Creating new opportunities in cinema

BRICCIO Santos (left) welcomes Pierre Rissient of France, Lino Brocka’s staunchest supporter at the Cannes fest. LEO M. SABANGAN II

Among the goals of the recently concluded International Film Conference (IFC) was to provide an opportunity for a group of film industry leaders to share expertise with film enthusiasts and industry specialists.

The IFC was held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. Briccio Santos, chair of event organizer, Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), said his team invited eight speakers from Turkey, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan and the United States. “(They) talked about various topics. The IFC helps create new opportunities and strengthens existing relationships for the film industry internationally.”

The two-session conference carried the theme, “Global View: Engendering Film Industry Connections,” Santos reported.

Connections

The first session addressed new trends in global cinema, the promotion and support of such trends through international film fests, salient connections among major festivals, and the enhancement of the film industry in different regions of the world.

First session speakers included Ahmet Boyacioglu (Turkey), festival programmer, director and producer associated with Film on Wheels; Serik Zhubandykov (Kazakhstan), festival director of Eurasia, one of the major film festivals in Central Asia; Michael Wiluan (Singapore), chief executive and producer at Infinite Studios, and Chris Fujiwara (United States), former artistic director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

The second session tackled the strengths and challenges presented by new technologies in the film industry, the roles of film commissions in supporting national cinema, and strengthening international connections.

Second session speakers included George David, general manager of the Royal Film Commission-Jordan and president of the board of directors of the Association of Film Commissioners International; Roger Garcia, executive director of Hong Kong International Film Festival, and Oli Laperal (Philippines), drone cinematographer and managing director of RSVP Film Studios.

Filmmaking practices

The IFC was part of the three-day International Film Exposition (IFX), held June 26-28 at the SMX Convention Center. “Through these discussions, the IFC looks forward to making more connections and discovering new filmmaking practices,” he said.

Santos added: “The Philippines has a lot of friends in cinema. At the prestigious Cannes Film Festival (in France), people treat Filipino products with high regard. Our latest restoration project, Lino Brocka’s ‘Insiang,’ was shown in the Cannes Classics section.”