The CINEGOMA Film Festival, the country’s only short film festival backed by an engineering company, officially opened its call for entries for its sixth edition during a press conference held on July 30 at a microcinema in Quezon City.
Organized by RK Rubber Enterprise Co., the 2025 edition of CINEGOMA comes with the theme ‘May Kwento ang Bawat Laban’—a tribute to stories of healing, resilience, and hope.
Festival director Xavier Cortez, who also serves as CEO of RK Rubber, opened the press conference by addressing the question on everyone’s minds: why an industrial company is running a film festival.
“So, alam ko yun yung tanong ng karamihan eh. Engineering company pero merong film festival,” Cortez said.
“So actually parang kami lang yung industrial company o engineering company na merong film festival. So yun, CineGoma. From the word itself: cinema at goma.”
He then shared the origins of the festival: “Nag-start siya noong November 2019 bilang bahagi lang ng team building ng RK Rubber,” he said. “Kasi sa RK, we’re big fans of education and training. Iniisip namin sa executive team kung paano mas mahasa yung mga tao namin sa manufacturing, leadership, paggawa ng rubber products.”
Cortez added that the initiative was also born out of a personal dream.
“Matagal ko na ring pangarap maging filmmaker. Mahilig talaga ako sa art,” he said.
Renowned filmmaker and Cannes Palme d’Or winner Raymond Red, who serves as CINEGOMA’s co-festival director and creative consultant, praised the festival’s unique blend of industrial advocacy and cinema.
“Isa ito sa mga pinaka-unique na festivals sa Pilipinas,” Red said. “And this is also one of the very few na may malinaw na advocacy—education, training, industry, and cinema.”
On the inclusion of AI-generated films, a first in any major local film competition, Cortez responded to potential criticism: “We’re embracing possibilities. Technology evolves, and so should storytelling.”
Red, while open to innovation, also highlighted the importance of storytelling authenticity: “Viewers will always look for authenticity and soul in a film.”
Open to students, professionals, brands, AI creators, and RK Rubber employees, CINEGOMA requires submissions of 10–15 minute original short films that reflect the theme ‘May Kwento ang Bawat Laban.’ Entries must feature RK Rubber branding and logos, and may be in any Filipino language or dialect with English subtitles. All registration and participation is completely free.
Five Competition Categories: Student, Professional, Commercial, AI (Artificial Intelligence), RK Exclusive (for RK employees)
Cash Prizes and Awards:
- Best Picture – ₱25,000
- Best Student/Commercial/Professional/AI Film – ₱15,000 each
- Most Impactful Film – ₱5,000
- Best Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, Production Design, Musical Production – ₱5,000 each
- Best Actor/Actress – ₱5,000 each
- Best Supporting Actor/Actress, Best Trailer, Best Poster – ₱3,000 each
Key Deadlines:
- August 15 – Registration deadline
- October 25 – Final Film submission
- November 24–29 – Festival run (free admission in partner cinemas)
- Awards Night – TBA
To join, applicants must follow RK Rubber’s official social media pages and complete several promotional tasks. Full guidelines are posted on their platforms.
For Cortez and his team, the film festival is more than just a creative outlet—it’s a legacy.
“Gusto lang naming sabihin na bawat laban may kwento. At bawat kwento, may pag-asa. Dito sa CINEGOMA, gusto naming bigyang-boses ang mga kwento ng bawat Pilipino.”
Registration is open until August 15. Submit your story here: https://forms.gle/GWk6RcVxv7JWiP8S7 (with reports from Loyd Pino)
