Pinangunahan nina Liza Diño at Vivian Velez ang ceremonial toast sa paglulunsad ng Pelikulaya: International LGBTQIA+ Film Festival nitong Hunyo 7, 2022, Martes ng gabi, sa Amrak comedy restobar, Lopez Drive, Quezon City.
Si Liza ang CEO at Chairperson ng Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), samantalang si Vivian ang Director General (DG) ng Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP).
Bahagi rin ng ceremonial toast sina Dr. Roland Tolentino (Chairman ng NCCA Committee on Cinema), Peter Wright (Second Secretary ng Embassy of Canada), Consul Marco Amuhada (Deputy Head of Mission ng Embassy of Chile), at Juan Gabriel Espejo Ceballes (Bilateral Cooperation at Economic Head ng Embassy of Mexico).
(L-R) Consul Marko Ahumada, Juan Gabriel Espejo Caballos, Liza Diño, Vivian Velez, Dr Roland Tolentino, and Peter Wright
Magkatabi sa ceremonial toast at open forum sina Liza at Vivian, patunay na wala nang hidwaan sa kanilang pagitan.
Napangiti si DG Vivian, “Hindi showbiz pag walang intriga, ‘no? But you know, it was a miscommunication.
“Kasi, you know, the turnover was not done properly. But then, of course, nagkakaisa kami para sa industriya.
“And ano naman kami, barkada naman kami nito! Yeah, so we’re OK, you know.
“For the sake of the industry, definitely we have to unite and work for one goal, yeah.”
Pag-ayon ni Chair Liza, “Ahhm, you know, honestly, si DG VV always keeps me on my toes. Kasi, you know, napaka-vocal niya sa board.
“And we need that, you know. If you have a homogenous board, you can’t achieve progress.
“Walang mga innovations na mangyayari. And walang magbibigay ng feedback para i-reassess yung mga ginagawa ng FDCP para lalong pagbutihin pa yung ginagawa namin.
“And napakalaki ng malasakit ni DG Vivian Velez sa industry because she’s been here for a while. She looks so young!
“And alam naman natin na talagang hanggang ngayon, she’s very, very active in the industry.
“Pero in terms of the wealth of knowledge na meron — yung understanding ng kalakaran ng industriya — marami talaga akong natutunan sa kanya.
“So, for me it was a very humbling experience for me to always make sure na yung ginagawa ng FDCP, naka-cascade sa lahat.
“At saka yung proseso na ginagawa ng FDCP sa bawat ginagawa naming proyekto, programa, ay nade-deliver at naka-cascade nang maayos sa board.
“So, ahhm, of course, you know, like with anything pag bago, we’re still trying to understand each other.
“But she’s the most… she’s our staunch supporter in all of our programs. So, grabe yung suporta niya each time.
“So, I’m just happy na, at the end of the day, magkakaiba naman talaga tayo ng pinanggagalingan, but we all want one thing.
“And that is to be able to supprt our industry in the best way. So, thank you DG for everything!”
Read: FAP director general Vivian Velez, gustong ipahawak sa FDCP ang MMFF
LIMITED FUNDING FROM THE GOVERNMENT
Bilang Director General ng FAP, bahagi ng FDCP si Vivian. May ambag siya sa pagbuo ng mga patakaran, pagbabahagi ng mga konsepto at ideya, at pagpopondo.
“Pang-approve ng funding, sabi nga ni Chair Liza. So that’s what we bring on the table,” pahayag ni DG Vivian.
Ipinaliwanag ni DG Vivian kung bakit hindi siya visible sa showbiz sa nakaraang dalawang taon.
“We’ve been missing the whole cinema for the last two years because of the pandemic!” bulalas ng premyadong aktres.
“Ahhh, you know for a fact, in 2020, we were able to at least set up the Luna Awards, and of course, was able to submit, you know, in Oscars.
“But in 2021 we were not able to do that because there’s no funding coming from the Metro Manila Film Festival.”
Online ang MMFF 2021 at mahihina lahat ng entries dito. Agad ngang napirata ang mga kalahok dito.
Pagpapatuloy ni DG Vivian, “So, hindi naman ako pupuwedeng ako lang ang mamimili. It has to be all the guilds to be able to promote and we don’t have enough funds for that.
“That is always the problem, ‘no, with the Film Academy of the Philippines. Maraming problema ang FAP at, you know, hopefully, maayos natin 'yan.
“But definitely, limited funds is not going to do it. The same thing with FDCP.
“Sabi ko nga, with Chair Liza and, you know, the whole FDCP, it’s a… limited resources. I don’t even know how they do it, you know.
“Ahh, magkano lang ang ibinibigay ng gobyerno para sa the whole film industry? At kulang na kulang 'yan!
“Kulang na kulang sa lahat! And that’s what we’re trying to do with the whole board, and of course with Chair Liza, is to get the government see that the film industry is very important.
“Culture and art, di ba, that’s the soul of the country. So, kailangan, bigyan tayo ng pansin.”
