Coming to the rescue of needy, aspiring filmmakers

Facilities that could rival those found in first-world countries.

Equipment for whatever filmmaking demands there are. Cozy housing apartments with private baths for students. A sprawling 8,200-sq. m. campus in pollution-free Mactan Island, Cebu.

These are some of the come-ons the Cebu-based International Academy of Film and Television (IAFT) offers.

If the thought of how much it costs makes you cringe, don’t, says Kacy Andrews, CEO of Asia- based Bigfoot Entertainment. For local Filipino students, tuition fee is $5,000 per year.

"That’s a lot cheaper compared to tuition, say, at the New York Film Academy," she says.

Andrews estimates that it’s only a quarter to a third of the cost of film school rates in the West. Class size is typical of any school – 24 to 30 students.

Graduates, assures Andrews, need not leave the school empty-handed. The school can provide them jobs. These graduates can work as production staff of the company’s feature films and MTVs.

One of Bigfoot’s films, The Curiosity of Chance, is eyeing the film festival circuit when work wraps up this year. The second feature, Irreversi, and its Chinese version, The Road of No Return (Hu Lu) are in post-production.

Documentaries, a travel show, romantic comedies and TV shows also form part of the output. 3 Needles, the first film Bigfoot Partners bankrolled, won two awards at the 25th Atlantic Film Festival and was made a Special Presentation at the Toronto International Filmfest.

More good news: Financially-strapped but talented students can study at the IAFT under full and partial scholarships. The school just launched a financial assistance scheme for those eyeing a filmmaking certificate through its One-Year Immersion Program.

The program, made up of five nine-week terms, includes courses on cinematography, editing, directing, screenwriting, producing, filmmaking, sound design and other electives. It has a comprehensive teaching curriculum combining theory and hands-on practice.

Students undergo training at the beachside campus in Mactan, Cebu, where they will also get an internship program to apply their skills with IAFT partners like Fashion TV (FTV) and Bigfoot Entertainment.

The scholarship programs:

• The Cinelikha Young Filmmaker Scholarship of up to $10,000 per program for Filipinos enrolled in the one-year immersion program;

• The IAFT Lumiere Fellowship, which awards up to $10,000 per student per program for applicants fulfilling a specific training area identified by BF-E/IAFT and

• The Emergent Artists Award, which recognizes the talent and career potential of gifted enrollees, with an award of up to $10,000 per student per program.

A work-study program gives scholars the chance to work part-time on campus.

The International Scholarship Program, on the other hand, consists of:

• The Future Filmmakers Scholarship, a full or partial scholarship fund based on applicants’ financial need and his desire to pursue a one-year filmmaking immersion program;

• The Innovative Arts Award, a full or partial scholarship based on talent and/or skills and financial need;

• The IAFT Ambassador Scholarship, requiring recipients to render service and join in mandatory events as IAFT ambassador and

• The Young Filmmakers Fund, partial scholarships for fresh high school graduates with good scholastic records and a passion for filmmaking.

Bigfoot has also teamed up with the Film Development Council. Through this, Bigfoot will fund the production of Filipino films – be they full-length or smaller ones. Bigfoot will also open its state-of-the-art facilities to these Filipino productions.

"It’s high time foreign productions get incentives for making films in the Philippines," Andrews observes. "For each dollar a foreigner spends in the Philippines, $10 goes to the support of the (Filipino) community in terms of travel, restaurants, etc."

She hit the nail right on the head. Now, it’s up to the government to respond.

Those who would like to inquire about scholarships, may call +63-32-342-8889 or 1-866-300-7207 (toll free from the US). They may also visit www.filmschool.ph.