MANILA, Philippines - Cannes, Venice, Berlin. It’s interesting to note how cities stage film festivals that become annual beacons for cultural enlightenment, business dealings and tourism. Here in Asia, Hong Kong, and more recently, Singapore and Pusan, have also begun the tradition of staging such festivals. And there is some irony in the fact that our very own Manila enjoys having on historical record one of the region’s earliest commercial film exhibitions (1898); and yet, we have not been able to sustain the staging of an annual landmark film festival. Hopefully, all that changes with this year’s World Premieres Film Festival Philippines 2014. Organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), in partnership with SM Cinemas, the ongoing festival (at SM Megamall, Mall of Asia, North EDSA, Manila and Sta. Mesa) is a virtual showcase of nascent possibility, with films from all over the world vying for our consideration. Given the enthusiastic response of the film directors involved in the main competition to the brand of Filipino hospitality they’ve been enjoying, it’s very likely that they’ll be spreading the word of just how precious a festival this can be — auguring well for the future of this festival!
June 29 saw the opening ceremonies of the festival held at the Esplanade, Mall of Asia; and it was a potent mix of the artists from all over the world, Manila society and personalities from the local film industry. Last Monday, the foreign film directors were invited to a special dinner organized by Hans Sy of SM Cinema, who along with FDCP chairman Briccio Santos, were the perfect hosts, regaling the guests with anecdotes about the Philippines, and treating them to a small showcase of folk dancing. I know the Spanish directors were especially enamored by how some dances and musical instruments paid homage to our Spanish colonial heritage. On July 2, we had the awards night. With an international jury composed of Benjamin Illos, who has served on the Cannes Fortnight Selection Committee; Roger Garcia, executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival; and John Badalu, a founding member of the film festival in Indonesia, the World Premieres Film Festival had several prizes up for grabs. Best Picture would garner the Grand Festival Prize, and there were Grand Jury Prizes and Special Jury Prizes for Best Performance by an Actor, by an Actress, for Artistic Contribution, for Ensemble Performance and a Technical Grand Prize. These were for the eight films vying in the main competition.
Also in the festival, we have the Cine Verde section — nine films tackling or raising awareness on environmental issues and climate change. Exhibiting out of competition is a bevy of quality films that have either won awards in previously held festivals or fit into the following categories — ASEAN Skies, EuroView and Ibero-America Films. This has verified the very global complexion of the festival, how it really is a case of the Philippines extending a hand to film directors from all over the world, to see Manila possessing the potential to be a major film industry marketplace and wonderful opportunity to screen their works of cinematic art.
In the main competition, the following countries provided entries: From Brazil, we had The Sharks of Copacabana; Open Wound was from Ecuador; Iran sent Romantic Nostalgia; Lav Diaz provided hometown representation with Mula Sa Kung Ano Ang Noon; Turkey gave us Our Hodja, and in a strong show of support, three films emerged from Spain, Autopsy of Love, New York Shadows and Crustaceans. From wartime drama to social issues infused with comedy, to cinematic dissertations about creating art, and semi-documentaries about love in the time of upheaval, to meditations on male menopause and family sagas; there is literally something for everyone with the line-up of competition films.
Hosted by Issa Litton, the awards night was one suffused by congeniality and camaraderie. Emerging with the Grand Festival Prize was the Diaz opus, which also notched the Ensemble Performance Award. Grand Jury Prize went to Ecuador’s Open Wound, and director Leon joked about how he’d need extra luggage as he’d also take home the Overall Technical Prize and Best Actor Award. Best Actress went to Iran’s Romantic Nostalgia, while Spain’s Crustaceans romped away with Best in Cinematography. In the Cine Verde category, top prize went to Spain’s The Coast of Death. The awards were specially commissioned pieces created by Impy Pilapil.
For now, this may admittedly be a minor stop in the litany of international film festivals; but let’s face it, we all have to start somewhere, and this was a viable effort that can achieve substantial fruition through the coming years. While some detractors belittled the overall quality of the competition films, one also has to face the reality of how, without sufficient track record and equity, it’s not like major producers or big-name directors will readily unveil their films at our festival. This may be the case for now, and I would rather say to those who nitpick that at least this is a step in the right direction, and it fully deserves our unequivocal support. I know that I’m hoping this becomes a signature and institutionalized event in the global film calendar and applaud the FDCP for taking this maiden voyage.