Will ‘And So It Begins’ get a shot at the Oscars?

MANILA, Philippines — Will the Philippines’ official entry, “And So It Begins,” make it to the 97th Academy Awards or Oscars under the Best International Film category?

“We’ll see. God knows. It’s all chance, it’s all marketing,” Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) chairman and chief executive officer Jose “Joey” Javier Reyes responded to The STAR’s question in an interview during the fourth Philippine Film Industry Month (PFIM) closing ceremony held Friday night at the Seda Vertis North.

“The Oscar race is not necessarily based on just the quality of the film you sent. But also the strategy that you used for it to be noticed. And maybe our advantage with this film is that it was produced by the Public Broadcasting Service. So, there’s a network there. We said that it would not require that much of Philippine pesos to be invested to promote the film,” he continued.

Award-winning filmmaker Ramona S. Diaz (“Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey,” “Imelda,” “A Thousand Cuts”) megged the documentary, which is about the grassroots movements that emerged during the 2022 Philippine elections and former Vice President Leni Robredo’s run for the presidency.

Reyes revealed that it was a choice between “And So It Begins” and a Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry, but they selected the former due to several reasons. He didn’t mention the title of the MMFF film.

“That was a long discussion. Actually, I didn’t have a vote because, as chairman, I only vote if there’s a tie. But then for the members of the panel, it was a choice between two films. And they decided to choose ‘And So It Begins’ because the two films are of equal value,” he recalled.

“But they felt that ‘And So It Begins’ has a greater chance of making it to the Oscars because of three good reasons. One is the familiarity of the director with the AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences), the Academy. Secondly, the familiarity of the director in an international market because Ramona is known in the US. And then thirdly, we all agreed that maybe last year we sent an animation, this year, let’s send the documentary.”

It was the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), the country’s umbrella organization of various movie guilds and official counterpart of the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, that first announced the selection of “And So It Begins” as the Philippine entry to the International Feature Film Award category of the 97th Academy Awards.

In a media statement, the FAP said, “After fielding an animated entry (‘Iti Mapukpukaw’) for the first time last year, the Philippines is again making history as it sends a documentary to the Oscars, which is eligible under the rules of its governing body, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).”

The FAP also recognized the film’s journey in the international film festival circuit. “Apart from screening at the 2024 Sundance International Film Festival, ‘And So It Begins’ is slated to screen in several foreign film festivals where its exposure to the Academy voters may bolster its chances at the Oscars. Its continuous international exposure reflects its equally successful reception in the local circuit as it continues to screen nationwide...”

“And So It Begins” opened in the Philippines on Aug. 21. Through the support of select cinemas and the efforts of volunteer groups who hold block screenings, it continues to be shown in theaters for six weeks now.

It’s the first time that the Philippines has submitted a documentary to the Oscars. In the previous year, Carl Joseph Papa’s animated feature and Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival 2023 Best Film “Iti Mapukpukaw” was chosen to be the country’s entry under the same category but didn’t make it.

“It’s also right that part of the campaign of FDCP is to encourage documentary filmmaking and animation,” Reyes shared on why a documentary was selected this year. “So, even if I did not have the vote because (I’m the) chairman, I don’t see anything wrong with sending a documentary. Because it will send a good signal to documentary filmmakers that it is a recognized genre.”

FDCP chairman Jose ‘Joey’ Reyes at the fourth PFIM closing ceremony held Friday night at the Seda Vertis North.

It is a respectable and competitive genre, he added. “And that young filmmakers may not only focus on feature films, but you can do documentaries, you can do animation. And you belong to the same rank as a feature filmmaker.”

Reyes hoped that more filmmakers would be inspired to create documentaries. Citing Diaz, who is known to be “a competent and internationally recognized documentary filmmaker,” he asserted, “It is with the hope that there are more Filipinos who will also find to follow her path. And I sincerely believe that now, especially now in the age of alternative truth, the documentary filmmaker is so important. Because the documentary filmmaker speaks of the truth.”

Asked if they will ask for help from the government for the film campaign, Reyes said no. “I mean, FDCP is committed to helping this film. And the government has no response, negative about the choice of this film. So, I think that’s a good sign that despite the nature of the film and the context of the film, we are still living in a democracy.”

Diaz, on her Facebook page, posted that she is still “in shock” that her film was chosen to represent the Philippines at the Oscars. “This is the first time the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) has chosen a documentary,” she said.

“I make documentary films to bear witness and to try to understand the homeland. It’s a complex, messy, endearing, infuriating, and captivating place all at once — as are all exciting places. And the more I delve into it, the more it eludes me. It is both knowable and unknowable.

“Taos pusong pasasalamat, FAP jurors, for this vote of confidence and for showing support for the documentary form. I’m deeply humbled and proud to represent the country as the official entry to the 97th Academy Awards. Nakakaiyak. And so we continue,” she added.

The 97th Academy Awards is slated March 2, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

More than 70 countries have already sent in their entries to AMPAS and the deadline is on Oct. 2. Among the list of entries for Best International Film section, only five will be nominated which will be announced on Jan. 17, 2025.