TAN STARTS LECTURE SERIES ON CEBUANO CINEMA HISTORY
Ronal do Sayson Tan, or Ron Heri in the film scene, launched his series of lectures on the history of Cebuano Cinema entitled “Sineng Sinebuano: Kagahapon Ug Karon, Unsa’y Kaug maon? ” His series’ first leg at the Museo Sugbo was witnessed by students from Southwestern University and Cebu Normal University last Feb. 25. “I’ve been doing these talks, especially for young filmmakers, since I arrived from Manila in 2004. I share with them my experience in filmmaking when I was in Manila since I worked in the mainstream or the local international film scene there for 20 years. Every chance I get, I always talk about something or anything that I feel I need to relay to young filmmakers,” said Tan. He said the Cebu community can support the local film industry by watching local screenings.
Cebuano Cinema is on its way to recovery as efforts have been made to retrace and to evaluate the reemergence of the industry. Filmmakers have never lost hope in the cause of bringing Cebuano creativity to the world creating additional projects taken to educate the young people of Cebu to patronize and recognize local outputs.
As one of his movements to continue the fire burning for Cebuano films, Ronaldo Sayson Tan, also known as Ron Heri of Film and Media Arts International Academy, one of the main movers of the Sinulog Film Festival, has launched the beginning of his lectures about the history of Cebuano Cinema. His lecture is called “Sineng Sinebuano: Kagahapon Ug Karon, Unsay Kaugmaon?”
Students from Southwestern University and Cebu Normal University were his audience last Feb. 25 at the Museo Sugbo.
“I’ve been doing these talks, especially for young filmmakers, since I arrived from Manila in 2004. I share with them my experience in filmmaking when I was in Manila since I worked in the mainstream or the local international film scene there for 20 years. Every chance I get, I always talk about something or anything that I feel I need to relay to young filmmakers,” said Tan. Emphasizing the importance of watching Cebuano films, Tan said that despite not being able to create their own films, the new generation can easily help the Cebuano film industry by watching screening of local films in cinemas or in other venues. Ticket prices, he said, are more af- fordable than those Venti-sized drinks the students buy.
“This topic is because of my desire to help in the revival of the Cebuano cinema in 2004. When I arrived here in Cebu, USC (University of San Carlos) offered a course in Cebuano heritage studies in 2006. I enrolled because I knew that this was a chance for me. I’m sure I will be able to access all materials in the library for my study of the Cebuano Cinema. I wanted to help so I studied Cebuano history, Philippine history and World history but I really set aside time to research about the history of Cebuano cinema. This became my thesis, so that I would not have any reason to forget it or to set it aside,” said Tan.
Having finished his paper in 2007, Tan included in his lecture a look-back at his thesis and its relevance in the present time.
Tan aims to continue his lectures with another set of students.
Aside from educating the youth about how it all began for the Cebuano film industry, Tan is also pushing forward a project he began in Dumanjug: Sine Plaza.
“In 2014, I launched Sine Plaza in Dumanjug because our plaza is very beautiful and I remember when I was younger, we used to watch movies in our plaza. I want to create awareness that Cebu has filmmakers who make beautiful Cebuano films, so I launched Sine Plaza showing Cebuano short films and old feature films like Badlis
sa Kinabuhi and Manok ni San Pedro. It started in Dumanjug and then went to Plaza Independencia and other places where people were interested to watch. In Casa Gorordo recently, we started screening a few film entries. I submitted this project to the province and they embraced it,” said Tan.
Tan, together with other filmmakers in the Cebuano industry, is hopeful that the golden age in the 1950s will be recreated and more filmmakers will prosper.
“There are still many things to do but we’re very hopeful,” said Tan.
Cebu has filmmakers who make beautiful Cebuano films. RONALDO TAN