The Film Development Council of the Philippines is set to launch the World Premieres Film Festival on Sunday with a red-carpet opening ceremony at One Esplanade in SM Complex, Pasay City.
From July 2 to 8, 40 festival films from 27 countries will be screened at select SM Cinemas around Metro Manila.
The main competition will feature movies from Brazil, Ecuador, Iran, Spain, Turkey, and the Philippines. A Cine Verde or “Green Cinema” section is dedicated to films tackling environmental concerns. They will vie for the Cine Verde Award for Best Environmental Feature.
Other aspects of the festival are: the Euroview Section, featuring films from European countries; the Ibero-America Section, featuring films from Latin states; and the Asean Skies Section, featuring films from Asean member states.
Gala premieres for the main competition films are scheduled on Monday and Tuesday at SM Megamall. The directors of the films will be present for short Q&A sessions after the screenings. The premieres are open to the public.
Awards program
On Tuesday, the awards night and closing ceremony will be held 7 p.m. at Centerstage, SM Mall of Asia. Winners will be awarded prior to a special screening of the Grand Festival Prize winner. The screening is also open to the public (first-come, first-served basis).
The full festival run is from July 2 until July 8 at SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM North Edsa, SM Sta. Mesa, and SM Manila. All screenings will be presented at regular mall admission prices. Students with valid IDs, will get discounts. For details, visit www.wpff.ph.