MANILA, Philippines?How do big-name, mainstream filmmakers intend to produce dream projects with the ?very limited? budget they will get from organizers of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival?

The issue was tackled during the launch last week of the annual festival. ?On-cam? were Mark Meily, Mario O?Hara, Joel Lamangan, Joselito Altarejos and Gil Portes, finalists in the first-ever Directors? Showcase category.

All five will be awarded a seed production grant of P500,000 and an additional P100,000 post-production grant. Directors? Showcase was opened to Filipino filmmakers who have directed at least three full-length feature films that were released commercially.

?Young filmmakers who have joined this film fest did it; so can we,? said Lamangan, director of ?Sigwa,? which tells a story of student activists in the 1970s.

?I?m used to doing small films,? said Altarejos, who megged the indie hits ?Ang Lalaki sa Parola? and ?Ang Lihim ni Antonio.? This year, Altarejos is doing ?Pink Halo-Halo,? which tackles violence in war-torn Mindanao.

?Everything should be ready before filming. You can?t waste time thinking of camera angles and lighting, or rehearsing your actors. You should maximize every day,? Altarejos added.

Portes, known for the award-winning indie productions ?Mga Munting Tinig? and ?Saranggola,? agreed: ?You start writing your script aware that you?ll be working on a very limited budget.?

Portes, who?s doing ?Two Funerals,? continued: ?For example, the original script of ?Two Funerals? features a road accident in the opening scene. Three buses fall off a cliff. That would have cost us P200,000?for only two seconds onscreen. I told my co-writer, Eric Ramos, ?Let?s see ... how we can achieve the same effect without staging this accident.?

O?Hara, who directs the historical piece ?Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio,? also said a tight budget was nothing new to him. ?I?m used to doing films in 10 days?those were the days of quickie films in the ?70s,? the director said.

Landmark film

He pointed out that Lino Brocka?s landmark film, ?Insiang,? was a quickie. ?It was shot in 12 days. And up till now, it is getting critical acclaim.? O?Hara wrote the screenplay for Brocka?s ?Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang,? released in 1974.

?You just need to work within your budget, without sacrificing quality,? he said. ?Your movie may not have big scenes or expensive set designs, but it should have substance and high-caliber performances by your actors.?

O?Hara is said to be eyeing Angel Locsin for his entry. Lamangan has reportedly cast Dawn Zulueta, Gina Alajar, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Marvin Agustin, Tirso Cruz III and Jennylyn Mercado in ?Sigwa.?

?You?ll be surprised to know that a lot of mainstream actors are dying to do indie films,? noted Portes. ?Most of them are very easy to deal with, if your project is good.?

The 6th Cinemalaya, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City, begins July 9. The awards ceremony is set on July 18.