SineSaysay bares documentary finalists

Placing importance on Filipino documentary films and their impact on not just Philippine cinema but also on the society, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), through the SineSaysay Documentary Film Lab and Showcase, announces its documentary film finalists.

SineSaysay has two categories: Bagong Sibol Documentary Lab which caters to filmmakers on their first and second full-length documentary films, and the Feature Documentary Showcase for filmmakers who have produced at least two full-length films to their credits.

This year, FDCP is in partnership with the National Historical Commission (NHC) of the Philippines for the themes of the films to focus on often-unvisited moments and events in Philippine history.

“This first year (was) an important step for us to expand the empowerment and appreciation of other types of filmmaking. Documentary films have formed part of our collective consciousness, highlighting very relevant social issues and even inspiring real change, and it is high time that we actively support the production of more of these types of films,” said FDCP chairperson Liza Diño.

SineSaysay also introduced the mentors for the Bagong Sibol Category: Producer, writer and cinematographer Ditsi Carolino; journalist and independent filmmaker Joseph Israel Laban; screenwriter director and producer of Respeto and Apocalypse Child Monster Jimenez; and director of Women of the Weeping

River Sheron Dayoc. The Bagong Sibol finalists will be given P100,000 as seed money to develop their 10 to 20-minute ver- sion of their project. The shortlisted projects will undergo the lab program which will culminate with an industry pitch showcase where they will be presenting their pitches and short film treatments of their projects. Of these, two selected projects will be granted the Bagong Sibol Production Fund in the amount of P700,000 to produce the feature versions of their project.

The shortlisted finalists for Bagong Sibol are Ang Huling Kaharian by Bryan Kristoffer Brazil; Mga Bayaning Aeta, Donnie Sacueza; El Caudillo, Khalil Joseph Bañares; Patay Na Riles, John Christian Samoy; A Memory Of

Empire, Jean Claire Dy; Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez — A Filipino Leprologists’ Journey, Micaela Fransesca Rodriguez; Noong, Sa Aming Pagkabata, Darlene Joanna Young; and Kachangyan Wedding Redux, by Lester Valle and Carla Ocampo.

For the feature documentary showcase, four filmmakers will be awarded a P1M co-production grant to produce their documentary film projects. They are Untitled Project by Cha Escala; Daan Patungong Tawaya, Kevin Piamonte; Looter, Jayson Bernard Santos; and Heneral Asyong, Victor Acedillo.

SineSaysay films will have its premiere screenings in Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2019.