In line with the celebration of the 81st Dia de la Ciudad de Zamboanga, the City Government of Zamboanga organized the annual Zamboanga Film Festival to recognize the stories of Zamboanga through the medium of cinematography and animation. The competition has two categories: Live Action and Animation. Ten finalists for each category will be judged by a panel of film experts and the best film will receive P10,000 and a plaque. The films will be screened at Centro Latino Theater Room from February 19 to 23, 2018 on these times: 9AM, 12NN, 3PM and 6PM. Schools were invited to watch the films and right after every screening, the viewers will vote for their favorite films. The films with the highest number of votes will be awarded with the Viewers Choice Award. Special awards will also be given during the Awards Night on February 25 at Centro Latino. The special awards for the Live Action category are: Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design and Most Culturally-sensitive Film. And for the animation category, the special awards are: Best Director, Best Animator, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Character Design, and Most Culturally-sensitive film. All winners will receive a plaque and a cash prize of P1,500. Here are the finalists for the Zamboanga Film Festival 2018. Live Action Category Finalists: "Goddess" by Jeremias Al-ag Dulaca III "Loop" by Robi Brian Kang "Silip (Peek)" by Mike Aaron Banguis "Pag-ibig lang ang Meron Tayo" by Kim Tayona "Globo (Balloon)" by Tennyl Dehm Canlas "Manchao (Stained)" by Jonathan Andalahao "Baka Sakali" by Jezreel Paul Nuñal "Ocaso" by Mica Ruste "Badusa (Sinners)" by Khadija Zubair Ahamed Kabeer "Esta" by Sunshine Benitez Enhorabuena! #ZFF2018 ZFF 2018 Animation Category Finalists: "Behind Closed Doors" by Jorzheema J.i. Hamid "Fuego (Fire)" by Ian Kenneth Baradeade "Is It My Turn?" by Joshua Nacionales "Si Ongka, El Aspin (Ongka, The Aspin)" by Frantz Sucro "The Promise" by Hazel Rosie Bayaras "Cast" by Khaled Majid "Peacekeeper" by Joshua del Cruz "Karoshi" by Megan Dayak "Peste (Pest)" Kendrick Fernandez "With Colors" by Dariel Dryan Tadus

By virtue of Ordinance 374, the 23rd of June is officially recognized as the city’s Dia de Fundacion de Chavacano to commemorate the founding and encourage the use of the Chavacano language.

For the second year, the local government is hosting the Cine Chavacano to showcase our local language through short films produced, written, and directed by homegrown filmmakers.



Love and hatred, flaw and beauty, friendship and adversary, failure and success. Now on its 2nd year, CineChavacano Festival de Película y Animación features an array of Chavacano stories, which will be screened at the Centro Latino Theater Room, Paseo del Mar from June 20 to 23, 2016. Here are the finalists of this year's CineChavacano.

PELÍCULAS (Live Action Category)



Tiempo (Time)
Directed by Tennyl Dehm Canlas

Synopsis: Sam, a 20-year-old college girl discovers that she can turn back time but little did she know that there are consequences along the way.



Entre Medio del Fin (In the middle of an end)
Directed by Ryanne Murcia

Synopsis: Khalil and Danny are left to figure out their lives after Ayesha, who promised to give them her child, decided to go back with Omar, the father of the child, who left her before.



Su Puesto (In their place)
Directed by Kendrick Rico

Synopsis: Five personas face their daily struggles in life such as bullying, abuse and prejudice. Each of them represents different problems and issues in this world that needs solution.



El Cara de Mama (The face of my mother)
Directed by Kimberly R. Kilat

Synopsis: In the process of knowing one’s self is also knowing one’s root.



Sombra (shadow)
Directed by Sheena Mae Alcala

Synopsis: With recurring shifts of personality, Miko shows his hidden alter-self, his shadow, which brought him to finding his seemingly predominant personality, pushing him to plot revenge.



Escondido Amor (Hidden Love)
Directed by Icy Mae Colipano

Synopsis: A coming out story of a gay guy,explore the bizarre characteristics of love in the most exotic and erotic way.



