Dan Villegas, Sari Dalena among Cinemalaya 2026 jurors

The Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival has named the members of its Main Competition and Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) juries for its 2026 edition.

Leading the Main Competition jury is filmmaker and University of the Philippines Film Institute professor Sari Lluch Dalena. Joining her are cinematographer and filmmaker Dan Villegas, independent curator and cultural critic Marian Pastor Roces, Indian filmmaker Pradip Kurbah, and Italian producer and international events organizer Lorenzo “Lello” Carvelli.

Dalena is known for her work in documentary, experimental and narrative filmmaking, including “Ka Oryang” and “The Guerrilla Is a Poet.” Last year, she won three Balanghai trophies at Cinemalaya for “Cinemartyrs,” including Best Director.

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Villegas, a three-time Balanghai winner for Best Photography, made his feature directorial debut with “Mayohan” (Maytime) in 2010. He also won the 2025 Gawad Urian for Best Cinematography for “Kono Basho.”

Roces, meanwhile, has built a career as an independent curator, cultural critic and policy analyst, while Kurbah is recognized for bringing Khasi-language films to international audiences through works screened at festivals including Moscow and Busan.

Italian producer Carvell has worked in international film production and cultural events, including collaborations with the Cannes and Venice film festivals.

Meanwhile, this year’s NETPAC jury is composed of filmmaker and educator Alvin Yapan, Chinese filmmaker and film scholar Haolun Shu, and director-producer Perci Intalan.

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Yapan is an award-winning filmmaker and Ateneo de Manila University faculty member. Shu teaches at the Shanghai Film Academy and has directed documentary and fiction films screened internationally.

Intalan is a co-founder of The IdeaFirst Company. He has since produced and directed several films recognized by Cinemalaya and NETPAC.

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The juries will select the winners of the festival’s Balanghai trophies and the NETPAC Award during the 22nd edition of Cinemalaya.

Co-organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Cinemalaya Foundation, the festival will run from Aug. 6 to 18. This year’s edition will feature nine full-length and 10 short films in competition. /ra