30/03/2026
Congratulations ka-Buklod Airish, Gianne and AJ 🎉
UE CFAD Rising Creative Voices Take the Spotlight in Award-Winning Short Documentary Get Ready With Me
The award-winning short documentary Get Ready With Me (2025), by filmmaker and BFA Visual Communication faculty member Mntr. Elvin Jay Macanlalay, continues to gain recognition for its powerful storytelling, with standout contributions from emerging talents from the Visual Communication Program: Gianne Loba, AJ Louis Balgos, and Airish Tayag.
Running at 15 minutes, Get Ready With Me is a deeply intimate and socially resonant documentary short film that centers on the lived experience of Gianne Loba, a transwoman with a cleft palate. More than a routine, the act of “getting ready” unfolds as a daily ritual of resilience and an assertion of identity in the face of societal scrutiny. The film was selected for the Q***r Film Festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, and the Positively Different International Short Film Festival in Athens, Greece.
At the heart of the film is Gianne Loba, whose courageous and nuanced on-screen presence brings authenticity and emotional depth to the narrative. Through her performance, Loba transforms quiet, everyday moments into a compelling statement on visibility, dignity, and survival. Her portrayal invites audiences to confront the layered realities of living at the intersection of queerness and disability.
Complementing this is the evocative cinematography of AJ Louis Balgos, whose visual storytelling captures both the intimacy and tension of Gianne’s world.
Equally vital is the contribution of Airish Tayag, who also recently directed her first short film, Yosi Break. Her work as production coordinator and subtitlist ensures that the film’s message remains precise as she helps bridge language and hearing barriers, an essential component for a film that advocates inclusivity and representation.
Directed, written, and produced by Elvin Jay Macanlalay, Get Ready With Me stands as both a personal and political work. It reflects the filmmaker’s ongoing commitment to telling stories rooted in marginalized communities and lived realities. The film has been recognized for its impact and continues to contribute to important conversations on gender, identity, and inclusion.
As the film reaches wider audiences, the collaborative efforts of student filmmakers Loba, Balgos, and Tayag, together with their mentor Macanlalay and selected CFAD alumni, showcase the importance of diverse voices in filmmaking. Their contributions exemplify how emerging creatives are shaping the future of Philippine cinema through stories that challenge, empower, and inspire.