Lengua Pranka (The Forthright Tongue)
Directed by Pristine Padua
Co-directed by Lee Why Halasan

Synopsis: Pepita, more fondly called Pipay, is forced to live in Zamboanga, a place she has never been to nor whose language she understands; here she must work hard for her education, and she must work harder to understand and be understood.



Next Time
Directed by Mark Kim Tayona

Synopsis: We choose the moments that we want to remember. A guy meets a girl at twelve midnight in a twenty-four hour store. They rewind time with their stories until they’re both synced. We choose the moments we want to remember; and after every great moment, we wish for a next time.

ANIMACIÓN (Animation Category)



Despedido (Departed)
Directed by Ryan Covarrubias

Synopsis: A story about defeating self-doubt or defeating your old self.



El Bloques (The blocks)
Directed by Danica Jane Follero

Synopsis: The story is about a little girl who is playing alone inside her room. Despite her solitariness, she learns to accept what she has and where she is.



El Amenazo (The Threat)
Directed by Kendrick Rico

Synopsis: The blood cells play their roles to help maintain the health of a human body. One day, a white blood cell had an abnormal mutation and turned into a dangerous cancer cell.



Dividido (Divided)
Directed by Aljhun Rey Canillo

Synopsis: In a society where the poor and the rich are divided and separated by a tall wall, two boys, Anton and Olot, developed an unexpected friendship.



Fallares (Flaw? Where?)
Directed by Jade Christel de Guzman

Synopsis: A personal dilemma leads a girl to discover what it takes to bloom.

Watch the Omnibus Trailer of ‪#‎CineChavacano2016‬. Open public screening will be held on June 20-22, 5PM at Centro Latino Theater Room, Paseo del Mar. Viva el Cinema Chavacano! Viva el Dia de Fundacion de Chavacano!


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June 23, 2015 - The city celebrates today the 4th Dia de Fundacion de Chavacano, in commemoration of the laying of the first cornerstone of Fuerza de San Jose on June 23, 1635, which, in 1719, was renamed Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragosa (Fort Pilar). The City Government prepared a lineup of activities for the special day including the first CineChavacano Film and Animation Festival. The film festival is the second film festival headed by the city this year after the successful Zamboanga Film Festival held during the Dia de la Ciudad de Zamboanga.

CineChavacano is unique because it features films using the Chavacano language. There are two categories: Live Action and Animation. In the animation category, the scope of content extended not only to short films but also to infographics or infommercials with Chavacano language. Among the seventeen applicants, seven entries animation and three live action films made it to the finals. Here are the finalists of CineChavacano:



"Mal Sueño" (Nightmare) by Ryan Covarrubias


"El Muerte del un Mariposa" (The Dead Butterfly) by Jorzheema Hamid



"Tagu-taguan" (Hide and Seek) by Aljhun Rey Canillo


"Tienda de Juguete" (Toy Store) by Dale Aldrin Maniego


"Comida Zamboanga" by Danie Alted Nebrija (Watch here)


"Movimiento" (Movement) by Aljhun Rey Canillo


"Terminado y Hecho" by Anthony Neil Drapiza


"Juego de Rol" (Role-playing Game) by Abraham Ysmael Alvarez


"El Niño Pescador" by Jerome Peniones


"Cuando Contigo" (When with you) by Jorzheema Hamid

In the end, "El Muerte del un Mariposa" by Jorzheema Hamid grabbed the Grand Prize for the live action category while Dale Maniego's "El Tienda de Juguete" won the Grand Prize for the animation category. Congratulations to all the finalists and winners and we hope to see you next year in our film festivals! Continue to create Chavacano films and tell the stories of Zamboanga through this craft! Viva Cine Chavacano!



For more updates on Zamboanga City Government events, like Zoom In Zamboanga City on facebook.

 Since my last SDE, i've been very busy with my new work as an Information Officer at the City Hall of Zamboanga. I now have a full-time job again and i have to work from eight to five on weekdays. Fortunately, I had an opportunity to do an SDE again. I came full circle when me and my former colleagues from my first job (Seed Interactive) were reunited and created a brand new Videography team which we called "Creology" from the word Creo which means to "create". This new team aims to infuse fresh visuals in our video since we are also Graphic designers.

