NEWSLETTERPhilippine National Cinema

FDCP head to meet with officials of French Ministry of Culture and CNC on film preservation and mutual cooperation

FDCP Chairman Briccio Santos will be in Paris from May 9 to 12 for a series of meetings with officials of the French Ministry of Culture, as well as with various directors of the National Center of Cinematography and the Moving Image (CNC), to discuss institutional relations and cooperation between the Philippines and France in matters related to the restoration and conservation of old films which are considered part of the national cultural heritage.

The French government through its embassy in Manila has expressed its willingness to assist the FDCP in its task of restoring and preserving the large number of classic Filipino films in the national archives. A team of technicians from the National Film Archive of the Philippines will soon be headed for Paris to undergo specialized training in advanced methods and technologies of film restoration and preservation.

Chairman Santos said that among the highlights of his meeting with French officials will be visits to the

national archives at Bois d’Arcy, the CNC Cinematheque, and a specialized school on film archiving. He will also formally turn over to the CNC the Filipino film Ang Buhay at Pag-ibig ni Dr. Jose Rizal (1956, directed by Ramon Estella), for restoration. The FDCP chairman will be given a restored copy of a great Filipino film master

work, Genghis Khan (1950, directed by Manuel Conde), a competition entry in the 1952 Venice Film Festival, and the first Filipino film to win critical acclaim from the international film community. In a preparatory meeting with French Embassy officials Christian Merer, Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs, and audiovisual attaché Martin Macalintal, Chairman Santos was briefed on the organization and operations of the CNC, which is the agency in charge of all audiovisual media in France, including films, television, digital animation, and all other multimedia industries and services. It operates under the French Ministry of Culture.

From Paris, Chairman Santos will proceed to the Cannes Film Festival for further meetings with other CNC officials regarding technical and educational exchanges between FDCP and CNC. He will also confer with foreign film producers and directors regarding co-production ventures as well as distribution prospects for Filipino films.

FDCP Chairman Briccio Santos and M. Christian Merer, Counsellor for

Cooperation and Cultural Affairs of the French Embassy in Manila

PFESO goes to Cannes

The FDCP and the Philippines Film Export Services Office will participate at the Marche du Film, the film market of the Cannes International Film Festival, which runs from May 11 to 22 this year.

The PFESO is looking forward to continue the momentum gained from its participation at the recently concluded Hong Kong FILMART. With various networking and educational opportunities, the PFESO aims to continuously promote Philippine cinema in the international market and at the same time explore channels to significantly increase international productions using the Philippines as location for their filming.

In addition to the FDCP booth, the PFESO will participate in industry workshops, talks, and market screenings. The FDCP will also provide support and publicity for the Filipino film that made it to the Directors Fortnight, Auraeus Solito’s Busong (Fate)

National Film Archive takes custody of endangered Filipino films

They are part of our national heritage, and many of them are rotting, some of them almost beyond salvage, due to years of neglect or lack of proper facilities.

Fortunately, the National Film Archive has taken custody of a huge batch of old film reels turned over by the UP Film Institute for restoration and safekeeping in its main repository at Ortigas Center. The films are in 35-mm, 16-mm and 8-mm formats. Included in the UPFI collection are works by National Artists Ishmael Bernal, Lino Brocka, Eddie Romero and Gerardo de Leon, which were given priority so as to prevent further damage. Other films retrieved included some documentaries and works by

film students. The official turnover was

made by the UPFI on April 18, 2011 to Dr. Juan Martin Magsanoc, Ramon Nocon and Eros Arbilon from the National Film Archive. Lucenio Lauzon

of the UPFI and a technical adviser of the NFAP helped facilitate the turnover. Earlier, the NFAP also received from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) audiovisual materials

in the latter’s possession, including VHS tapes, DVDs, as well as 35-mm and 16-mm films. Among these were notable films from a past era, such as Sisa by National Artist for Cinema Gerry de Leon, El Legado, Walang Sugat, The Survivor and A Battle Among the Clouds by Lamberto Avellana, Heneral Paua by Felix Villar, Soul of a Fortress by Ben Pinga, and Ang Buhay at Pag-ibig ni Dr. Jose Rizal by Ramon Estella.

As with other donated films, many of these were in advanced stages of damage and deterioration (exhibiting vinegar syndrome, among others) and further assessment would be necessary in order to ascertain if these films could still be repaired or

restored. Apart from these audiovisual materials, the NHCP also donated a working film winder which would be of great help to the archive.

The NFAP is looking at retrieving more films, with the collections of the Philippine Information Authority and Mowelfund expected to be turned over as well. Now fully operational, the NFAP has storage racks, computerized locks, dehumidifiers and a controlled- temperature facility in place to ensure maximum protection of the delicate film reels that have been procured or turned over. The central clearing house of the NFAP is located at Ortigas Center in Mandaluyong City.

Stacked Film Canisters in the NFAP Office

Film Development Council of the Philippines2 Sineng Pambansa Halaw Receives NETPAC Award Special Mention in Berlin

Halaw (2010, Sheron Dayoc) won the special mention for the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) as “Best Asian Film” at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival. The NETPAC is a worldwide organization of 29 member countries. It was created as the result of a conference on Asian cinema organized by Cinemaya, the Asian Film Quarterly, in New Delhi in 1990 at the instance and with the support of UNESCO, Paris. The award was specifically for the Best Asian Film which was part of the Forum Section. The film was also vying for the Cinema Fairbindet and Amnesty International awards, film writer Lilit Reyes reported.

The Halaw contingent—composed of Dayoc, Reyes and actress Maria Isabel Lopez—was already preparing to go home when they received the good news on Saturday morning and an invitation to attend the afternoon ceremony for the independent juries.

In his report, Lilit Reyes related: “The power of our movie, its cinematic execution of a timely issue, and its honesty, pleased the jury so much they could not resist giving something to our film. Berlin is among the top three film festivals in the world. It’s tough to penetrate and just to be included is a major triumph.”

Dayoc agreed: “It sounds like a cliché, but being selected made me feel like a winner already. It made me proud as a Filipino.”

The two Filipino entries in this year’s Berlin filmfest (the other was Francis Xavier Pasion’s Sampaguita) were both Cinemalaya winners in 2010 and products of the Treehouse Script group under Armando Lao, Dayoc and Reyes said. The film was also featured at the Milan African Asian Latin American Film Festival, competing under the World Cinema Section. Halaw was one of the featured films at the Zamboanga Film Festival.

