A family printing business, a son caught between duty and ambition, and a craft slowly being pushed aside by technology come together in “Silkscreen,” one of 10 finalists in the short film category of the 22nd Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, running from August 6 to 18 at Shangri-La Plaza Red Carpet Cinemas, Gateway Cineplex 18, and select Ayala Malls cinemas in Metro Manila.
Written, directed, edited, and co-produced by Zamboanga del Norte filmmaker and Silliman University political science major Rey Anthony Villaverde, “Silkscreen” earned its spot at Cinemalaya 22 after receiving the Silver Award in the Narrative Category of the 6th Montañosa Film Festival.
The selection marks Villaverde’s second appearance at Cinemalaya, following his 2024 metacinema comedy “Ambot Wa Ko Kabalo Unsay I-Title Ani” (Untitled). He first entered the regional film festival circuit with “Tingog” (Voice) at Cinema Rehiyon 15 in 2022.
Starring Justine Lawrence Lopez, with Nonoy and Mariel Barbaso, “Silkscreen” follows Roy, a young T-shirt silkscreen printer racing against time inside his family’s aging studio. As rush orders pile up and the family business struggles to stay afloat, Roy is forced to reconnect with his aging father, the shop’s original owner, confronting the quiet distance created by time, circumstance, and changing times.
The story draws heavily from Villaverde’s own life. Raised inside his family’s printing shop, he grew up surrounded by the scent of fresh ink, the hum of machinery, and stacks of newly printed garments.
“As the only son, I have often found myself standing between two paths: to continue what my parents have tirelessly built with their hands, or to step away and build something of my own,” Villaverde said.
But “Silkscreen” goes beyond the familiar conflict between filial responsibility and personal ambition. The film also becomes a record of a disappearing form of artisanal labor, capturing the physical work behind screen printing at a time when automation and algorithms are rapidly transforming traditional crafts.
“Through cinema, I wanted to preserve that kind of labor, the kind that once shaped our everyday lives and quietly held communities together. This film is my way of honoring work and the dignity embedded in every craft shaped by human hands,” Villaverde said.
With the support of creative producer Zig Dulay, “Silkscreen” also poses a deeply personal question: Is there still more to life when you’ve lived every second of it in survival mode?
For Villaverde, the film becomes both a personal reckoning and an act of preservation, keeping alive not only a family legacy but also the dignity of work passed from one generation to another.
“Silkscreen” is part of Shorts A, alongside “Honey, My Love, So Sweet” by JT Trinidad, “Hoy, Hoy, Ingat!” by Norvin Delos Santos, “Para-Paraan” by Mae Chin Li, and “RUNO!” by Lysa Catolico and Jasmine Gin Pateña.
A talkback with the filmmakers and actors will follow the Shorts A screening at Shangri-La Plaza on August 12 at 5:30 p.m., moderated by film educator Seymour Sanchez. Another talkback is scheduled at Gateway Cineplex 18 on August 16 at 12 noon, with film critic Jason Tan Liwag as moderator.