So i created this simple animation for a group of high school student's class project. They asked me to animate a baby from its conception to birth. It was challenging but i guess i need to do this coz i want to practice my animation skills. At first I thought this would be so difficult but they told me they just want a simple animation. So i created this simple masking animation and add a bit of animation with the text presentation, too. The time limit was 2minutes only that's why some text went so fast. Anyways, here's the video.



So here's my process for doing this. First, i looked for references online and i found these images and became my references for the shapes and colors.


I traced the basic shapes of the sperm and egg cells in Illustrator. Then, I imported the layers in AfterEffects and animated them. For the tail of the sperm cells i used the wave warp effect. I also used some 3d camera for the zoom. I duplicated the egg cells for the cell division then introduced a new layer for the cell with multiple divisions. Then a pink layer comes in which represents the uterus wall where the fertilized cell attaches. Then the little fetus slowly grows. I used one layer for the body during the entire animation that's why there are awkward parts like the part where the hands are deforming as it animates. I added a new layer for the right arm and leg add added some gradients to add a little depth.

For the stages of labor i transitioned the pink background into the reproductive system. This is the toughest part. I have to create a lot of keyframes so that the vagina (haha) layer will follow with the baby's shape as it is moving outwards. I also added a hand for the nurse/doctor to usher the baby as it goes out of the womb. ;) Well, basically that's it. I learned many things from this project, too. I realized that i don't need to trace the shapes in illustrator. I can do it directly in AfterEffects. It will also help reduce the number of layers. I'm looking forward for more Motion Graphic animation in the future.

The spate of events that unfolded and continue to unfold in Zamboanga City are very heartbreaking and upsetting.Homes have been destroyed, lives have been broken and dreams have been lost.

Zamboanga City paid a high cost to defend our freedom, independence and sovereignty, and our heart goes out to the residents of Zamboanga, to the families and children who remain in distress and who live in fear for their present and for their future.

Our hearts go out to the fallen soldiers and policemen who gave up their lives for this fight, to every wife who lost a husband, to every child who lost a father and to parents who lost a son.

Through all this, Zamboanga City remains undaunted and undefeated. As we prepare to take the long road to recovery, we call on every Filipino to help pick up the pieces left in the wake of this tragedy.



Time and again, we have proven that we are all heroes. Let us prove to the world then, that spirit of bayanihan is alive and well. Let us prove again that for every time we are brought to our knees, the Filipino rises up to be stronger and better than before.

Let us prove again that together, no Juan is left behind.

Zamboanga City and her people need you. Let us helpbuild a better Zamboanga.
One Flag. One Philippines. One Zamboanga City.



To help aid in the recovery of Zamboanga City,
monetary assistance may be deposited in the
Trust Fund of the City Government of Zamboanga through:

Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), Zamboanga City Branch
Account Number: 0955-033541-030
Swift Code:DBPHPHMM

Land Bank of the Philippines, Main Branch, Zamboanga City
Account Number: 3232-1016-60
Swift Code: TLBPPHMM

Kindly email your deposit slips to zambocitygovt@gmail.com
or fax to (062) 9912185 and corresponding official receipts
shall be issued.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:
GBPI TV-11, Tzu Chi Foundation, Dr. Anton Mari Lim, Derick Rhodz, Silvie Jasmin Agravante, Jasmine Mohammadsali, Lovely Espinosa, Yhannie Zabala, Evs Endoso, Reyn Raco, Regine Mendoza, Rhey John Soriño, Garnette Francisco, Cedrick Zabala, Christian Olasiman, Sheila Covarrubias

Ride in her waves, roll in the pink sand and swirl yourself into a riot of colors are just some of the many ways to experience Zamboanga – and there’s still more in store for everyone to do in this vibrant City at the tip of Zamboanga Peninsula.

