Cinema Rehiyon’s free master class on ‘Documentary in the Regions’ set on March 13

“There’s a knowledge gap that needs to be filled,” said award-winning documentarist Baby Ruth Villarama when asked why she agreed to hold a free online master class on documentary making on March 13 as part of the ongoing Cinema Rehiyon 2021: Voices of the Margins Film Festival.

The festival, which kicked off on Feb. 28, is organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

“On the get-go, it’s important to be part of a film community that supports and nurtures each other. When I was asked to participate, it was a no-brainer despite the fact that I get social anxiety each time I am pitched upfront,” Villarama told Inquirer Entertainment on Friday.

Filmmaker-writer Julienne Ilagan will moderate Villarama’s master class, titled “Documentary in the Regions,” on March 13, from 2 to 4 p.m.

“I am also a regional storyteller who grew up in Baliuag (Bulacan) and had the same dream to do documentaries as the others, but I didn’t know how back then,” Villarama recalled. “I also got lucky to be nurtured and guided by kind storytellers who took the time to also share, so I think it’s important to continue the cycle of giving back.”

“There are also many raw stories from the regions that we don’t know, and I hope that filmmakers and those who are part of Cinema Rehiyon can further grow and help Philippine cinema flourish with their unique voices and style,” said Villarama who is well-known for her documentary “Sunday Beauty Queen,” among other titles.

Cinema Rehiyon 2021 scheduled four free master classes. Writer-editor Carla Pulido Ocampo, whose “Tokwifi” won best film at the 2020 Cinemalaya, opened the master class series last March 6 with, “Women Writes: Screenplay for and of Women.” This was followed by the master class for “Love Writes: Screenplay for and of LGBTQIA+” by filmmaker Jay Altarejos on the same day.

Filmmaker, curator, cinematographer, and editor Elvert Bañares will talk about “Experimental Cinema in the Regions” on March 20, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Writers, filmmakers and film enthusiasts are invited to avail of and join these webinars by registering on this link https://bit.ly/3aX0uTe to secure slots. INQ