Bigger celebration of PH cinema for ‘Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino’
AFTER its remarkable debut in 2017, the Film Development Council of the Philippines ( FDCP) will mount the second edition of the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino ( PPP) and will holistically conduct a series of events and forms of support for Filipino films, from celebratory fiestas for the public to educational fora and conferences for film industry professionals.
Launched in August 2017, PPP is a seven- day exclusive screening of quality genre Filipino films in all cinemas nationwide in line with the Buwan ng Wika. It will run this year run from August 15 to 21. As with the usual industry practice, the gross sales from PPP shall be shared only between the film producers and theaters.
At the PPP media launch held on May 3, FDCP Chairperson Liza Diño emphasized that the endeavors aligned with PPP will allow Filipino films to truly grow and take the leap from local to international distribution.
“PPP comes at an impeccable time especially now that we are celebrating the One Hundred Years of Philippine Cinema. FDCP believes that beyond this centennial, it is high time for us to show the world the best of our films by pushing for international distribution. We want to inspire our filmmakers to reach audiences beyond our borders by producing films that are quality-made, well developed, and produced with a wide local and global audience in mind. PPP encourages this by becoming their jump-off point,” Diño said.
Pista is a partnership with all theaters in the country and kicks off the season with returning Selection Committee Members editor Manet Dayrit, cinematographer Lee Briones, and Director Joey Reyes with two new members: acclaimed Director Carlitos Siguion- Reyna and award- winning actress and producer, Cherie Gil.
Deadline of applications is until June 15 while the eight selected films will be announced by the first week of July 2018.
“With all of these added events and features of Pista, we hope for the Filipino audiences and film industry professionals alike to take this opportunity to both celebrate Philippine cinema in our country and take an active part in its next great steps towards international recognition and distribution,” Diño ended.