This September, Zamboanga City is rising up the ante in tourism promotion as it launches today its new advertising campaign at the 24th Philippine Travel Mart at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. The latest drive is an invitation for visitors and locals alike to zoom in again and take a closer look at the many reasons, some still unknown, why people love Zamboanga and why many call it their home.



This new campaign let's us share a piece of Zamboanga that we truly love. Let's Zoom In to its diversity. Use the hashtag #ZoomInZamboanga in your instagram photos, fb status and tweets, and tell us what makes Zamboanga your home.

Special Thanks to:
DOT R-IX, DOT-9 Regional Director Maryjune Bugante, City Tourism Office, Ms. Sarita Hernandez, City Government of Zamboanga, Info & Communications Division of City Mayors Office, Irmalyn Ho, Dexter dela Peña, Trebor Z Audio Visuals, Christian Olasiman and Cedrick Zabala.

Watch the original videos here:
"Zamboanga 2012" by Irmalyn Ho
"Hermosa Streetdance 2012" by Dexter dela Peña
"Zamboanga Peninsula's Cultural Pride" by DOT 9 (Produced by Trebor Z Audio Visuals)

Here are some news articles about the launching of the campaign:
BWorldOnline.com: "Zamboanga City launches tourism campaign"
Philippine Daily Inquirer: "Zamboanga City pulls all stops in promoting tourism" Sept 6, 2013. Below is the full page ad published on the day of the launch of the campaign.

Synopsis: Based on a Pampangan myth, “Mayari” tells a story of the epic battle of the son and daughter of the supreme god Bathala. Mayari, the goddess of the moon, and Apolaki, the guardian of the sun, fought over who would rule the earth after Bathala’s death. The once friendly battle stopped when a tragic incident happened. (Zamboanga City/ 2008 / Cut Out Animation / 04:31 min.)


Mayari - A Cut-out Animation from Cedrick Zabala on Vimeo.

Finalist, Animated Short (Student Category), Animahenasyon 2009
Produced by: Cedrick Zabala, Joanne Atilano, Bryne Brillantes
Who is Mayari? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayari

Who will win this year's Academy Award for Animated Short Film? Here are the nominees. Watch and be the judge! Watch out for the results on Monday morning (Philippine Time).

Adam and Dog
by Minkyu Lee
Synopsis: A playful dog exploring the newly created world comes upon the first man.


Fresh Guacamole
by PES
Synopsis: An unseen cook uses a series of unusual ingredients to prepare a bowl of guacamole.


Head over Heels
by Timothy Reckart and Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly
Synopsis: The emotional distance between a long-married husband and wife has resulted in an unusual living arrangement.



Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare"
David Silverman
Synopsis: Maggie Simpson attends the Ayn Rand Daycare Center, where she finds a caterpillar and faces off against her nemesis.


Paperman
John Kahrs
Synopsis: A young man working in an office tries desperately to attract the attention of a girl in the building across the street.

Comic Relief, known for their Chabacano serenade rock song "Cuando?", became Zamboanga's #1 radio band and gave rise to original Chabacano music. The first music video we made with their song is "Maria Ozawa." The title might remind you of some personality, but I bet you the music is really good. It is a courtship song inviting the girl to visit Zamboanga's famous places and explore its culture, people and food. The music video we made is a mix of live action and animation.

Anyways, here's the first fully animated music video for their song "Nuay Etu, Nuay Mañana." Synopsis: When your most beloved one leaves you, the shadows of the past will always haunt you. How can you fight the darkness within while feeling the pain at the same time?
Performed by Comic Relief
Animation by Cedrick Zabala, Jan Santos
Visual Effects by Cedrick Zabala

The Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc., in cooperation with Toei Animation Philippines, is calling all budding and professional artists to join the original Filipino character design contest.


If you have a character in mind, whether it be human, animal, object, or any other creature, this is your chance to introduce your character to everyone. Just make sure that your character design embraces the Filipino concept or identity. So don't pass up this opportunity in having your character discovered and making it shine in the field of comics or animation!

