SENIOR Technology Communication Management students of the Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) recently held a three-day documentary film festival, dubbed as "Pamukaw Singko", centered on relevant issues in Cagayan de Oro City.
Doreen Rañada, Mass Media and Society instructor, said about 150 students collaborated to show 50 documentary films from October 17 to October 19 at the MUST Gymnasium.
Rañada said the documentaries were written and directed by MUST students with the aim of awakening people, particularly the youth, about matters in the community.
Rañada, who is a judge in the film fest, said three documentaries got the nod of viewers.
One of the top documentaries discussed the snake bite immunizer called the "Envenomer."
Rañada said this feature documentary delved on the danger of snakebites and how to treat them with snakebites being one of the deadliest and most common of fatal accidents.
The "Envenomer" documentation not only presented a solution to these injuries but also served as a reminder for people to be aware of the nature of snakes and their venom.
Another documentary focused on the hard rock culture mostly misunderstood to be highly related to smoking and illegal drugs. This documentary entitled "Straight Edge", highlighted the rock culture especially in the local level to be a vehicle for social evolution and not the deterioration of those who engage in it.
"This documentary in fact wanted to change the perspective of the public about Hard Rock Culture. It rather tells the youth who want be a part of it that it is actually good and safe and it doesn't have any direct relationship to illegal drugs and or drinking and smoking," Rañada said.
One student group also tackled the matter of DVD piracy in Cagayan de Oro city. Lately, some 376 sacks of pirated CDs and DVDs worth P77 million were seized by authorities of the Optical Media Board at the Cogon public market.
With the help of the documentary medium, these students tackled the topic with the aim of preventing more people in buying pirated DVDs in the city and create awareness.
Rañada said aside from MUST students and faculty members, other guests were invited to view the feature documentaries. These documentary entries will soon be available for public viewing at COOPTV, Parasat channel 29.