Elements

The feature-length films range from the charming (Mike Sandejas? ?Dinig Sana Kita?) and the meditative (Milo Sogueco?s ?Sanglaan?) to the emotionally charged (Alvin Yapan?s ?Ang Panggagahasa Kay Fe?), with themes and elements that are a mix of the universal and the distinctly local.

Sandejas? engaging love story, ?Dinig Sana Kita,? has an interesting premise at its center?Niña (played by Sandejas? daughter, Zoe) is a troubled teenager whose outlet for her pent-up emotions is her music, while Kiko (Romalito Mallari) is an accomplished dancer who happens to be deaf.

The film explores the difference between hearing and listening and the many ways we communicate, all the while documenting the tender and sometimes painful process of growing up and falling in love.

Sandejas has a flair for comedy and gives a sensitive portrayal of the deaf, as well as the issues that the hearing-impaired community has to deal with.

There are standout performances in the festival?s entries, but one of the most noteworthy is that of Irma Adlawan in ?Ang Panggagahasa Kay Fe.?

A contrast to the tautness in ?Fe? is the measured pace of ?Sanglaan,? which chronicles the everyday lives of a pawnshop owner and her employees.