Sheron Dayoc wins Sundance Screenwriters Lab Fellowship

P R I Z E - W I N N I N G filmmaker Sheron Dayoc, whose Halaw won the special mention at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival in 2010, has scored another triumph. The world-famous Sundance Institute based in Utah, USA, has selected Dayoc as one of only half a dozen participants invited to the highly prestigious annual Sundance June Screenwriters Lab.

Fellows invited to the Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Labs are mentored by some of the world’s finest filmmakers, and will afterwards be assisted in sourcing funding for the production of their films.

Dayoc was invited to the Screenwriters Lab as a Sundance fellow on the basis of his strong showing at the Berlin film event, as well as on the merits of the script which he submitted as a film project. His new film project Satra, co-written with Lilit Reyes, is a full-length feature focusing on the fratricidal conflict between Muslim groups in Mindanao. It revolves around a Yakan weaver from Basilan who awaits the return of her husband, a soldier of the Armed Forces

of the Philippines (AFP) who is involved in the campaign against rebels of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Her village is burned down, she becomes one of the casualties, and later her husband is also killed in the war. At this point, the film fuses the world of reality and the world of spirits. In Mindanao mythology, the lutaw or spirits of people who have died violent deaths since time immemorial continue to mingle with the living. The dead weaver and other spirits join the evacuation to the refugee center, and witness the brutalities of the

war in Mindanao caused by a host of societal problems: corruption in government, social stratification and unequal distribution of wealth, land-grabbing, government neglect, and other familiar issues.

Dayoc uses the motif of Yakan weaving to highlight a theme or provide symbolisms to certain scenes. He looks at patterns, designs and colors as being evocative of human emotions and reflective of social events. For instance, red fabrics background a particular scene after a senseless massacre has taken place. The filmmaker says that the personal statement

he wishes to make through films such as Satra is that the film artist must understand and feel deeply the roots and manifestations of the culture he is depicting, appreciate the importance to a people of their identity, and in the process acquire a deeper awareness of his own identity and place in society. What do the Mindanaoans want? Why are they at war against one another? How does the filmmaker, by taking stock of his life and his values shaped by the same environment, approach this particular subject?

Sheron Dayoc describes himself as a protestant from Zamboanga who was raised in a Christian-Muslim community and educated in a Catholic institution, and whose father served in the military. With such a background, it was almost inescapable that he would choose Mindanao as the subject matter of his films, Halaw and Satra. The latter was based on a 30-minute documentary he made for Japan NHK, A Weaver’s Tale, which won a Certificate of Creative Excellence at the US International Film and TV Festival in Los Angeles in 2009.

Auraeus Solito’s Busong featured at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight

Prize-winning filmmaker Auraeus Solito’s latest opus Busong (Fate) was chosen as one of the featured films in the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes International Film Festival (May 12 to May 22, 2011).

The Directors' Fortnight pays attention to the annual international production of fiction features, short films and documentaries. It is the only section at Cannes that is open to the public. The films selected for the Directors' Fortnight vie for the Camera d'Or Prize.

Other Filipino filmmakers who have recently been featured in the Directors' Fortnight are Raya Martin for "Now Showing" and Brillante Mendoza for "Foster Child."

Solito said that being chosen for the Cannes is one of the best feelings a filmmaker can experience.

“Cannes is a dream come true,” the director said. “In my youth, ever since Lino Brocka became the first Filipino to get into Cannes with Insiang

at the Directors’ Fortnight, I have always thought: Could I do that someday? Now my dream has been realized. Busong is one of my dream films. It is a film that I have always wanted to make. It is the beginning of a series of films that will explore the indigenous Palawan universe.”

Solito narrates the concept of the film Busong (‘Palawan Destin’ in French):

“It is the story of three individuals that a brother and sister encounter while they wander the land in search of a healer. There are three stories intertwined with the Palawan landscape of forest (a woman searching for her husband), sea (a man who lost his boat), and mountain (a young man searching for himself). The word ‘busong’ is the indigenous Palawanon concept of instant Karma. What you do to nature and your fellow man comes back to you right away. The film is actually the middle part of my Palawan Trilogy. Busong

is Palawan’s present, the first part Delubyo (Deluge) is Palawan’s past, and Sumbang (Origin) is Palawan’s future. Deluge was written first and the screenplay was developed at the Binger Film Lab in Amsterdam. It has a bigger budget so that I made Busong first, thanks to the seed fund from Cinemalaya.”

Delubyo is about the Tungkul or Shaman-King who ruled South Palawan through his great magic. But when he dreams of a great deluge that will wipe out his people from the face of the earth, he decided to distribute his magic among his five children, some of whom abused their powers. Sumbang is still in its seed stage and is based on the Origin Myth of the Palawanons. When the prophesy that the Shaman king dreamt actually happens, only a pregnant woman and a brother and sister survive the great deluge. Both stories are mentioned in Busong by the main characters. Delubyo

will be released in 2011 and Sumbang in 2012.

Solito also said that he has agreed to the proposal of FDCP Chairman Briccio Santos that Busong be premiered in Palawan should the Sineng Pambansa film festival go to Puerto Princesa City sometime this year. It will be featured in the Director’s Showcase section of the Cinemalaya film festival in Manila this July.

Auraeus Solito

FDCP Briccio Santos congratulates Sheron Dayoc whose entry Satra won him a place in the prestigious Sundance Screenwriters Lab. Also in photo is FDCP Executive Director Jose Miguel de la Rosa

Newsletter Vol. 3 No. 3Sineng PambansaThe Cannes Directors’ Fortnight

Created by the French Directors Guild in the wake of the events of May ’68, the Directors’ Fortnight seeks to aid filmmakers and contribute to their discovery by the critics and audiences alike. From its initial program in 1969, it cast its lot with the avant-garde of the glorious seventies), even as it created a breeding ground where the Cannes Festival would regularly find its prestigious auteurs. Since its inception, the Directors' Fortnight has showcased the first films of Werner Herzog, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Nagisa Oshima, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Ken Loach, Jim Jarmusch, Michael Haneke, Chantal Akerman, Spike Lee, Luc et Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Sofia Coppola, and has featured Robert Bresson, Manoel de Oliveira, Stephen Frears, Jerzy Skolimowski, William Friedkin, Francis Ford Coppola, among others.

