Cinema Rehiyon honors King and Queen of Visayan movies

IN RECOGNITION of their contributions to Cebuano film culture, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ (NCCA) Cinema Rehiyon 7 will bestow the Hara Humamay (wife of Rajah Humabon) award to actress Gloria Sevilla and the Rajah Humabon posthumous award to Mat Ranillo Jr.—the couple known as the King and Queen of Visayan Movies.

Other trophies to be handed out are the Bulakna (the wife of Lapulapu) award to actress Pilar Pilapil and Sevilla and Ranillo’s daughter, actress Suzette Ranillo.

Also receiving the Lapu-Lapu award are “Manok ni San Pedro” writer Marcial Sacol and actor Julian Daan.

The ceremony will be held today, during the opening rites of the Cinema Rehiyon 7 Film Festival, at the SM Cinema Cebu.

Cebuano classic

Also to be screened today at 6 p.m. is the 1970 Cebuano film classic, Leroy Salvador’s “Badlis sa Kinabuhi,” starring the King and Queen of Visayan movies.

Cinema Rehiyon 7 will screen at least 72 films, including 18 full-length feature movies and 54 short films starting today until Aug. 9.

Said NCCA’s cinema committee head Teddy Co, “Cebu is a much-neglected part of Philippine cinema. We want to remind people that we can be proud of Visayan films. Cebu had a thriving film industry between 1937 and 1976.”

Bambi Beltran, Cinema Rehiyon 7 festival director, said that language and culture are best portrayed through local movies. “When you hear Visayan films … [your heart is filled with] pride of place and pride of language.”