FDCP film fest celebrates women in cinema

THE FILM Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) kicked off its celebration of  National Women’s Month on Mar. 8 —  International Womens’ Day —  by launching Cine Filipina: Juana sa Gitna ng Pagbabago. The program includes women-led films, both feature length and shorts, and talks on women empowerment on the FDCP Channel (fdcpchannel.ph).

The Cine Filipina talks, limited screenings of the opening and closing films, and the CineMarya short films and panel discussions can be viewed for free. Meanwhile, 10 films are available through video-on-demand (VOD) for P99.

“Through Cine Filipina, we hope to further the rights and welfare of women with our online film screenings and events. Our Cine Filipina film selection was curated to represent the story of every Juana — the struggles, the challenges, the triumphs — in light of gender empowerment and equality,” FDCP Chairperson and  Mary Liza Bautista Diño-Seguerra said in a statement.

The following films are on view until Mar. 31: Sonata, directed by Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes; Ang Babae sa Likod ng Mambabatok, by Lauren Sevilla Faustino; White Slavery and Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag, both directed by Lino Brocka; Chasing Fireflies by Sheron Dayoc; Bagahe by Zig Dulay; Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria by Remton Zuasola; Lorna by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo; Adela  by Adolfo Alix, Jr.; and Miss Bulalacao by Ara Chawdhury.

Short films and replays of panel discussions from the CineMarya Women’s Short Film Festival will be shown for free from Mar. 20 to 21.

The two CineMarya film talks from the 2020 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP) that will be featured are: “Women in Philippine Cinema,” moderated by producer Armi Cacanindin featuring film editors Tara Illenberger and Ilsa Malsi, producers Pamela Reyes and Ria Limjap, and director and cinematographer Lee Briones-Meily; and “Women in Public Service” featuring FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño, Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Marjorie Jalosjos, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, and Movie and Television Review and Classification Board Chair Rachel Arenas, with Issa Litton as moderator.

Meanwhile, two FDCP Film Talks on Cine Filipina will be streamed live on Mar. 27 and 28, 6 p.m., on the FDCP’s YouTube channel and Facebook pages. These are: “Si Juana at ang Lockdown” (Mar. 27) on women in the film industry’s vulnerable and marginalized sector and their experiences during the pandemic; and “Women Artists in Lockdown” (Mar. 28) on art, womanhood, and the lockdown, along with the works that were made as a response to the pandemic and the lockdown.

Cine Filipina’s closing ceremonies will be streamed on Mar. 31, 7 p.m., on the FDCP’s YouTube channel and Facebook pages. This will be followed by a one-time free screening of Verdict, directed by Raymund Ribay Gutierrez, at 7:30 p.m. on the FDCP Channel.

To watch the Cine Filipina films, log in at the FDCP Channel (or create an account for free) and click the Events tab. For more information and inquiries, visit https://www.facebook.com/fdcpchannel.ph or https://fdcpchannel.ph.