Among the various sections at the Cannes Film Festival, the Directors' Fortnight is distinguished by its independent-mindedness, its non-competitive nature and its concern to cater to non-professional Cannes audiences, which can buy a subscription for the entire Fortnight program or purchase tickets for individual screenings. Striving to be eclectic and receptive to all forms of cinematic expression, the Directors' Fortnight pays particular attention to the annual production of fiction features, short films and documentaries, to the emergence of independent fringe filmmaking, and even to contemporary popular genres, provided these films are the expression of an individual talent and an original directorial style.

The films are chosen by Frédéric Boyer, the SRF-appointed artistic director, seconded by a team of selectors (five professionals and film critics) who accompany him around the world to screen some one thousand films annually in search of innovative, original and exciting films. (downloaded from: http://www.quinzaine-realisateurs.com/presentation-h68.html)

The establishment of a National Film Archive is one of the most important mandates of the Film Development Council of the Philippines.

“The archives are the the missing link between our audience and our cinematic history,” according to FDCP Chairman Briccio Santos. He said further:

“We have such brilliant films but they are not preserved properly for posterity. By establishing a national archive, by honoring our past masters and by giving today’s youth a solid sense of film history, we can achieve a lot towards the realization of a true national cinema, a Sineng Pambansa. Once we have a National Archive, everything else will follow.”

Under Republic Act No. 9167 Section 3.10, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is tasked to “ensure the establishment of a film archive in order to conserve and protect film negatives and/or prints as part of the nation’s historical, cultural and artistic heritage.”

The National Film Archive aims to discover, save, and share the soul of Philippine Cinema through the following steps: first, the preservation of film prints, digital masters and related material; second, the restoration of film negatives and prints that are considered relevant to Philippine cinema history; third, the promotion of these cinematic gems and historical film masterpieces in order to encourage appreciation

and understanding of filmic art and Filipino culture; and fourth, to stir the nation’s passion for local cinema and pave the way for the production and creation of quality films.

A good part of the endangered treasures of Philippine cinema can still be recovered, Chairman Santos believes, if these are stored as part of collections in private residences and inactive institutions. But clearly, the effort has to begin with contemporary audio-visual records. We can work backwards while the necessary facilities are put up concurrently. The technology of digitization will be of immense help in conserving that heritage and supporting the scholarship focused, wholly or in part, local and foreign, on Philippine Cinema.

The FDCP has already proposed a three-phase archiving program. The first phase includes the appointment of a selection committee who will determine the films to be acquired by the archive. Specific institutions like the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the ABS-CBN Library, the UP Film Institute, Mowelfund and the Philippine Information Agency will be asked to make an inventory of their archives for a possible list of films that can be turned over to the National Film Archive for restoration and preservation.

It is envisioned that a main facility in Metro Manila

The National Film Archives Office

Mike de Leon donates film equipment, and Bayaning Third World, to National Film Archive

FDCP Chairman Briccio Santos recently disclosed that acclaimed Filipino film director, cinematographer, scriptwriter, and film producer Mike de Leon is donating some of his film-making e q u i p m e n t — i n c l u d i n g digitizing and spooling equipment—together with his landmark film Bayaning Third World, to the National Film Archive.

The works of Mike de Leon are among the classics of contemporary Philippine cinema, winning several awards from local and international institutions. Among them are Itim, Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising, Kakabakaba Ka Ba?, Kisapmata, Batch ’81, and Sister Stella L. He is also credited with being one of the pioneers in the use of computer graphics animation for the TV advertising

industry in the late 1980s. His 1999 film, Bayaning

Third World (Third World Hero), revisits the Filipino national hero Dr. Jose Rizal through the eyes of two contemporary filmmakers who interview the characters in his life, and finally the hero himself, to seek answers to unresolved historical issues. The film received praises and was included by the New York magazine Film Comments in its list of 10 Best Films in Alternative Cinema.

Mike de Leon

will eventually be set up to serve as a clearing house for the inventory of films and prioritize the films that need urgent attention, for which the n e c e s s a r y database and m a n a g e m e n t i n f o r m a t i o n system will be set up at the same time.

The second phase involves securing a

warehouse for permanent storage of both positives and negatives in a vault at a site outside Metro Manila where there are optimal climate controls. As Chairman Santos notes:

“A previous study identified Makiling in Laguna as an ideal place for the archives, and another suggestion is Subic in Zambales. It would be advisable to locate the digitized archives in the city and the long-term storage

facility for the film negatives and prints in the provinces.”

This phase will also initiate the digital transfer of the acquired films for permanence and portability.

The third phase of consolidation involves digitization and the organization of the database and library, a viewing room and museum services like that of a cinematheque, which will help in the promotion of awareness of the film archive.

The council is hopeful it can secure the cooperation and participation of filmmakers as well as institutions and agencies such as the CCP, NCCA, UPFI, MOWELFUND and SOFIA in ensuring the success of this project.

The establishment of a permanent, professional, and protected national archive will help regain the trust of our local filmmakers in ensuring that their films will be preserved in their own country, for the sake of posterity.

Film Development Council of the Philippines4 Sineng Pambansa

Sineng Pambansa goes to San Fernando in Pampanga

The Sineng Pambansa (National Cinema) film festival, a program thrust of the Film Develop¬ment Council of the Philippines (FDCP), will hold the first Pampanga Film Festival in the provincial capital city of San Fernando from May 26 to 28. The first three successful stagings of the national cinema film festival were held earlier this year in Iloilo City (January), Zamboanga City (February), and Baguio City (March).

The Pampanga film fest will have three venues: the Robinsons Starmills cinemas, the San Fernando Heroes Hall, and selected barangays

around the city. The festival will mark the second outing of the mobile Sine ng Masa (People’s Cinema) of the FDCP’s national cinema campaign. The mobile cinema debuted at the Baguio City film festival last March.

Overall, the Sineng Pambansa program aims to empower Filipino filmmakers, both mainstream and independent, promote their films in various regions of the Philippines, encourage creativity and production among young Filipino filmmakers, and give local audiences a new perspective of the Philippine film industry and instill a sense of cultural

pride. The FDCP theme, after all, is “Bringing Filipino Films to Filipinos.” The nationwide film festival is a joint project of the FDCP and local government units.

