RANDOM THOUGHTS: THE BEST OF CINEMANILA

As a long-time patron and former programmer of Philippine short films (2002) of Cinemanila International Film Festival, it would be an opportune time to reminisce the many treasures that were unfolded during its first nine years:

1999
CENTRAL STATION, Walter Salles
BIRTH OF A BUTTERFLY, Mojtaba Raie (Co-winner, NETPAC Award)
LEAF ON A PILLOW, Garin Nugroho (Winner, Grand Prize)
PILA-BALDE (FETCH A PAIL OF WATER), Jeffrey Jeturian (Co-winner, NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film)

2000
COLOR OF PARADISE (pictured, above), Majid Majidi (Winner, Grand Prize; Best Actor for Mohsen Ramezani)
YANA'S FRIENDS, Arik Kaplun (Winner, Best Actress for Evelyn Kaplun)
UN LIAISON PORNOGRAPHIQUE, Frederic Fontayne
AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE, Jane Campion
ROSETTA, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne

2001
BATANG WEST SIDE, Lav Diaz (Winner, Grand Prize; Ensemble Best Actor award)
THE ISLE, Kim Ki-duk (Winner, Best Actress)
CLOUDS OF MAY, Nuri Bilge Ceylan
6IXTY9INE, Pen-ek Ratanaruang (Audience Choice)
UNDER THE SAND, Francois Ozon (Winner, Lifetime Achievement Award for actress Charlotte Rampling)

2002
WHAT TIME IS IT THERE, Tsai Ming-liang (Co-winner, Grand Prize)
ATANARJUAT: THE FAST RUNNER, Zacharias Kunuk (Co-winner, Grand Prize)
IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, Wong Kar-wai (Audience Choice)
WHISPERING SANDS, Garin Nagruho
RINGU, Hideo Nakata (Audience Choice)

2003
DISTANT, Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Winner, Grand Prize)
CITY OF GOD, Fernando Meirelles (Co-winner, Jury Grand Prize)
DIVINE INTERVENTION, Elia Suleiman (Co-winner, Best Screenplay)
WHALE RIDER, Niki Caro (Winner, Jury Special Prize)
DOGVILLE, Lars Von Trier

2004
CRIMSON GOLD, Jafar Panahi
OSAMA, Siddiq Barmak (Co-winner, Best Actress for Marina Golbahari)
RECONSTRUCTION, Christofer Boe (Co-winner, Best Actor for Nikolaj Lie Kaas)
ZATOICHI, Takeshi Kitano (Winner, Audience Award)
THE MOTHER, Roger Mitchell

2005
MOOLAADE, Ousmane Sembene (Winner, Best Actress for Fatoumata Coulibaly)
THE PRESIDENT'S LAST BANG, Sang-soo Im (Winner, Grand Prize)
LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE, Pen-ek Ratanaruang
LILJA 4-EVER, Lukas Moodysson
KEKEXILI: MOUNTAIN PATROL, Chuan Lu

2006
KUBRADOR, Jeffrey Jeturian (Winner, Grand Prize; Best Actress for Gina Pareno)
EVERLASTING REGRET, Stanley Kwan
BLACK, Sanjay Leela Bhansali

2007
4 MOIS, 3 SEMAINES, 2 JOURS, Cristian Mongiu
PERSEPOLIS, Marjane Satrapi and Jonathan Parronaud (Winner, Jury Special Prize)
THE EDGE OF HEAVEN, Fatih Akin (Winner, Grand Prize)