A LOCAL filmmaker is urging the government to craft a clear and doable guidelines in combating piracy in the age of social media.
Jarell Serencio, a Davao-based filmmaker whose film Siyudad sa Bulawan (City of Gold) won Best in Short film award during the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (Famas) 2019 last April, said the local industry continues to suffer as piracy can be now made through peer-to-peer.
“Need talaga ng malinaw na policy ang government natin. Di ko alam nagawa ng government in controlling the piracy. Pero it has to be very sharp and may maayos na execution of the policies (The government should have a clear policy about it. I’m not aware of the actions currently being undertaken to control piracy but it has to be very sharp and there should be proper execution),” Serencio said.
He also said the viewing public should also do their share by not patronizing piracy, which is now made accessible even on social media.
“Malaking problema siya sa filmmakers. Kung ako gumawa ng pelikula, I exerted effort and money to produce the film, and all of a sudden, nakikita ko nalang available anywhere, kinikuha nalang siya anywhere, that’s disrespectful to the artist (It is a huge problem for filmakers. If I were the producer of the film, where I exerted effort and money to produce the film, and all of a sudden, it will just be made available anywhere, that’s disrespectful to the artist),” Serencio said, adding films are meant to be shown in movie theaters.
He also encouraged the public to only patronize legal video on demand streaming sites.
The director was recently honored by the City Council in Tuesday’s regular session at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Councilor Leah Librado-Yap filed a resolution acknowledging the director’s feat.
Serencio, meanwhile, said his achievement would help gain support for the local film industry in Davao City.
He also won Best Short Film in two different film festivals: Victor (2012 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival) and Mga Bitoon sa Siudad (2016 Metro Manila Film Festival).
Prior to film making, he was also a contributing writer for ABS-CBN, including Sana’y Wala Nang Wakas and Maalaala Mo Kaya (MMK). (RGL)