The Pampanga Film Festival will feature the following films at the Robinson’s Starmills cinemas: Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag (Lino Brocka, 1975), Rosario (Albert Martinez, 2010), Tirador (Brillante Mendoza, 2007), Sampaguita (Francis Xavier Pasion, 2010), Here Comes the Bride (Chris Martinez, 2010), Sabungero (Rozie Delgado and Miguel Kaimo, 2009), Noy (Dondon Santos, 2010), and The Red

Shoes(Raul Jorolan, 2010). The filmfest will open with a Filipino film classic, Higit sa Lahat (Gregorio Fernandez, 1955), which starred famous Pampango actor and matinee idol Rogelio de la Rosa.

The films to be shown at the Heroes Hall—which is home to statues honoring the heroes of San Fernando—include three films by Mike de Leon, Signos (1983), Aliwan Paradise (1992), and Bayaning Third World (2000), and Lupita Aquino Kashiwahara’s 1976 film, Minsa’y Isang Gamugamo, whose story revolves around the former American military

base in Pampanga.The Sine ng Masa

barangay mobile cinema will feature the following films: Kahit Konting Pagtingin (Pablo Santiago, 1990), Zamboanga (Eduardo de Castro, 1937), Till We Meet Again (Elwood Perez, 1990), Mano Po 3 (Joel Lamangan, 2004), and Forever (Rowell Santiago, 1994).

Complementing the film festival will be associated events, including a press conference on the first day, May 26, an open forum after selected film showings, and a lecture workshop conducted by Francis (cont’d p.5)

Cinematheques: an alternative venue for Philippine Cinema

The Philippine cinema scene has been experiencing a drastic decline in the past decade. In the various commercial venues, Hollywood films dominate the mainstream mall theatres and fewer quality local films are being produced in the country. Though there are a number of venues like small restaurants, cafes and ‘microcinemas’ which screen independent, experimental and alternative films, these spaces are usually cramped and dark. There is an urgent need for a proper screening venue for classic and contemporary gems of Philippine Cinema.

The Film Development Council of the Philippines is paving the way for the

establishment of alternative screening venues for Filipino films called cinematheques. The council’s current chairman, Briccio Santos, points out that these venues will provide students, filmmakers and cineastes a suitable place not only for viewing classic and indie films but also hopefully encourage spontaneous discussions and exchange from students, cineastes and filmmakers.

The first cinematheque will be launched in Baguio City in June 2011, beside the historic Casa Vallejo hotel. Designed to accommodate at least a hundred people, the Philippine cinematheque will also have a room for lectures and symposiums, thus expanding the scope for

developing and deepening the moviegoer’s awareness of and appreciation for Philippine cinema.

The cinematheque will have weekly program screenings for the whole year of Filipino films, which will include classic films chosen from the National Film Archives, and will also feature Philippine independent films and films in various genres.

The FDCP plans to open other cinematheques in Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, Cagayan De Oro and Iloilo before the end of next year, with the objective of eventually having cinematheques in the major urban centers of the country’s sixteen regions.

FDCP and the Independent Filmmakers

FDCP Chairman Briccio Santos recently invited independent film-makers to discuss the FDCP’s initiatives to improve the environment for film-making by widening and democratizing access to the output of independent filmmakers, and not just those which have won awards in international film festivals. The FDCP chair’s ideas on cultural identity and struggle dovetailed with the ideas of some filmmakers, such as Raymond Red and Clodualdo del Mundo Jr.

Chairman Santos told the group that he is interested in making the FDCP responsive

to the needs of the group of independent filmmakers. Current assistance programs of FDCP are being calibrated for this. The insights and recommendations presented by the invited filmmakers were very much appreciated by the Chairman. He assured the group that these would be treated with much urgency in the ongoing review of FDCP programs.

Also attending the meeting were FDCP Executive Director Jose Miguel de la Rosa and Executive Director Sarge Lacuesta of FDCP’s Philippine Film Export Services Office (PFESO).

FDCP meets with mainstream producersFDCP Chairman Briccio

G. Santos held consultation meetings with key producers of the Philippine film industry, among whom were Lily Monteverde of Regal Films and Malou Santos of Star Cinema, in a bid to address the weaknesses of film production in the country and explore measures to re-energize filmmaking.

The FDCP Chair said the producers were keenly aware of the crucial role played by film in building the Filipinos’ identity and lamented that movie-making had fallen upon hard times. He reached out to other key sectors afterwards. He met with the Directors Guild of the Philippines,

the Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng Pelikulang Pilipino, and the Film Academy of the Philippines to sound them out on new directions he has proposed for the industry. Among those who met with Chairman Santos were film directors Joel Lamangan, Leo Martinez, Gil

Portes, Ellen Ongkeko Marfil, Carlos Siguion Reyna, Raquel Villavicencio, Rez Cortes, Maning Borlaza, Jose Nadal Carreon and Manuel Morfe.

They all agreed on the benefits which accrue from consultative sessions and promised to make time for future sessions.

Sarge Lacuesta, Adolf Alix Jr., Briccio Santos, Doy Del Mundo, Raymond Red, Mike dela Rosa

FDCP with Star Cinema producers

Fer Caylao (City Administrator, San Fernado), Sandy Quiwa-Bansil, (FDCP Coordinator for Pampanga), San Fernando City Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, Chairman Briccio Santos, (FDCP), Ted Granados (FDCP)

Newsletter Vol. 3 No. 5Sineng PambansaPampanga’s place in the history of Philippine Cinema

Much like the famous architecture of its churches and houses, its skilled artisans and craftsmen, its legendary cuisine of native delicacies and home recipes, and particularly its rich heritage of performing arts as expressed in the zarzuela or musical play, Pampanga is also known for its contributions to Philippine cinema.

As in other provinces, movie theatres became a fixture on the Pampango (or Kapampangan) cultural scene. Some of these were Eden Theater, Cine Paraiso which became Lita Theater, Marte Theater, Devry Theater (later to become Imperial then Elite), and Family Theater, which was outstanding for its acoustics and distinctive post-modern architecture.

