PARANGAL NG SINING

FDCP pays tribute to Filipino film icons and pioneers through “Parangal ng Sining”

THE Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) presents this year’s “Parangal ng Sining,” an annual bestowment of recognition to exemplary Filipino artists, scholars, and organizations for their significant contributions to the development of Philippine cinema. The awarding ceremony will be held on April 19, 2024 at Seda Vertis North, Quezon City.

Through “Parangal ng Sining” (“Honor of the Arts”), the FDCP aims to gather the creatives and stakeholders of the Philippine film industry to celebrate the role of cinema in distilling the nation’s cultural identity. It also aims to encourage Filipino artists, educators, and film institutions to continue to achieve and work for excellence in their craft.

“Parangal ng Sining” will revive the glamor of the Golden Age of Philippine Cinema with the theme of Old Hollywood. Reminiscent of classic Filipino films and the elegant parties held at Sampaguita Studios, honorees and guests will be dressed in black and white finery while the main stage will be displayed in technicolor.

Parangal ng Sining: Lifetime Achievement Awards

• Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo – Veteran actress Maria Elisa Anson Rodrigo, known as Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo, has a prolific body of work in the Philippine film, television, and radio broadcasting industry. Her remarkable career started in 1968, working as an actress under Sampaguita Pictures and starring in films alongside other Filipino icons such as Fernando Poe, Jr. and Dante Rivero.

Most notably, Anson-Roa served as the President of the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (MOWELFUND), Inc. for 18 years. During her presidency, she remained steadfast in upholding MOWELFUND’s mission to protect and support marginalized workers in the local film industry.

• Dr. Nicanor Tiongson – Regarded as an esteemed film critic, writer, educator and scholar in the Philippines, Dr. Nicanor

Tiongson is a founding member of Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino and the Professor Emeritus of the University of the Philippines (UP) Film Institute. He served as vice president and artistic director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), chair of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), and co-founder of the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.

He has produced scholarly works on the rich history of Philippine cinema such as the “The Urian Anthology” and “The Cinema of Manuel Conde,” fostering appreciation and understanding of Filipino films and cultural heritage.

• Clodualdo “Doy” del Mundo, Jr. – Known as an influential figure in the Philippine film industry, Clodualdo “Doy” del Mundo, Jr. is an eminent filmmaker, screenwriter, and educator who has written the screenplays of acclaimed Filipino classics such as National Artist for Film Lino Brocka’s “Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag” and Mike De Leon’s “Kisapmata” and “Batch ‘81.” He has also directed films such as “Pepot Superstar” and “Paglipad ng Anghel.”

Del Mundo was a founding member and former chairman of Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, a film critic organization which confers the annual Gawad Urian Awards to outstanding Filipino films. He serves as the President Emeritus of the Society of Filipino Archivists for Film (SOFIA) and is a staunch advocate of film archiving, believing that the preservation of Filipino films is essential for the preservation of Philippine culture and history.

• Armando “Bing” Lao – Armando “Bing” Lao is an award-winning filmmaker and prolific screenwriter who has written the screenplays of Jeffrey Jeturian’s “Kubrador” and Brillante Mendoza’s films “Kinatay” and “Serbis,” both of which competed at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. He has won numerous Gawad Urian Awards for Best Screenplay for films such as Chito S. Roño’s “Itanong mo sa Buwan” and “La Vida Rosa.”

He is well-known for the “Found Story” screenwriting workshops, which served as a platform to nurture and educate aspiring screenwriters in crafting original screenplays that reflect the lived experiences of Filipinos. He has also served as a creative consultant and invaluable mentor to contemporary Filipino filmmakers who are making waves in Philippine independent cinema.

• Society of Filipino Archivists for Film (SOFIA) – Formed in 1993, the Society of Filipino Archivists for Film (SOFIA) is composed of individuals from various professional backgrounds brought together by a shared purpose of preserving the country’s cinematic heritage.

With the organization’s valiant efforts in film archiving for 30 years, SOFIA remains true to its mission of preserving Filipino films and educating the public of our rich cinematic history.

They are the modern heroes: our very own film archivists, restorators and preservationists.

• ABS-CBN Film Restoration (Sagip Pelikula) – The ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project or Sagip Pelikula is headed by Leo Katigbak of the ABS-CBN Film Archives. Since 2011, it has successfully digitized and restored more than a hundred Filipino films, including National Artist for Film Ishmael Bernal’s “Himala,” Peque Gallaga’s “Oro, Plata, Mata,” and Carlos Vander Tolosa’s “Giliw Ko,” which is the first film produced by LVN Pictures.

The ABS-CBN Film Restoration has been instrumental in reintroducing well-loved Filipino classics to Filipino audiences, particularly the youth. It remains committed to its purpose of preserving the country’s cinematic legacy for future generations of Filipinos.