Five Films For Freedom: British Council celebrates a decade of LGBTQIA+ Stories

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Five Films For Freedom, the world’s widest-reaching LGBTQIA+ digital campaign, returns on 13 March bringing five new films from the Philippines, India, Spain, the UK and USA to audiences across the world.

Over two weeks (13 to 24 March 2024) audiences worldwide are invited to dive into the world of LGBTQIA+ cinema from the comfort of their own homes and watch the films online for free.

The film programme continues the British Council’s partnership with BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, with the short films promoted across the British Council’s global digital networks and BFI Player for free. 

Our tenth anniversary edition will showcase global LGBTQIA+ stories that resonate with strength and spirit, from the historic defiance of Compton's 22 in San Francisco to the heartfelt journey of love and understanding in Halfway. This year's selection, including Little One, Cursive, and The First Kiss, dives deep into themes of family, identity, and the universal quest for acceptance. 

"We are immensely proud to mark the tenth anniversary of Five Films for Freedom," said British Council Director of Film, Briony Hanson. 

"This platform has not only provided a vital space for LGBTQIA+ stories to be heard but has also fostered a global movement for equality and acceptance. As we celebrate this milestone, we invite audiences everywhere to join us in championing love in all its forms."

Audiences in Philippines are encouraged to watch the films online for free from 13 to 24 March 2024, and share their experiences using the hashtag #FiveFilmsForFreedom. For more information and to access the films, visit our British Arts YouTube channel. "It is a privilege to showcase the exceptional work of these immensely talented filmmakers to audiences worldwide and we are truly proud to have a Filipino film included in this year's selection," said Lotus Postrado, British Council in the Philippines Country Director.

"Throughout the ten-year journey of Five Films For Freedom, we've been able to reach over 23 million viewers globally with these remarkable films. We take pride in our ongoing commitment to supporting this initiative, which not only sheds light on new narratives but also fosters new connections and understanding."

About Five Films For Freedom 

Five Films For Freedom is an annual online celebration of global LGBTQIA+ stories, presented in partnership with BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival. Launched in 2014 by the British Council and the British Film Institute, the initiative aims to amplify LGBTQIA+ voices and advocate for love as a human right.

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We do this through our work in arts and culture, education and the English language. We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2021–22 we reached 650 million people. 

Watch this year's five films online for free on our British Arts YouTube channel.

2024 Film Selection

Little One

Directed by Clister Santos (Philippines – 9 mins)

A pregnant mother, unsure of how to raise a child, arranges an interview with her two gay dads but fate intervenes when his dad suffers a heart attack. Her dad reflects on their family's history, captured on an old camcorder.

Halfway

Directed by Kumar Chheda (India – 14 mins)

A turbulent couple ends up at different entrances of Juhu Beach, forcing them to walk towards each other and meet halfway.

Cursive

Directed by Isabel Steubel Johnson (UK – 9 mins)

When a woman on the verge of a breakup gets help from a mysterious stranger to improve her handwriting, she finds the inner voice she longed for all along.

The First Kiss

Directed by Miguel Lafuente (Spain – 9 mins)

Today is a special day for Andi, he is going to Madrid to have his first date with a boy he's met online.

Compton's 22 

Directed by Drew de Pinto (USA – 18 mins)

Three years prior to Stonewall, transgender sex workers and drag queens revolted against police violence at Compton's Cafeteria in San Francisco's Tenderloin district.

Retirement benefit remains the most availed SSS benefit reaching P156.7 B in 2023

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The Social Security System (SSS) said it released P156.7 billion retirement benefits to 2.2 million members in 2023 making it the most availed SSS benefit last year.

SSS Vice President for Benefits Administration Division Joy A. Villacorta said that of the 4.7 million benefits disbursed to pensioners, members and their beneficiaries in 2023, nearly half, or 47 percent, received retirement benefits.

