FOR the first time Cordillera will have its own film festival that will discover and groom great talents in the field of film making and promote the unique culture in the region.
Giving in to the request of local filmmakers and film aficionados who attended the Regional Film Forum at Baguio Cinematheque on September 6, Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairperson Liza Diño agreed for the immediate planning for the project with implementation date set every 1st quarter of the year.
The 1st Cordillera Film Festival will be open exclusively to all filmmakers in the region who will be focusing their thematic stories in the local setting using the people’s own dialect. But the support of local experts is needed to realize the said undertaking.
“Ang mga curators pwedeng magbigay ng mungkahi in putting this project together. Sino ang mas nakakaalam kundi kayo diba? This is for the community. Sana we can expect for your support,” Diño said.
Diño added that the entries for the film fest which can be short film or documentary as it is more feasible in terms of budgeting and giving financial assistance, may even be used by the Department of Education as an instruction tool for the benefit of the young students.
Initially, FDCP represented by coordinator Art Tibaldo and Michael Angelo Zarate of Baguio Cinematheque will conduct a five day film editing and film making workshop next week. The succeeding months will be scheduled for acting, sound design, production design, and cinematography workshop.
The workshops will be a year round program which aims to continuously enhance the craft of filmmakers in the region.
FDCP, a government agency under the Office of the President would also like to know the type of movies the people from the region prefer to watch as it is set to showcase the 50s to 70s classical films at Cinematheque. The choice of the moviegoers will also be the basis for the agency in coming up with a unique programming for the Cordillera people.
With this development, it is expected that more young talents will be discovered and promising young filmmakers will excel more in their skills following the footsteps of homegrown award winning Indie Film director, writer, and actor Eric “Kidlat Tahimik” de Guia including director Ferdie Balanag.
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