ACPI is a non-stock and non-profit organization whose member companies specialize mainly in, but not limited to, either 2D or 3D animation. It aims to promote the Filipino talent both locally and internationally. With the cooperation of its members as well as the Philippine government, it is envisioned that the member studios will be considered competitive both creatively and technologically.

You may download the entry form and guidelines at www.animahenasyon.com. Deadline for submission of entries is on October 10.

For more information, please contact the ACPI secretariat at telephone numbers (632) 817-2727 local 108, (632) 483-9501, or e-mail animahenasyon@gmail.com. Please visit facebook.com/animahenasyon or facebook.com/AnimahenasyonPilipinas.

DOWNLOAD THE NOMINATION FORM HERE

Participants at the "Animated Short Tails" contest can win a vacation package for two at one of the country's best year-round destinations, Batanes or Boracay.

Presentedby South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR), together with the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPI), the competition will run until February 28,2011. Registration is free and open toall Filipinos. Registration forms can be downloaded at www.animahenasyon.com. Competition updates will be posted at www.facebook.com/flyseair.

"As we see and acknowledge that animation is an edgy marketing tool to promote our products and services,"says Delza Gochoco, SEAIR Head of Commercial Affairs. "SEAIR decided to partner with ACPI for 2011 to help promote our airline and its destinations,but at the same time to help boost the production of more original Filipino animation."

The contest is divided into the professional and student divisions. The first place winner in the professional division gets two Batanes roundtrip tickets and three days, two nights accommodations for two at Batanes Seaside Hotel; second place gets two Boracay roundtrip tickets plus three days, two nights stay for two at Fairways and Bluewater Resort; and third place gets two Boracay roundtrip tickets.

The top draw in the student division wins a Batanes roundtrip ticket and three days,two nights stay at Batanes Seaside Hotel; second place gets a Boracay roundtrip ticket and three days, two nights stay at Fairways and Bluewater Resort; and third place gets a Boracay roundtrip ticket. A participant in the school division must provide a photocopy of a valid school ID and school registration form together with the entry form.

Entries should promote SEAIR and its destinations, communicate SEAIR's positioning as the Philippines' premier leisure airline. They can be in cel animation, linedrawing, stop motion objects or animated objects, stop motion puppet, stopmotion clay/claymation, sand on glass, paint on glass, cut-outs, pixilation, 2D computer/flash animation, 3D computer, or a combination of the above forms.

Works must have a total duration of 30 seconds. The deadline for submission of entry forms and related materials is on February 28,2011, Monday.

SEAIR will also give away a Boracay roundtrip ticket to the entry with the most number of "Likes" on the SEAIR Facebook Fan Page. A link to the entry must be posted on the wall at www.facebook.com/flyseair before 11:59 p.m. of February 28, 2011.

"The support from different private institutions has been overwhelming,"emphasizes Michael Kho Lim, Executive Director of Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. "We feel that these companies are seeing the growth potential of the animation industry and how it can enliven the economy. Their support then becomes advantageous for our local artists as they get the support and encouragement to produce more original content."

SEAIR is the nation's second oldest airline and is the only airline that flies from Manila to the idyllic northern province of Batanes. It has the longest history of uninterrupted flights to Boracay via Caticlan and offers the fastest flights to Boracay, the world-class beach destination - at 35 minutes. It was the 2009 Best Airline of the Year at the Philippines' Consumer Excellence Award. This year, SEAIR was named Gold Brand by the Gold Brands Council Philippines as a testament for brand image appeal, and trust and market acceptance.

ACPI is anon-profit organization recognized and supported by the government to promote Filipino animation talents worldwide. It holds the annual animation festival, "Animahenasyon", which features works of aspiring and professional animators in the country through competition, masterclasses, animation congress, and work exhibits of seasoned animators and lifetime achievement awardees.

For inquiries on entry submission and "Animated Short Tails" contest rules, please contact the ACPI at 817-2727 local 108 or email: animahenasyon@gmail.com and check updates in SEAIR's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/flyseair.

This is my first animated love story that i made for a wedding. I made this for two days from the character design to backgrounds to the animation. I created the characters and backgrounds in Illustrator and animated them in AfterEffects.


