Mapúa University’s Cardinal Cinema, built to capture the essence of CineMapúa, the longest-running student film festival, has become a hub for showcasing the talents of young filmmakers. The cinema was developed to support the students’ passion for storytelling and celebrate their artistic talents as future filmmakers.
On April 20, 2023, the Mapúa Cardinal Cinema hosted Digital Film students for their thesis film defense, CineYugto XVI: Era of Limitless Ingenuity. This event provided students with a chance to showcase their knack for producing thought-provoking films through beautiful visual storytelling.
“A vital notion of this year’s theme for CineYugto is that there is no limitation or censorship in visual storytelling. We don’t hinder our students in expressing how they look at the world, even if the topic is sensitive, this is the reality that needs to be disseminated to people for them to be aware of stories that we should learn from,” said Benigno B. Agapito Jr., Dean of the School of Media Studies.
For the first time ever, Mapúans were able to catch the following films:
“3 Way Ticket”
“Happy Anniversary”
“Toto(o)”
“Yung Hindi Sana Halata”
“Ang Kamaturan”
“20/20”
The Mapúa Cardinal Cinema also has a huge impact on the film program at Mapúa, with the School of Media Studies being invited to premiere internationally acclaimed films from various foreign embassies. This in turn would help the Mapúan community appreciate global culture and their influence.
“It has a great impact on our film program because it will serve as a venue for the visual storytelling of our students. The venue will serve as a space where they can deliver stories that can influence not only their lives as a filmmaker, but also our society, specifically our appreciation of film as a tool that can mobilize and shape human character and inform people about issues we’re facing,” added Dean Agapito.
With the newly built Mapúa Cardinal Cinema, the University hopes to encourage young filmmakers to continuously inspire thecommunity through their compelling storytelling that reflects our identity, embodies our culture, and challenges societal views.