Poe bats for cash rewards for award-winning indie films

Senator Grace Poe. FILE PHOTO

Senator Grace Poe is proposing up to P5 million monetary incentives to independent Filipino films which would bag honors in notable international film competitions.

Poe filed Senate Bill 165, which provides a P5-million grant to an award-winning 90 to 120-minute independent feature made by a Filipino filmmaker.

A Filipino-made short film or feature of 20 minutes or less that won an international award, on the other hand, would be given a P3-million grant, as provided for in the bill.

READ: Ex-actor files incentives bill for indie films

“We have a great pool of artists and creators who have brought honor to our country through the outstanding films they have produced. It is high time to recognize them and encourage the rest of our indie filmmakers to make their mark, as we help the industry flourish,” Poe said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The independent film industry has my unwavering support. Our filmmakers and actors have added greatly to the wealth of our culture and heritage. It is only proper for the government to acknowledge their efforts,” she further said.

Poe, who is an adopted daughter of film royalties the late Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces, said films are (potent tools) for communication and catalysts for inclusive development, which she said mirror a nation’s unique identity and rich culture.

She then cited highly acclaimed films by multi-awarded Filipino producers and directors like Brillante Mendoza, whose most recent craft, Ma’ Rosa, earned a standing ovation in this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Jaclyn Jose won the Best Actress Award, the country’s first, for her excellent performance in the said film. Mendoza also won the Best Director Award in the 2009 Cannes Film Festival with his film, Kinatay. Ma. Czarina A. Fernandez, INQUIRER.net trainee/IDL