Mike Sandejas of Dinig Sana Kita, Pepe Diokno of Engkwentro and Gay Ace Domingo of Sanglaan

Spot.ph sipped champagne (buko juice actually) on a yacht with Pinoy indie film buffs and directors in semi-cooperating weather.

The Cinemalaya Festival sent its competing directors and crew this year along with delegates from foreign film organizations such as the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC), Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (JAFF) and iFilm Connections: Asia & Pacific on a cruise around Manila Bay yesterday.

"I think we're going to make this a tradition in Cinemalaya every year so that our guests get to see another view of Manila," said CCP President and Cinemalaya Festival director (and former Ballet Philippines premier danseur) Nes Jardin. Good thing there was only a slight drizzle or the yacht wouldn't have sailed like in last year's storm, he recounted.

The casual and enlightening cruise had conversations ranging from seasickness and Manila Bay trash to the Cinemalaya films and revolutionizing the film distribution system.

"All the film festival directors are here so you get to meet everybody and it's a great atmosphere. I love the idea that there's a whole big festival of only Filipino films," said NETPAC President Aruna Vasudev.

Foreign delegates to the festival had good things to say about the films they had seen. "Last Supper is a very audience-friendly film. I really like the lead actor, [Joey Paras]. In my opinion, Philippine films can compete with Hollywood comedies. Much better than Hollywood comedy," said Budi Irawanto, JAFF festival director. "Independencia was the kind of film where I really wished there was an after-film discussion. I longed for that. I longed to speak to the filmmaker," said Asia Pacific Films President Jeanette Hereniko.

"Where's your new Lino Brocka? Show me, show me!" said Hereniko, friend to film bigwigs Nick de Ocampo and the late Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal.