Convene Bacolod Film Fest Council, mayor urged

BACOLOD City – Members of the Sang gun iang Pan lung sod( SP) here are urging Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez to convene the Bacolod Film Festival Council ( BFFC) to organize and oversee the Bacolod Film Festival.

The BFFC was created under City Ordinance ( CO) No. 1061, also known as the Bacolod Film Festival Ordinance, passed on February 14, 2024. It aims to promote the development of the local film industry, provide a venue for showcasing artistic talents, and enhance cultural appreciation.

The ordinance mandates the creation of a council that will organize and oversee the Bacolod Film Festival and ensure t he smooth i mplementation of t he ordinance. Its first staging is scheduled for this year.

Part of the functions and responsibilities of the council is to formulate policies and guidelines for the selection and screening of films to be featured in the festival.

BFFC is also tasked with appointing t he f est i val director, who will manage the operations of the festival; setting the theme for the film festival each year; and allocating and managing funds appropriated for the said festival.

The council is chaired by the city mayor, with the SP Committee on History, Culture, and Arts chair as vice chairperson, and members composed of the chair of the SP Committee on Tourism, City Tourism Officer, City Legal Officer, City Budget Officer, Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion Officer, DepEd Superintendent, and representatives from SM Malls Cinema and three from the local film industry.

The film festival is seen to not only help filmmakers and their crew but also boost the local economy and tourism.

It is also cited in CO No. 1061 that Bacolod City aims to further develop the film production scene by creating a venue where Bacolod and Negros Island-produced films are shown in major cinemas in the city.

Bacolod City and nearby cities in Negros Occidental province have been producing films that made their mark in Philippine cinema, and several of the same even made it through the Metro Manila Film Festival, part of the ordinance said./