PH cinema in focus at Korean film festival
AHUGE number of delegates of Filipino filmmakers and stakeholders are now on their third day in the ongoing 10- day Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in South Korea. Think the hit zombie film “Trip to Busan.”
Fortuitously, through Film Development Council of the Philippines ( FDCP) chairman Liza Diño’s trailblazing initiative and lobbying, our country was able to clinch the creme de la creme part of the said festival. Humbly, Liza said the Philippines is the Country of Focus at the 23rd BIFF.
Said coveted highlight at the festival came in at the most opportune time when our country simultaneously is celebrating its centennial anniversary of the birth of Philipppine cinema this year.
Paradoxically, the focus in Busan did not come easy to us, Liza gamely disclosed. She had to take, in a manner of speaking, several shots of intoxicating socho, the de rigueur Oriental ceremonial rice wine part of breaking bread with BIFF stakeholders to nail down the event at hand which even included relentless follow-ups taking place in other filmfests abroad. The proverbial intoxicating negotiations on Liza’s part has greatly paid off.
On her second year as FDCP chair, Busan’s Special Program focusing on the Philippines is hands down unprecedented. Among others, BIFF features 10 Filipino classics in retrospective titled, “Cinema As Response To The Nation.” This includes works of National Artists like Lamberto Avellana, Eddie Romero, Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal, and Fernando Poe, Jr. Also in the roster are the recent works of directors Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Mike de Leon, Mario O’Hara, Chito Roño, Remton Siega Zuasola, Lav Diaz, Brillante Mendoza, Alec Figuracion, Dwein Baltazar, Kidlat Tahimik, Joji Alonzo, Stephen Lee, Kevin Piamonte, Antoinette Jadaone, Ardinian Jaq Sanque, Lorys Plaza, and Sigrid Andrea Bernardo.
Curiously, BIFF will also come out with a special book titled “Centennial Anniversary of the Philippine Cinema” to be introduced by Nick Deocampo, TitoValiente, and Teddy Co of National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) with their respective essays included in said book.
In all, Liza said that the FDCP’s target for the Philippine cinema for the next hundred years is to go global — not just through the prestige of being in film festivals but in finding opportunities for co-production, distribution, networking and marketing — adding that Busan is the best place to jumpstart because it offers big opportunities when it comes to film market, festival, culture, and industry.
FDCP is also hosting a Philippine Pavilion at the Asian Film Market featuring 19 Filipino companies to focus
on the business side of filmmaking, to buy and sell films, license, archival and co-production projects.
Detractors of Liza, who think she
has been squandering people’s money attending film festivals, abroad must be eating their words or their hearts now that she has almost single-handedly pushed the country to be highlighted throughout the world in one of Asia’s biggest and well-attended international film festivals.
GUESS WHO? Bisexual actor 1 (BA1) who was carrying a relationship with a young actress was also at the same time in a dangerous liaison with bisexual actor 2 (BA2).
The young actress confronted BA2 and out of delicadeza the former cut off outright his relationship with BA1.
Unknown to both of them, BA1 and BA2 were thrown together recently in a stag party. Without batting an eyelash, BA1 left the party in a huff to spite BA2.
Clue: BA1 and BA2 used to work together in the same network.