JOEL Lamangan, director of the Cinemalaya entry ?Sigwa,? wasn?t joking when he said: ?Zsazsa Padilla?s dark makeup cost more than her talent fee.?

Padilla recounted that she had availed of the Belo Clinic?s quick-tan treatment ?because my character lived in the boondocks. It took an extra day to prepare, but it wasn?t a big hassle.?

She added that Lamangan has done so much for her in the past and she really wanted to be part of one of his dream projects.

Emilio Garcia, who plays a corrupt soldier in Danny Añonuevo?s ?Rekrut,? insisted on wearing dark makeup, too. ?I play an army officer who is always under the sun. I couldn?t be fair-skinned.?

Lovi Poe, who stars in both ?Sigwa? and Dan Villegas and Paul Sta. Ana?s ?Mayohan,? had to stay in Infanta, Quezon, for three weeks for the latter. ?It was difficult. It was remote . . . so far away from the city and the rains wouldn?t stop. Waiting was a drag but it was all worth it,? she said.

Maria Isabel Lopez had to travel farther, to Zamboanga and Jolo, for Sheron Dayoc?s ?Halaw.? She confessed: ?It was scary. We shot in [rebel]-infiltrated areas.?

Compensation package

Athough Tetchie Agbayani had to fly to Davao for Gutierrez Mangansakan II?s ?Limbunan,? she didn?t mind a bit. Not even the indie pay scale. ?When we talk about compensation package, it?s not just about pesos and centavos. We were treated well. We had great food. What?s important to me is I adore and respect my co-workers,? she explained.

While Agbayani had to learn the Maguindanaon language for ?Limbunan,? Allen Dizon had to speak Bisakol, the dialect in Masbate, in Jay Altarejos? ?Pink Halo-Halo.?

?It was an emotional journey for me,? Dizon said. ?It reminded me of the death of my own father. Although my dad wasn?t a soldier, I was the same age as the boy who lost his father in the film.?

Raquel Villavicencio, who is in the cast of Kim Homer C. Garcia?s ?Magkakapatid,? reflected: ?Doing indies gives us a different kind of fulfillment. We are offered roles that are out of the box.?

Ces Quesada, a veteran character actress like Villavicencio, got to sink her teeth into a meaty role in ?Magkakapatid.? ?We get to do characters we will never get to play on TV and in mainstream movies,? she said.

Meryll Soriano, who top-bills Mark Meily?s ?Donor,? asserted: ?In indie movies, I am given a voice as an actress. I may get burned out if I limit myself to commercial projects all the time.?

It?s all about balance, Soriano added: ?I earn well on TV and that allows me to pursue my advocacy films.?

Said Marvin Agustin: ?I did ?Sigwa? for the love of Direk Joel. Plus, it?s the kind of material I seldom get to do in the mainstream.?

Dawn Zulueta, who co-stars in ?Sigwa,? explained what attracted her to the script by Bonifacio P. Ilagan which tackles the lives of student activists who survived the First Quarter Storm in the 1970s: ?It?s important to revisit the past. We should never forget . . . because the past shapes the future.?

Tessie Tomas, who stars in Gil Portes? ?Two Funerals,? pointed out: ?I truly believe that the future of Philippine movies rests in the indie scene. My past Cinemalaya movies, ?100? and ?Sanglaan,? competed and won in film fests abroad.?

?There are more stars this year,? said Laurice Guillen, Cinemalaya competition director. ?I hope the presence of mainstream stars will not make critics question the festival?s independent spirit. The subject matter, the process and the director?s treatment are among the factors that make an indie film.?

Nes Jardin, Cinemalaya festival director, noted: ?We hope the fest will serve as bridge between the indie and mainstream worlds.?

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