Pampanga is the home province of a number of prominent Filipino filmmakers and movie stars. Manuel Conde and Gregorio Fernandez were noted for the classic films they made from the pre-war period up to the 1950s. Rogelio de la Rosa and Rosa del Rosario became the superstars of their generation. Rogelio de la Rosa would eventually become the most popular and sought after actor during the ‘golden age of Philippine cinema’—the forties up to the fifties—and his pairing with the great Carmen Rosales became an all-time favorite among Filipino movie audiences.

As early as the 1930s, the first motion picture production in Angeles was pioneered by Don Jose Guanzon, who directed the silent movie Prinsesa sa Bundok. In the current independent film scene, Brillante Dante Mendoza who has won the Best Director plum in Cannes and another

award-winning director, Francis Xavier Pasion, are among the most outstanding in the new crop of Filipino filmmakers.

From Nicanor Tiongson’s epic book “The Cinema of Manuel Conde”, we have a picture of one the country’s legendary filmmakers:

Manuel Conde was an actor, writer, director and producer. His first film was Mahiwagang Biyolin. As an actor, he used the screen name Juan Urbano during the 1930s. His first directorial assignment was Sawing Gantimpala in 1939. After the war, Conde directed Orasang Ginto in 1946, considered the "first post-war Filipino picture before and after the fall of Bataan and Corregidor."

Conde made his mark in 1950, with the landmark movie, Genghis Khan, believed to be the best screen adaptation of the legendary

Mongol conqueror. This was entered at the 1952 Venice Film Festival and received highly favourable notices. His other films were Siete Infantes de Lara (1950), Sigfredo (1950) and Krus na Kawayan (1956). He was also known for his Juan Tamad series (Juan Tamad Goes to Congress, Juan Tamad Goes to Society and Juan Tamad at Juan Masipag sa Pulitikang Walang Hanggan).

He was given the Patnubay ng Kalinangan Award by the Mayor of Manila in 1984. He was also nominated posthumously for the National Artist Award for Cinema in 2010.

The book “Views from Pampanga” gives this information about another revered Pampango filmmaker:

The internationally recognized director Gregorio ‘Yoyong’ Fernandez was born in Lubao, Pampanga. His career as a filmmaker and as an actor began with the film, Anak sa Ligaw. In the early 1930s, Fernandez introduced his nephew Rogelio Regidor to Jose Nepomuceno when the ‘father of Philippine movies’ was scouting for new talents. Nepomuceno took one look at the handsome 6-footer and cast him with another Kapampangan-American mestiza, Rosa Stagner. The

screen couple’s career was launched in the 1929 movie hit, Ligaw ni Bulaklak, as Rogelio de la Rosa and Rosa del Rosario. Fernandez’ other films were Asahar at Kabaong (Bridal Garland and Casket, 1937), Tatlong Pagkabirhen for X’otic Films (1938), “Celia at Balagtas” and “Señorita” (1939), in which he directed his own nephew Rogelio de la Rosa, who was by then already a big star. The film was shown at Life Theater in Quiapo, Manila, shortly after World War II broke out.

There are two contemporary filmmakers who have their roots in Pampanga.

Francis Xavier Pasion is the director-writer of the film Jay which won the Best Film, Best Editing and Best Actor Award (for Baron Geisler) in Cinemalaya 2008. The film has since been screened in over 28 international film festivals, having premiered at the prestigious Venice International Film Festival in 2008. It has won 6 international awards and 12 local awards. Francis also served as a member of the international jury at the Vladivostok International Film Festival 2009. He currently directs for television, and has taught film at the Ateneo de Manila University of which he is a cum laude graduate of Communication and the founder of the premier student film organization Loyola Film Circle. Sampaguita is his sophomore film and also his second entry to the

Cinemalaya.Brillante Mendoza has

won international awards for his independent films shot in digital video. He is the first Filipino to win the Best Director plum at the Cannes International Film Festival for his full-length film Kinatay (The Execution of P). Under the name Dante Mendoza he began working on films as a production designer. In this capacity, Mendoza was awarded for his work for his first two films. He was also highly regarded as a production designer for commercials and music videos. With the financial backing of a friend, he was able to make his first movie, Masahista (The Masseur), at the age of 45. This was followed by Foster Child, Tirador (Slingshot), and Serbis, which were all entered in the Cannes Film Festival. In 2009 Mendoza was chosen to participate in the Hong Kong Asian Film Financing Forum along with twenty-seven Asian directors. He competed with directors from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam in the Hong Kong International Film Festival. In the same year, Mendoza received the Best Director award at the 62nd Cannes film fest for his film Kinatay. He won the award over distinguished filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds) and Ang Lee (Taking Woodstock). (Wikipilipinas)

FDCP launches Sineng Pambansa with Iloilo Film Festival

The Sineng Pambansa, a program thrust of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), was launched at the SM City Cinema in Iloilo City on January 19, 2011, in partnership with the city government through the mayor’s office, the local office

of tourism, and SM Cinema.Sineng Pambansa is

aimed at revitalizing the Philippine Film Industry which has declined significantly in the last decade. This it seeks to accomplish by motivating and encouraging local filmmakers, and exposing local audiences to high-

quality Filipino films that dwell on Philippine history, society, culture, values and traditions. Filipino films—by both mainstream and independent filmmakers, and including classic Filipino films—are to be shown for two to three days in selected cities, towns (cont’d p.6)

(Sineng Pambansa San Fernando, p.4 cont’d) Xavier Pasion, director of Sampaguita (2010), at the University of the Assumption, on the topic “How to have your break: Directing your first film”.

A Memorandum of Agreement on the holding of the film festival was earlier signed by FDCP Chairman Briccio Santos and San Fernando City Mayor

Oscar Rodriguez. The mayor emphasized the importance of the festival to the people of San Fernando because “it puts the city in the entertainment and cultural hub of Region III”. Chairman Santos, for his part, mentioned the opportunity of getting the support of city governments nationwide with Mayor Rodriguez being the President of the League of Cities of the Philippines.

