Davao City hosts Cinema Rehiyon 2011: Festival highlights emerging voice of the regional filmmaking community

CEBU, Philippies -Credits: Event photos by Bambi Beltran / Movie stills from CinemaRehiyon.com

Ron Heri Tan, chair of the Sinulog Film Festival, shared that from February 9 to 13, the Cinema Rehiyon 2011 in Davao City “provided both the delegates from the different regions in the Philippines and its audience, which were mostly students and film enthusiasts, a beautiful kaleidoscope of different stories reflecting different cultures.”

In his statement posted on Sinebuano.com, he said that “Cinema Rehiyon succeeded in its purpose in giving an opportunity to the regional filmmakers to show their works and inspire budding filmmakers to improve their chosen craft—the cinema.”

Their hosts—the Davao filmmakers—headed by Mr. Dax Cañedo and Mr. Arjay Sta. Teresa, have given them “another unforgettable Cinema Rehiyon experience. Only this time, it was spiced up by “their warm hospitality and adorned by the beauty of the place and the very unique Davao culture.”

Even if there were no films from the Sinulog Short Film Festival that were included in this year’s program because of the festival’s earlier-than-usual schedule, Tan said he is “nevertheless so happy because once again our participants from Cebu—Keith Deligero (“BaboyIrongBuang”, full-length), Ara Chawdry (“Tam-is”, short), Christian Linaban (“OCD-Obsessive Compulsive Disorder”, short), Joanna Vasquez Arong (“Amihan”, short), Remton Siega Zuasola and Bambi Beltran (“Ang Katapusang Bagting”, short and “Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria”, full-length) have once again done us proud!”

As for Ma. Victoria “Bambi” Beltran, who represents the National Commission for Culture and the Arts - Cinema (Visayas), she said that Cinema Rehiyon 2011 has proven, once again, that creative Filipino filmmakers are not only concentrated in the capital, Manila.

“What is more interesting is that this show of cultural and language differences unite film makers from all the regions,” Beltran shared.

“Now on its third year, the movies have become bolder, if not, better. It is simply beautiful to see that the Cinema Rehiyon Film Festival has reached out to more regions and in the process to more filmmakers. We can rightly say that the movies being shown here comes from Aparri to Jolo,” she added.

Further, she pointed out that this year’s event is held in Davao City in contrast to the previous events that were held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila. “Our hosts have given us a taste of their hospitality (and durian) that lingers even until we board our planes to go home to our regions,” she underscored.

She also mentioned that Cebuano films were shown at the final day of the festival to a jam-packed theater. “It is indeed a privilege to showcase these films and I hope to see more at next year’s Cinema Rehiyon in Bacolod City,” she said.

As part of the Philippine International Arts Festival this February which is declared National Arts Month, Cinema Rehiyon 3 gathered 40 filmmakers from various regions across the country and showcased about 50 full-length and short-length films each spanning different cultures and languages of the Philippines.

Davao Gaisano Mall Cinema 6 was the venue of the theatrical screenings which was open to the public free of charge.

“The festival is a celebration of the growth of our regional filmmakers,” said Dax Cañedo, the festival director of Cinema Rehiyon 2011 and the organizer of the Mindanao Film Festival—one of the country’s longest-running regional filmfests.

“Various regional filmmakers who have been featured in the past Cinema Rehiyon festivals reaped acclaim here and abroad,” this was also emphasized.