French Film Festival 2019 pays homage to Filipino films

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino films continue to carve their niche in global filmmaking industry, as seen in the recently concluded Cannes Film Festival, where Filipino director Lav Diaz’s "The Halt" ("Ang Hupa") was part of the Director’s Fortnight.

As such, the 24th French Film Festival will continue its annual tradition of paying tribute to Filipino cinema on Philippine Independence Day, June 12. 

To be screened at the French Film Festival’s homage to Philippine cinema are Pepe Diokno’s “Above the Clouds,” which  was co-produced with funding from the Aide aux Cinémas du Monde program of Institut Français; Carlo Catu’s “Waiting for Sunset,” which received the Audience Award at the 2019 Vesoul Festival of Asian Cinema; Carlo Manatad’s “Jodilerks Dela Cruz, Employee of the Month,” which was featured in last year’s Semaine de la Critique at the Cannes Film Festival; and finally, in honor of the National Artist for Film and Mass Communications Kidlat Tahimik, his "Mababangong Bangungot” (“Perfumed Nightmare”) will also be shown. It was partly filmed in Paris.

The Filipino films will be shown in Greenbelt 3 Cinemas, Makati City from noon to 8 p.m. on June 12. Tickets are available at the ticket booth.

The audiovisual sector continues to be a dynamic sector of cooperation between France and the Philippines. The Embassy of France is working closely with the Film Development Council of the Philippines to bring French expertise to the Philippines, not only in making films but also in providing support to the industry. 

Experts from the French National Center for Cinema and the Annecy International Animation Festival and Market are already sharing their knowledge and best practices with Filipino professionals in the field.

Meanwhile, the Philippine government’s ratification of the United Nations (UNESCO) Declaration on Cultural Diversity is an anticipated development that could potentially open doors for a film co-production agreement between France and the Philippines.