Rogelio dela Rosa

Francis Xavier Pasion

Ilonggos eagerly lined up at SM Cinema for the Iloilo Filmfest

Film Development Council of the Philippines6 Sineng PambansaZamboanga (1937) opens Sineng Pambansa Zamboanga Film Festival

F o l l o w i n g the successful inaugural film festival in Iloilo City, the FDCP held the first Zamboanga Film Festival on February 23-25 which featured the following films: Limbunan (2009, Teng Mangansakan) , Concerto:A Davao War Story (2008, Paul Alexander Morales), Halaw (2010, Sheron Dayoc), Kano (2010, Monster Jimenez), Ang Mundo sa Panahon ng Bato (2010, Mes De Guzman), Sabungero (2010, Rozie Delgado, Miguel Kaimo), Di Natatapos ang Gabi (2010, Ato Bautista), and Zamboanga (1937, Eduardo de Castro). The films were shown in Minpro Cinema. The festival program included a series of lecture workshops conducted by selected Filipino filmmakers.

Zamboanga, a highly urbanized city, is a center for the television, advertising, music, newspaper, online and book-publishing industries, as well as the largest media market, in Western Mindanao. Zamboanga has a place in the evolution of in Philippine Cinema. In 1937, the first Filipino movie to achieve international plaudits was Zamboanga, a picture

starred in by Fernando Poe Sr. and Rosa del Rosario.

The film festival was launched by the FDCP in partnership with the City Government of Zamboanga through the mayor’s office and tourism office. On February 2, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed between the FDCP and Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat.

(Sineng Pambansa Iloilo, p.5 cont’d) and barangays throughout the country.

The Iloilo Film Festival featured twelve films by Filipino filmmakers: Bakal Boys (2009, Ralston Jover), Yanggaw (Richard Sommes, 2008), Sigwa (Joel Lamangan, 2010), Red Shoes (2010, Raul Joralan), Himpapawid (Raymond Red, 2009), Lola (Brillante Mendoza, 2009) Happyland (Jim Libiran, 2009), Halaw (Sheron Dayoc, 2010), Sampaguita (Francix Xavier Passion, 2010) Kano (Monster Jimenez, 2010) and Emir (Chito Rono, 2009).

“The Queen City of the South” held the film festival in conjunction with the city’s famous Dinagyang festival—a thanksgiving celebration in honor of

the Santo Niño with its dances, costumes and folk choreography showcasing Ilonggo heritage and culture.

The first Iloilo Film Festival was the result of a Memorandum of Agreement between the FDCP and the City Government of Iloilo on November 20, 2010, during which the filmfest’s logo was also unveiled. Iloilo Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog noted the importance of such program, saying that he envisioned a yearly film festival, with plans to make it into an international film festival. He added that the people of Iloilo City were excited and enthusiastic because this would be the first time such an event was being held in their city.

Iloilo City mayor optimistic on Sineng Pambansa

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said he was delighted to work with the Film Development Council of the Philippines at the launch of the first Sineng Pambansa Film Festival which ran from January 19 to 22. He said that the historic event was of great importance for Iloilo

especially with its rich cultural heritage. The amiable mayor also added that Iloilo City and its people were very much pleased to participate in the launch. He predicted a great future for Sineng Pambansa, fueling tourism and cultural activities in the coming years.

Zamboanga (1937, Eduardo de Castro) main stars, Rosa del Rosario and Fernando PoeSr. The film opened the Zamboanga Film Festival

last February 23-25.

Sineng Pambansa goes to New York

Proactive in its efforts to boost the Filipino film industry by bringing Filipino films not only to Filipinos everywhere but also to foreign audiences, the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ Sineng Pambansa stages its first international film festival in one of the busiest and most popular cities in the world, New York.

Films reflect the culture of their country of origin. With this premise, the FDCP has been promoting the Sineng Pambansa or National Cinema program that seeks to revitalize the local film industry by encouraging quality film production and enabling greater access by the people to Filipino films, thereby contributing to the further enrichment of the country’s culture and heritage.

Sineng Pambansa has been very active since its inception, successfully launching film festivals in several key cities across the Philippines such as Iloilo, Zamboanga, and Baguio, screening both independent films and

commercial or mainstream films. Even at this early stage, Sineng Pambansa has already made considerable progress in rekindling the interest of large audiences in the classics, both old and contemporary, of Filipino filmmakers. And now, it aims to cover greater distances to reach out to more Filipinos overseas.

The first Sineng Pambansa international film festival in New York is expected to signal the start of FDCP’s growing involvement in the global cinema circuit. For the New York film showings, the FDCP has lined up a list of some of the best films in recent memory. These include: Halaw (Sheron Dayoc, 2010), Bakal Boys (Ralston Jover, 2009), Happyland (Jim Libiran, 2010), Two Funerals (Gil Portes 2010), Emir (Chito Roño, 2010), Bayaning Third World (Mike de Leon, 2000), and RPG Metanoia (Louie Suarez, 2010).

These films will be screened at the Producers’ Club Theater on 358 West 44th Street on June 17-23, 2011.

AFCNet: recent developments and directions

Briccio G. Santos, chairman of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), was unanimously elected Vice-President by the members of the Asian Film Commissioners Network (AFCNet) during its board meeting at Busan, South Korea in October 2010.

The AFCNet is the largest association of film commissions in the Asian region with 44 regular members from 16 countries and 2 associate members. It was established in 2003 to strengthen the network of film commissions and location support organizations, and to enhance the role of the Asian film industry as a major contributor in the economic and cultural realms, not only in the member countries, but also in traditional major markets such as the United

States and Europe.The AFCNet is gearing up

to engage in a more official manner the ASEAN countries, specifically those who are not yet members of the network such as Vietnam, Laos, Brunei Darussalam, and Myanmar. It also seeks to gather enough support to garner a more strategic position in the Association of Film Commissioners International where the big giants such as the United States and Europe

play key roles.Mr. Santos’ election is

seen as a big boost for the Philippine film industry in terms of access to international co-production ventures for both mainstream and independent filmmakers in the Philippines. Initial talks for co-production were immediately started after his installation as Vice-President with neighboring countries such as Malaysia and Australia.

The 1st (cont’d p.8)

AFCNet Board Members

Newsletter Vol. 3 No. 7Sineng Pambansa

FDCP’s Sineng Pambansa filmfest draws crowds in Baguio City; Sine ng Masa launched

The Film Development Council of the Philippines’ Sineng Pambansa (National Cinema) Film Festival had a successful debut in Baguio City, the Summer Capital of the Philippines, after well-attended earlier stagings in the cities of Iloilo in January and Zamboanga in February.