Direction and Videography: Ryann Elumba
Animation and Editing: Cedrick Zabala

p.s.: Do check out my doodle blog to view some screen caps of the animated portions!

My favorite part of Animahenasyon is the screening of the animation entries that will be competing for the grand prize. The screening were held at the Arrupe Auditiorium of Ateneo de Naga University from November 23-25, between 4:30 to 8:30 PM. The screening were divided into 8 competition programs. Here's the list of the competition programs and the categories.

Competition Program - Categories
1 - A (1-5 minutes, Professional); E (Music Videos, Professional); F (Title Sequences, OBB, Infomercials, TVC's, Demo Reels 30 seconds to 1minute, Professional)
2 - B (6-20 minutes, Professional)
3 - D (full-length, Professional)
4 - H part 1 (1-5 minutes, Student); K (Music Videos, Student)
5 - H part 2 (1-5 minutes, Student); L (Title Sequences, OBB, Infomercials, TVC's, Demo Reels 30 seconds to 1minute, Student)
6 - D (full-length, Professional)
7 - I part 1 (6-20 minutes, Student)
8 - I part 2 (6-20 minutes, Student)

Aside from the competition entries, there were also 3 special screenings that were shown before the competition programs. The first is an exhibition program titled "Persistence of Vision", a panorama of selected animation from 2006-2010. The next special program are selected works from the Gobelins, L'ecole De L'image's Animation Department. You can watch some of their works in their Youtube page here. And the last is a special program that showcased the award-winning entries from the 13th Japan Media Arts Festival.

I really loved the works of the students from Gobelins which are really professionally done. Gobelins is truly a high-standard school for animation and their works are simply the best. Anyways, as we were watching the entries, i have a list in hand and i marked my favorites. Here are my faves:

When Alma Died (H)
Mystery of the 24th (I)
Mga Damgo (Dreams) (B)
Kaligayahan (A)
Smog (A)
Sulundon (Hero) (B)
Impeng Negro (B)
A Day in the Life of Inday (A)
Sabong (H)
Bizarre Love Triangle (K)
Swan Song (F)
Pasintabi Opening title sequence (F)
First (H)
Toy Bully (H)
Cogwheel (H)
Bleek (I)
Eskeyp da Peyt (I)
Nestle Smarties (L)
Leftover teaser (L)
A Tower: Techy Boy (L)
Close-Up TVC (L)

I missed competition program 6 and 7 so i can't say which are my faves on that program. But i heard that Kapitan Torpe was hilarious. Above all the entries i really salute the makers of the first seven that i listed from above. They were really exceptional in terms of aesthetics and storytelling. And finally here are the winners according to their categories:

A - Smog by Jerome Alcordo
B - Mga Damgo (Dreams) by Remton Zuasola
D - Kapitan Torpe by Antonio Jose Cadiz
H - When Alma Died by Richmond Wesley Ruiz Tan
L - Close-Up TVC by Macelo Munoz
I - The Mystery of the 24th by Julian Santiago
K - Upuan by Maureen Romero

Special Awards:

Hero TV - Mga Damgo (Dreams) by Remton Zuasola
Audience Choice - Close-Up TVC by Macelo Munoz
Lifetime Achievement Award - Roxlee (see photo above)

Grand Prize:

When Alma Died by Richmond Wesley Ruiz Tan (DLSU-CSB)


Aside from the animation competition, there was also a Poster making competition for Animahenasyon 2011. It was open to all and had an earlier deadline. I gave it a shot and I won! :D Here's my poster design titled "AnimaDreams" and a photo of me giving my speech!


Congratulations to all winners and all the organizers for a successful year of Animahenasyon. We are truly on the way to achieve the goals of the Philippine Animation Industry. By encourging filipinos to develop their own content, we are harvesting the best of the talents that we are really proud of. Next year will be another great year. I hope that there will be more entries, not only in quantity but also in terms of quality. Thanks to Sir Mike and Ate Jzel for keeping in touch with me. See you in Animahenasyon 2011!

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Credits to Gerard Asay for the photos!