REVIVING THE MOVIE INDUSTRY
Nalugmok ang pelikulang Pilipino sa panahon ng pandemya. Kahit sa mga sinehan na ipinalabas ang MMFF 2021 entries ay mahihina ang mga ito.
Ngayong 2022, dalawang Pinoy movies pa lang ang ipinalabas sa iilang sinehan. May mga sinehan na sarado pa. May mga sinehan na nagbukas, pero sarado tuwing Lunes at/o Martes.
Napabuntong-hininga muna si Chair Liza, “Ahhm, of course you know, while the FDCP has been continuing with its programs para ipagpatuloy yung mga initiatives to uplift and elevate our cinema, we have to address on ground kung ano yung nangyayari.
“And the only way that we can restart and jump-start is to be able to provide funding. Kailangan meron tayong ibibigay na pam-boost sa mga filmmakers natin.
“Andiyan na ang programa. We have the Create Philippine Films to support public funding for domestic films, yung mga local films natin.
“We have the Film Philippines Incentives para mag-drive ng foreign production, para mag-shoot sa Pilipinas.
“And this will really expedite yung puwede nating kitain. Kasi, isang production lang, puwede silang mag-spend ng hundreds of millions in the Philippines.
“Katulad nung mga nire-receive nating mga productions, spending $100 to $300M per production.
“So, imagine yung trabahong maibibigay nito sa mga filmmakers natin, sa mga workers natin.
“Pero kung limited ang funding katulad nga ng sinasabi ni DG, ahhm, limitado rin yung puwede nating suportahan.
“So I think right now, nakikita natin how important it is for us to really give importance to our film industry.
“Kasi, bakit yung ibang bansa, nakikita nila yung potential, yung opportunity by investing in their creative industries.
“Look at Korea. Look at France. Look at U.S., and Hollywood. I mean, nagpandemya na at lahat pero hindi sila tumigil na mag-invest ng mas malaking halaga para sa mga pelikulang ginagawa nila.
“Kasi, ang goal nila is hindi gumawa ng paraan, o gumawa ng mga pantawid-gutom lang, or para lang mag-survive.
“They wanna make the films that will drive audiences to watch in cinemas.
“Kasi, andaming disruptions na nangyayari with all the streaming platforms na naging medium na, ‘no, at platform para manood ng content.
“So, in terms of empowerment, the FDCP has created initiatives para matulungan natin yung mga producers natin to understand.
“Paano bang mag-navigate in these streaming platforms? Anong klaseng negotiation yung nangyayari, at dialogue sa mga streamers para mas mabigyan natin ng value yung mga pelikulang lumalabas?
“But of course, at the end of the day, we need the audiences, the Filipino audiences to rally behind our cinema.
“So I think, lahat kami dito, at kayo mismo, iisa ang goal natin. How can we promote each film?
“Ngayon, hindi na lang siya concern ng isang produksiyon. Dapat bawat pelikulang Pilipino na lalabas sa mga cinemas, tulungan natin.
“Suportahan natin. Huwag tayong magkanya-kanya. At huwag tayong gumawa ng paraan para ibagsak or ibaba yung mga pelikulang ito.
“Let’s all elevate and help by supporting all Filipino films. So, sa June 22 po, abangan po ninyo sina Janine Gutierrez at Paulo Avelino sa kanilang pelikula na Ngayon Kaya.”
PELIKULAYA
Hybrid ang Pelikulaya: International LGBTQIA+ Film Festival na gaganapin mula Hunyo 10 hanggang 26, 2022.
“Pantay-Pantay, Iba’t Ibang Kulay” ang tema nito, at naka-line up dito ang limampung (50) pelikula, Pinoy at banyaga.
Ang filmfest na ito na handog ng FDCP at co-presented ng British Council, Embassy of Sweden, Embassy of Denmark, Embassy of Chile, Embassy of Spain, Embassy of Canada, Korean Cultural Center, US Embassy, Mexican Embassy, at Instituto Cervantes.
Opening film ang Lingua Franca ni Isabel Sandoval sa Hunyo 10, Biyernes ng 7:00 p.m., sa FDCP Cinematheque Centre Manila, Kalaw St., Manila.
Sa Hunyo 11, Sabado ng 2:00 p.m. ay gaganapin sa kaparehong venue ang talakayan na “The ABCs of SOGIE.”
Pagsapit ng 6:00 p.m. ay gaganapin dito ang Philippine premiere ng pelikulang Women Do Cry nina Vesela Kazakova at Mina Mileva.
Sa Hunyo 12, Araw ng Kalayaan, Linggo ng 10:30 a.m., ilulunsad ni Direktor Nick Deocampo ang aklat niyang Alternative Cinema doon pa rin sa Cinematheque Centre Manila.
May retrospective kapagkuwan ng apat na pelikula ni Nick Deocampo — Oliver, Sex Warriors and the Samurai, Private Wars, at Memories of Old Manila.