The filmfest ran for three days, from March 28 to 30, 2011, with free showings at SM Baguio Cinemas 1 and 2. FDCP’s new mobile Sine ng Masa (People’s Cinema) was also introduced during the festival at the City of Pines. The nationwide film festival is a joint project of the FDCP and local government units. Earlier this year, an agreement to host the film fest in Baguio City was signed by Mayor Mauricio Domogan and FDCP Chairman Briccio Santos.

On the first day of the festival, FDCP Chairman Briccio Santos, accompanied by other FDCP officials and film makers Gil Portes, Mes de Guzman, Jim Libiran and Ferdinand Balanag, paid a courtesy call on Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan. Also present at the event were Martin Macalintal from the French Embassy, Italo Spinelli, a film festival organizer from Italy, and actors who were in the cast of some of the participating films.

Mayor Domogan welcomed the delegation warmly and expressed his full support for the holding of the film festival in Baguio City. Earlier this year, an agreement to host the third edition of the film fest in Baguio City was signed by the mayor and FDCP Chairman Santos.

A press conference was later held at the Café by the Ruins on Chugum Street, right below City Hall. Chairman Santos spoke briefly on the purpose and mission of the FDCP and the festival, while the film makers, joined by Baguio-based film director

and multimedia artist Kidlat Tahimik de Guia, fielded questions from the local journalists.

A filmmaking workshop was held at UP Baguio in the afternoon, with filmmaker Mes de Guzman speaking on the topic “Pelikulang Homegrown: Ang Diskurso ng mga Kuwentong Nasa Gilid at Laylayan” (Homegrown cinema: the discourse of stories from the margins and fringes). Speaking to a sizeable audience, many of whom were film students from several Baguio schools, De Guzman talked about his odyssey from creative writing to filmmaking, and fielded questions on themes and techniques in making a film, problems and possibilities, emphasizing the importance of ideas, conflict and craft in the process of telling a story through the moving

image. He also discussed the need for perseverance, since the path taken by an independent filmmaker is often fraught with challenges and difficulties, mostly financial in nature.

The main venue for the

Sineng Pambansa film festival was SM Baguio’s Cinemas 1 and 2, with the showing of ten films-- Kung Mangarap Ka at Magising, Bakit Dilaw Ang Gitna Ng Bahaghari, Himpapawid, Happyland, Emir, Two Funerals, Romeo at Juliet, Ang Mundo Sa Panahon Ng Yelo, Walking the Waking Journey, and Itim. The Sine ng Masa featured films such as Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising, Don’t Give Up On Us, and Mumbaki at the Melvin Jones grandstand in Burnham Park, Engineer’s Hill, and Malcolm Square city plaza.

The launch of Sine ng Masa

The new Sine ng Masa is mobile cinema that is principally designed to be deployed to remote barangays and literally bring Filipino films to the masses. It employs a truck on which films are projected on back to back LCD screens, enabling audiences to watch films on either side of the mobile cinema truck. It complements The “Sineng Pambansa” during festivals to reach out to those who cannot come to the cinema houses to see the films. The mobile cinema can also be used

as a tool to educate students on film appreciation by showing films to the community. In line with the planned IP-TV broadcast, the mobile cinema, which is capable of connecting to the internet, can be used to disseminate information directly to the barangay or for bringing education programs direct to the campus. The mobile cinema can be the medium for expanding the reach of TV to communities whose only link is the transistor radio.

The Baguio Film Festival Opening Film Itim

Best of Filipino films to be shown in cities abroad

The FDCP’s Sineng Pambansa (National Cinema) goes international this year, with several showings slated in various cities around the world. The film showings will either be part of international film festivals, or a celebration of national events—such as Philippine National Day and the Jose Rizal 150th birth anniversary—as well as promoting Filipino culture. The FDCP has been coordinating with Philippine diplomatic missions abroad through the Department of Foreign Affairs, Filipino individuals and organizers, as well as International Film Festival officials, in scheduling the exhibition of Philippine films throughout the year. A memorandum of

agreement between the Film Development Council of the Philippines and the Department of Foreign Affairs is currently being prepared. to govern the protocols for the shipment and showing of Filipino films abroad in celebration of national events as well as for the promotion of the Philippines.The mission of the FDCP’s Sineng Pambansa is to bring Filipino films to the Filipino people here and abroad, and also to show to foreign audiences the best works of mainstream and independent Filipino filmmakers.

In a recent development, the Philippines has been invited as the ‘Guest of Honor’ or the featured country in

the forthcoming 28th Bogotá Film Festival in Colombia, where Filipino films will be in competition as well as showcased in a retrospective of masterworks by the finest Filipino filmmakers.

Here is a tentative schedule of the FDCP’s Sineng Pambansa international film showings abroad for 2011 (a partial list, as arrangements for other festivals are still being made):

New York: June 17 to 23, 2011. Venue: Producers’ Club Theater. Films to be shown: Happyland, Halaw, Kano, Emir, Sigwa, Sampaguita, Bakal Boys, Rosario and RPG Metanoia.

Hong Kong: J u l y 15 to 17, 2011. Venue: Hong Kong Arts Center, Agnes B

Cinema. Films to be shown: Emir, Red Shoes, Halaw, and Sampaguita.

Tel Aviv: June 12, 2011. Films to be shown: R i za l sa Dapitan, Bayaning Third World, American Adobo, and Milan

Bogotá 28th Film Festival: October 10 to 18, 2011. The FDCP is in the process of selecting the films to be entered and is currently negotiating with Filipino filmmakers. This will mark the Philippines’ participation in a major film festival in Latin America.

An invitation has also been received by the FDCP requesting Philippine participation at the fortcoming 2011 Chennai International Film Festival

in Tamil Nadu, one of the biggest film festivals in India.

The FDCP’s Sineng Pambansa program will also be launched by the Metro Vancouver Philippine Independence Day Council in Canada, on June 12, 2011 at the Waterfront Park in North Vancouver, British Columbia. The FDCP will be featured in a booth where people can avail themselves of information material and memorabilia showing the Philippine government’s commitment to bring Filipino films to the global Filipino community as well as to foreign audiences.

The Sine ng Masa truck in action.

