AS THE Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) gears up for the fourth leg of the Sineng Pambansa festival in San Fernando, Pampanga, other important projects are in the offing, too.
The National Film Archives is set to open soon, according to Briccio Santos: “Filmmaker Mike de Leon donated restoration (digitizing and spooling) equipment and some of his movies, including ‘Bayaning Third World,’ to the National Archives.”
Also, the FDCP, along with the Movie Workers’ Welfare Foundation (Mowelfund) and the Society of Filipino Archivists for Film (Sofia), initiated the preservation and restoration of artifacts from the LVN Studios: the Fountain of Life, the LVN arch and the Oxberry animation stand.
De Leon rescued these cinema relics when the studios were demolished a few years ago.
FDCP’s flagship project, the Sineng Pambansa, will run from May 26 to 28 at the Robinsons mall in San Fernando, Pampanga.
Among the films to be shown are: Lino Brocka’s “Maynila Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag”; Rosie Delgado and Miguel Kaimo’s “Sabungero”; Gregorio Fernandez’s “Higit sa Lahat”; Raul Jorolan’s “The Red Shoes”; Albert Martinez’s “Rosario”; Chris Martinez’s “Here Comes the Bride”; Brillante Mendoza’s “Tirador”; Francis Xavier Pasion’s “Sampaguita”; Rowell Santiago’s “Forever”; and Dondon Santos’ “Noy.”
There will also be separate screenings at the Heroes’ Hall, featuring Lupita Aquino’s “Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo,” as well as Mike de Leon’s “Bayaning Third World,” “Signos” and “Aliwan Paradise.”
A mobile cinema dubbed Sine ng Masa will go to San Pedro, San Nicholas, Sindalan and City Hall in San Fernando to screen Joel Lamangan’s “Mano Po 3”; Elwood Perez’s “Till We Meet Again”; Pablo Santiago’s “Kahit Konting Pagtingin,” along with “Forever” and Eduardo de Castro’s “Zamboanga.”
“In Baguio, we only had one roving truck, but in Pampanga we’ll have two,” said Santos.
Sineng Pambansa will likewise go international, with a run in New York from June 17 to 23. Also in the works, aside from the Marawi fest from June 29 to July 1, are Sineng Pambansa editions in Vancouver in June and Hong Kong in July.