Briccio Santos, FDCP head
From its office in Makati City, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) recently transferred to its new 2,000-square meter home in Manila.
The FDCP’s transfer coincided with the inauguration of the 101-seat Cinematheque Manila, which aims to “serve and enrich the film-going public by screening classic and contemporary Filipino films, as well as the best of foreign cinema,” according to FDCP chair Briccio Santos.
Santos led the inaugural, along with Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Undersecretary Manolo Quezon, of what the FDCP chief referred to as the Cinematheque Center on 855 TM Kalaw St., Ermita, Manila.
Also part of the event was the ceremonial unveiling of the statue of the late filmmaker Gerardo “Gerry” de Leon, who was the most-awarded director by the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences. Present were De Leon’s sister Leonor, daughters Fe and Liberty Ilagan, and his great grandchildren.
The FDCP chief took the Inquirer on a tour of the sprawling Cinematheque Center, which was once the home of Instituto Cervantes de Manila, a Spanish government agency responsible for promoting the study of Spanish language and culture.
On the ground floor, just outside the theater, is the Museo ng Pelikulang Pilipino (Film Museum), which contains a diverse range of film history exhibits—from film equipment, posters, an illustrated timeline, to miniatures of the historic film theaters of Manila.
It also showcases the statues of film greats De Leon, Lamberto Avellana, Lino Brocka and Manuel Conde.
They will soon be joined by those of Ishmael Bernal and Jose Nepomuceno, who are also national artists for film, said Santos. “The Film Museum will not only honor our film masters, but also introduce the young generation to its rich Filipino film heritage,” the FDCP chief stressed.
Located on the second floor is the Film Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Knowledge Management Center, where researchers, students, filmmakers and anyone interested in learning about cinema from Asean countries may pay a visit.
Sharing offices with the Cinematheque Center is the National Film Archives of the Philippines (NFAP), added Santos. Its documentation department and video library are also located on the second floor.
“We are waiting for a scanning machine to be delivered by the end of this month,” said Santos. “In the future, I foresee that we can scan all our films. Right now, we have about 30,000 film elements that need to be converted to the right format to be accessible to the public.”
The classrooms on the ground floor are where film advocates and industry leaders may gather to share their knowledge about film and its production, Santos pointed out. Award-winning scriptwriter Ricky Lee is scheduled to facilitate a three-day master class under the Film Asean Systems Program or Fast.
It is Fast’s mission to develop the production capabilities of the film industry of each of the 10-member states of the Asean, Santos noted.
“In June, we are arranging a round-table discussion with Vietnamese and Russian filmmakers. We’re hoping that the Director’s Guild of the Philippines Inc. will be involved,” said Santos. “This will be an interactive venue not only for workshops, but also for symposiums.”
A portion of the Cinematheque Center was turned into a café, which was adorned by posters of classic Filipino films.
Situated near the Cinematheque entrance is the souvenir shop, where gift items like shirts, postcards, books, posters and DVD copies of films newly restored by the NFAP can be bought.
The grand opening of the Cinematheque Center was in cooperation with the Film Cultural Exchange Program (FCEP) and the Festival Partnership Program. It was likewise attended by members of the diplomatic corps, cultural attachés of various embassies, the education sector and representatives of FCEP.
E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph.