FILM Development Council of the Philippines Chair Liza Diño photo by Arnold Almacen
A new travel assistance program for producers of local films that will compete or be exhibited in festivals abroad has been announced by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).
FDCP Chair Liza Diño said the new program aims to standardize the incentive scheme so that all qualified filmmakers will get the same kind of support from the agency.
“The FDCP earlier identified the festivals on its priority list, but aid was given to the same people who requested for it,” Diño observed. “I’ve also received complaints on the issue when I did my consultation with the film community, so I proposed to the council a standard procedure to ensure that more people can avail of the financial aid.”
She disclosed the highlights of the new travel assistance program as follows:
A full-length film that is part of the main competition under the category, Competitive Feature Film Festivals, can avail of airfare for two persons (the filmmaker, actor or a member of production staff), their hotel accommodation for three days and two nights at a partner hotel and a per diem for three days ($50 or $70/day depending on the country).
A movie for exhibition/screening is entitled to airfare for one person.
A competing short film is entitled to airfare for one person (the filmmaker, actor or a member of production staff), as well as hotel accommodation for three days at a partner hotel.
A short film that is up for exhibition will get financial assistance in the amount of not more than $500.
Full-length projects competing in the Specialized Feature Film Festivals category will be entitled to airfare for one person and hotel accommodation for three days. The same will be accorded to competing documentary films and short films.
Full-length films that will be up for screening/exhibition will get airfare for one person.
For the Noncompetitive Feature Film Festivals category, full-length films are entitled to airfare for one person.
Short films in competition can avail of airfare for one person as well as hotel accommodation for three days.
For the Documentary and Short Film Festivals category, competing films can avail of airfare for one person as well as hotel accommodation for three days, while those for exhibition are entitled to financial assistance in the amount of not more than $500.
Diño also said a film production could avail of travel assistance for a maximum of two festivals per year.
The new travel-assistance program would have its formal launch in October, she said, but added that it was already implemented on the request of Filipino delegates attending the 2016 Busan International Film Festival from Oct. 6 to 15.
Diño added: “We take pride and applaud what filmmakers like Brillante Ma. Mendoza and Lav Diaz have accomplished in the international arena that paved the way for our country to be recognized again, thus provide the local film industry the chance to find audiences beyond the Philippines. It is only fair that we extend this opportunity to other filmmakers who, like them, are bringing recognition to our country through various film festivals.”
On Diaz’s statement regarding the government’s seeming lack of interest on the welfare of Filipino artists competing abroad, Diño said: “I totally understand Direk Lav’s sentiment because even I was surprised about the existing reimbursement process. But I learned that there were technical issues with the Commission on Audit and the Department of Budget, which, of course, should also be considered.”