Mindanao welcomes the indies
IT’S QUITE appropriate that Zamboanga City was chosen as the first stop in Mindanao for the independent filmmakers who are participating in the Sineng Pambansa, which opens today and concludes Feb. 25.
One of the nine films in the screenings being held in Mindpro Citimall is “Halaw,” directed by Zamboanga resident Sheron Dayoc.
Dayoc’s film, shot in Mindanao, won Best Film and Director in last year’s Cinemalaya and recently brought home the Special Mention prize from the Netpac jury of the 61st Berlin International Film Festival. (Netpac stands for Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema.)
Briccio Santos, head of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP, which spearheads the event), told the Inquirer that Mayor Celso Lobregat expressed admiration for “Halaw.”
“There’s a great sense of pride for ‘Halaw’ because the director and his staff are Chavacano,” said Santos. “Mayor Lobregat wants to encourage future productions in the Chavacano language, too.”
Santos reiterated that the Sineng Pambansa doesn’t aim to “make a distinction between commercial and indie films.”
“The openness of the city mayors toward the films in every Sineng Pambansa is inspiring and heartwarming,” he said. “Film is a powerful medium that brings communities together.”
Other films in the lineup are Teng Mangansakan’s “Limbunan,” Rozie Delgado and Miguel Kaimo’s “Sabungero,” Monster Jimenez’s “Kano,” Mes de Guzman’s “Ang Mundo sa Panahon ng Bato,” Ato Bautista’s “Di Natatapos ang Gabi,” Paul Morales’ “Concerto,” Chito Roño’s “Emir” and Eduardo de Castro’s “Zamboanga.”
Santos hopes that the Zamboanga leg will be able to duplicate, if not surpass, the success of the inaugural fest in Iloilo last month.
“We have the same hope in every city the Sineng Pambansa visits: That audiences will watch the entries and see the merit of watching, and choosing, Filipino movies,” he said.
As he has gleaned from his discussions with the local leaders in various parts of the country, “audiences are hungry for this kind of entertainment … films they can identify with and believe in, movies that reflect their real lives and dreams.”
Santos shares the mayor’s dream that the film fest will become an annual event in Zamboanga as well.
“Having a film fest here will contribute to the immediate sense of peace and stability in the city,” he said.
Fittingly, De Castro’s 1937 film “Zamboanga,” starring Fernando Poe Sr. and Rosa del Rosario, was chosen to open the festival.
“Produced in 1936, this film proves how deep our cinematic roots go,” Santos said. “It will surely instill pride and a real sense of nationalism among audiences.”
The open-air screening of “Zamboanga” at the Fort Pilar courtyard tonight is part of another FDCP campaign: the establishment of a National Film Archives.
“The film ‘Zamboanga’ is part of our cultural memory,” Santos said.