Despite the many limitations brought about by the pandemic, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) continues to open doors for local filmmakers to shine and fulfill their dreams of being film creators.
The call for filmmakers who wish to create modern silent films have been sounded, and the 15th year of the International Silent Film Festival Manila certainly looks more than promising with the establishment of the Mit Out Sound (MOS): International Silent Film Lab 2021.
The goal is to encourage the production of silent films and discover new talents who will be mentored by filmmakers from all over the globe on story development, editing, and other creative and technical elements of silent filmmaking.
FDCP chairman Liza Diño is delighted about the many possibilities of the silent film festival. “This year, formidable agencies like the Philippine Italian Association, Embassy of France in Manila, Goethe-Institut Philippinen, Instituto Cervantes de Manila, The Japan Foundation are all throwing their support to the FDCP for this undertaking, which I am so grateful for. The chosen finalists will each be awarded a production grant amounting to P50,000 to come up with their silent short films.”
She added, “Philippine cinema has lost most of our early silent films. This very sad realization has inspired the creation of the first MOS Film Lab to revive the interest in silent filmmaking, and enhance the expertise of Filipino filmmakers in creating unique and quality films.”
SINE KABATAAN FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
Ten young filmmakers have been announced as finalists for the fourth edition of the Sine Kabataan Short Film Competition, each receiving a P100,00 grant to be used in the production of their respective entries. From a pool of over 200 submissions, 18 were shortlisted before the top 10 were chosen by a selection committee composed of producer Alemberg Ang, filmmaker JP Habac and FDCP executive director Ria Anne Rubia. “We are truly proud that Sine Kabataan is able to continue providing financial grants to these very young filmmakers all over the country who never fail to surprise us with how creative they are in tackling brave themes like teenage pregnancy, social divide, LGBT, mental health, and the daily struggles of the Filipino,” Diño shared.
The 10 official finalists of the Sine Kabataan Short Film Competition are:
- ‘Abot Kamay Ang Langit’ by Brian Spencer B. Reyes. After waking up in an empty city, two street kids have all the freedom to do whatever they want.
- ‘Ang Bunga sa Tiyan ni Adam’ by Ella Louise B. Salomon. A teenage boy tells his girlfriend he is pregnant after taking a pregnancy test.
- ‘Jombi’ by Angela Francesca V. Andres. A bullied gloomy girl finds out her friend is a zombie.
- ‘Mga Ulap Tayong Nagiging Ulan’ by Demetrio E. Celestino III. An anthropomorphic cloud named Ulap shares how it achieves small wins in this natural cycle of life, one that dwells on the commonality that suggests “mga ulap tayong nagiging ulan.”
- ‘Reconnected’ by Judd Bradley Avelino. After a total blackout ruins his daily routine, a 20-year-old man goes out to experience the world with only physical connection.
- ‘Love in the Ungodly Hour’ by Bradley Jason Pantajo. As two young men reconnect with each other, questions about the past begin to rise.
- ‘Si Jet at ang Dark Lord ng Dol Gurskul’ by Terence Giourdan Gonzalves. A young boy cuts class to plot his revenge with his imaginary friends against Dark Lord Marcoth.
- ‘Ang Alamat ng Prinsipe at Mandirigma’ by Jacob Mikhail U. Collado. After being scolded by his father for a leaked sex tape online, his younger brother tells him a story in a makeshift blanket fortress.
- ‘Ang Balay ni Conrad’ by Ardinian Jaq Sanque. A homeless boy trying to build himself a house on the side of the street rescues a boy whose life is the exact opposite of his.
- ‘Jeremy Supot’ by James Allen Fajardo. Harassed by school bullies for being uncut, a teenage boy decides to sell his cellphone to afford circumcision.