Film Development Council of the Philippines8 Sineng Pambansa

Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP)26th floor, Export Bank PlazaDon Chino Roces Ave. corner Sen. Gil Puyat Ave.Makati City, Philippines 1200TEL NO:

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+(632) 846.24.98+(632) 846.24.96+(632) 846.28.83www.fdcp.phwww.sinengpambansa.phwww.filminphilippines.phinfo@fdcp.phFilm Development Council of the Philippinesfdcp tweets

+(632) 846.28.85+(632) 846.24.37

Marawi City, June-July 2011

The first Lanao del Sur Film Festival, a joint undertaking of the FDCP and the office of Governor Mamintal Alonto Adiong, will be held in Marawi City from June 29 to July 1. The venue of the film showings will be the Mindanao State University UVS Building and the Mamitua Saber Building. A short film competition is being launched in conjunction with the Lanao del Sur filmfest. The competition invites young filmmakers of the province to contribute their creative ideas, concepts and reflections to the quest for peace in Mindanao. With the phrase Peace Is… as the theme of the competition, participants are required to produce powerful, sensitive, intelligent, and innovative images that can bring about a deeper understanding of an age-old problem. This competition seeks to empower the Maranao youth to express their concept of peace through the medium of film.

(For details, please go to the FDCP website: www.fdcp.ph)

Quezon City, August 2011

The FDCP and the Quezon City Film Development Commission (QCFDC) will be staging the Quezon City Film Festival in August this year. Quezon City Vice Mayor and QCFDC chairperson Joy Belmonte has agreed to host and be part of this event which will be held in conjunction with the celebration of Quezon City Day. The Quezon City Film Festival is expected to feature various Filipino films from past eras to modern times, and shall open a film competition in different categories. As in all FDCP national film festivals, the film showings—both in the cinema houses and in the barangays where the Sine ng Masa trucks will be deployed—will be free, in order to attract as many people as possible not only from Quezon City but also from nearby areas of Metro Manila.

Cotabato City, December 2011

FDCP Chairman Briccio G. Santos met with Atty. Naguib G. Sinarimbo, Executive

Secretary of the Office of the Regional Governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to finalize plans for the Cotobato City Film festival scheduled on December 7-9, 2011. Sinarimbo pledged the ARMM’s full support for the festival. He said that the local government would make available the Sharif Kabungsuan Complex for the three-day festival for the public screening of the selected Filipino films, provide added security for the FDCP guests, filmmakers, and press people coming from Manila, and promote the festival to attract the movie-going public in the area. FDCP Chairman Briccio G. Santos and Executive Director Mike De la Rosa also held discussions with Mayor Japal Guiani Jr. in connection with the Cotobato City Film Festival. They were accompanied by the Executive Director of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Ludovico Badoy who was the former Mayor of Cotobato City, and Antonio Magalona Jr., coordinator for private sector of the city.

FDCP makes the rounds: next stops for the Sineng Pambansa local film festivals

Ambassador Eva G. Betita visits FDCP

Ambassador Eva Betita, the Philippines’ envoy to Brazil, visited the FDCP office on April 11, 2011 and discussed with Chairman Briccio Santos the request by the Corporacion Internacional de Cine of Bogotá, Colombia through Mr. Henry Laguado, the Director of the 28th Bogotá Film Festival, for the participation of the Philippines in the festival which is scheduled on October 4 to 12, 2011.

The Philippines has been designated as “Guest of Honor” in the festival. Chairman Santos and Ambassador Betita agreed to implement immediately a plan of action that will establish the Philippine-Colombian partnership for this purpose. FDCP will bring to the Bogotá film festival selected Filipino films with Spanish subtitles and propose

the regular participation of Filipino filmmakers in festivals and other similar events in Colombia.

Chairman Santos discussed the anchor program of FDCP, the Sineng Pambansa (National Cinema) which aims to exhibit classic and contemporary films of brilliant filmmakers in key places of the country and selected festivals abroad such as the Bogotá Film Festival. This, he said, will add prestige to the local filmmakers as the interest of the general public in Filipino films, locally and internationally, is raised.

Ambassador Betita requested the Chairman to consider bringing the Sineng Pambansa to other Latin American countries such as Argentina, Venezuela, and Brazil.

Philippine Ambassador to Brazil Eva Betita with FDCP Chairman Briccio G. Santos and FDCP Executive Director Mike de la Rosa

National Film Archives of the Philippines20th floor, Centerpoint BuildingGarnet Road corner Julia Vargas Ave.Ortigas Center, Pasig City, PhilippinesTEL NO: +(632) 638.27.39

Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos expresses interest in holding filmfest

Governor Imee R. Marcos of Ilocos Norte visited the FDCP office in Makati on April 11, 2011, to discuss her request for FDCP to bring the Sineng Pambansa (National Cinema) film festival to Ilocos Norte for the Ar-Arya (Halloween) festival on October 26 to 28 this year. She said that the Ilocos folks love horror films and this could be the theme of the

festival.A Memorandum of

Agreement for this purpose will be sent by FDCP for consideration by the Provincial Board.

Governor Marcos said that film showings can be at San Nicolas where there is a Robinson’s Mall and theater and at the Mariano Marcos State University in Batac. The planned workshop for film students, researchers,

and professionals which is a key component of the Sineng Pambansa program can likewise be held at the MMSU, according to the Governor.

The Sine ng Masa (the mobile People’s Cinema) of FDCP will also be deployed in selected remote barangays of the province to give the Ilocano families access to some of the films.

FDCP Chairman Briccio Santos and Ilocos Norte Governor Imee R. Marcos

(AFCNet, p.6 cont’d) AFCNet Board Meeting was held on March 22, 2011 in Hong Kong during the Hong Kong Filmart. The meeting was attended by the five board directors(Seok-Geun Oh from Busan Film Commission, Toshihiko Inoue from SHOCS, Briccio G. Santos from Film Development Council of the Philippines, Rafayadi Rahman as substitute for Kamil Othman from Multimedia

Development Corporation, Mako Tanaka as substitute for Ken Terawaki, and AFCNet advisor Michael Lake who was appointed as CEO of Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studio.

In that meeting, the Asian Cinema Fund was discussed. The ACF aims to encourage independent film productions and help create a stable production environment for Asian filmmakers. The ACF is

divided into three categories: the Script Development Fund, Post-Production Fund and Asian Network of Documentary Fund.

FDCP Chairman Santos is optimistic that the AFCNet will soon have a bigger voice in co-production ventures, as well as in promoting the member countries as film locations and major sources of technical and expert manpower.