collaboration. This mentorship approach ensures that the next generation of creatives is prepared to continue and expand the legacy established by the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The festival\u2019s expanding community support has also paved the way for future growth. Building on the strong reception of SineMulat Dos and Tres, organizers envision SineMulat Kwatro as a larger and more immersive experience. Planned developments include expanded award categories, enhanced production value, and hands-on masterclasses with industry practitioners aimed at bridging student filmmaking with professional cinema practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through SineMulat Tres, the University of Batangas Lipa City reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing socially responsive artists and innovators. By merging artistic excellence with advocacy-driven storytelling, the festival demonstrated how student cinema can transcend entertainment and become a meaningful instrument for dialogue, empowerment, and social transformation proving that when young creatives tell stories grounded in truth, cinema becomes a catalyst for justice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a society where corruption, bias, inequality, censorship, and social injustice persist, justice often feels distant and unheard. When voices struggle to be acknowledged, creative expression becomes a powerful platform for truth-telling. Through cinema, stories gain the strength to question realities, challenge perspectives, and inspire collective reflection. This spirit defined the SineMulat Tres Film Festival, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6906,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-citec-news","category-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t