Cinemalaya 2015 stays in CCP

It’s a green light for the 11th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

This was announced during the annual CCP media party, by president Raul Sunico. “Cinemalaya is still part of our 2015 lineup,” he told the Inquirer, debunking reports that the local government of Quezon City was taking over.

“QC Mayor Herbert Bautista made his interest in Cinemalaya known before we secured its funding,” the CCP chief explained. “I don’t know what happened next.”

There will still be screenings in Ayala Malls in Makati City and Quezon City, Sunico said.

He said he was not privy to the negotiations between Quezon City and the Cinemalaya Foundation, event organizer. “The festival will still be held in July. We learned only a month ago that our proposed budget for it had been approved,” he related. “The plan was, if we got a smaller budget, the festival would have to be a smaller event, or find another venue.”

The 12th Cinemalaya is another story. “We proceed year per year,” said Sunico. “Maybe we’ll bring it to the provinces, as Sen. Loren Legarda proposed during the budget hearing.”

Sunico said this year’s budget was “more or less the same” as in previous years. As to whether Laurice Guillen would still head the organizing committee, he said, “It will be up to them. Cinemalaya is not a CCP production. We are merely the venue, without control over logistics, competition rules, committee heads.”