Sagay city: Sagay City in Negros Occidental is commemorating the seventh anniversary of the Margaha Film Festival, an event inspired by the historic "Siete" train that once transported logs and lumber during the era of the Insular Lumber Company.

According to Philippines News Agency, the festival's theme, 'LokoMo7ib,' is a creative reinterpretation of 'locomotive,' symbolizing seven years of the 'cinema by the sea' along the kilometer-long Margaha beach shoreline. Festival director Helen Arguelles-Cutillar stated, "As we enter our seventh year, our filmmakers continue that journey, transforming history, culture, and everyday life into stories that travel far beyond the sea. LokoMo7ib is about movement - of stories, of people, of imagination."

This year's festival, scheduled from February 19 to 28, includes 24 short films split between the Sagaynon Shorts Competition and the Philippine Shorts Competition. The Sagaynon Shorts Competition features works by Sagaynon filmmakers who have participated in the festival's workshops, story laboratories, and mentorship programs.

The Sagaynon Shorts Competition includes films such as 'Ang Pihak nga Punta' by Edward Wilfred Lobaton, 'Ang Sugilanon ni Lola' by Crispel Jhun Ducay, 'Ayam' by Levi James Arellano, among others. Meanwhile, the Philippine Shorts Competition, titled 'Ang Istorya sang Amon Isla,' gathers films from across the country that delve into island life, mountains, seas, and the experiences of local communities.

Entries in the Philippine Shorts Competition include 'Angela and Her Dying Lola' by Mark Terence Molave, 'Asa ang mga Salida sa Leyte' by Linus Masandag, 'Cemento' by Justine Borlagdan, and several others.

The festival organizers noted, "The annual Margaha Film Festival continues to position Sagay City as a vital cultural hub for regional and grassroots cinema, bringing together filmmakers from Negros Occidental and other parts of the country for screenings, dialogues, and community engagements."