Villacorta said SSS released about P156.7 billion in retirement benefits to 2.2 million payees in 2023, up by 10.7 percent from the P141.5 billion retirement benefits given to over 2 million payees in the previous year. The majority of these payees, at around 87.46 percent of the total, are pensioners.

“Retirement benefit is a cash benefit being granted by SSS to a member who can no longer work due to old age. Members who paid at least 120 monthly contributions will get a lifetime monthly pension while those with less than 120 monthly contributions will receive a one-time lump sum amount,” Villacorta explained.

She said that death benefit came in second with a total release of P70.1 billion to 1.4 million beneficiaries last year, slightly lower than the P70.2 billion death benefits to 1.3 million beneficiaries in 2022.

“SSS grants cash benefit to beneficiaries of a deceased member. Deceased SSS members with 36 monthly contributions will entitle their beneficiaries to a monthly pension. In comparison, beneficiaries of those with less than 36 monthly contributions will get a one-time lump sum amount,” she added.

Maternity benefit follows with a disbursement of P14.1 billion to 357,000 members in 2023, which rose by 9.6 percent from about P12.9 billion recorded in 2022.

Villacorta said that female members who have paid at least three monthly contributions in the last 12 months before the semester of childbirth, miscarriage, or emergency termination of pregnancy can avail of the maternity benefit. As provided in the Expanded Maternity Leave Law (EMLL), the SSS maternity benefit is paid to an eligible member at every instance of her pregnancy since March 2019.

Meanwhile, Villacorta noted that disability benefit came in fourth, with P7.5 billion released to over 130,000 members last year, a 16.3 percent increase from the P6.4 billion released in 2022.

“Members who become disabled either partially or totally can receive a monthly pension or lump sum amount under the disability benefit. Members who have paid at least 36 monthly contributions are qualified to get a monthly disability pension while those with less than 36 monthly contributions will be granted a lump sum amount,” she added.

She said that funeral benefit follows with P4.8 billion reimbursed to 211,000 payees, and sickness benefit with P3.2 billion provided to 376,000 members.

“We grant SS funeral benefits to whoever paid the funeral expenses of the deceased member. Claimants of deceased members with 36 or more monthly contributions may receive a variable amount from P20,000 to P60,000 depending on the number and amount of contributions paid by the member. The funeral benefit arising from the death of a member who paid less than 36 monthly contributions is fixed at P12,000,” she continued.

Further, Villacorta said that sickness benefit is a daily cash allowance paid for the number of days a member cannot work due to sickness or injury.

“Unemployment benefit is the least availed benefit in 2023 with a total disbursement of P914.1 million to 64,000 members, down by 4.9 percent from the P961.4 million released to 75,000 members in 2022. This is also a reflection of the continuing improvement in the Philippine labor market with the unemployment rate reaching its lowest levels last year,” she said.

Villacorta noted that benefit payments in 2023 amounted to P257.4 billion, up by 6.9 percent from the P240.6 billion disbursed in 2022.

Liza Diño Makes History as First Filipina French Knight in Cinema and Sole Southeast Asian Producer Selected for EAVE Producers Workshop

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Multiawarded actress, public servant, turned producer Liza Diño has achieved yet another groundbreaking milestone in her career. The former head of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) has been selected as the first Filipina to participate in the prestigious EAVE Producers Workshop, where she will also be the sole representative from Southeast Asia for the year-long programme in 2024. Diño was awarded one of France’s most distinguished titles, the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, last year.

The EAVE Producers Workshop, in partnership with Film Fund Luxembourg and supported by Creative Europe, is a premier training lab based in Europe aimed at fostering professional development and international collaboration for global producers in the film industry. The year-long program includes a series of three week-long intensive workshops focused on the development of fiction, documentary, and TV series projects, providing participants with invaluable networking opportunities and the chance to work alongside esteemed industry professionals.

Mentored by top-notch industry leaders, including EAVE Head of Studies Lise Lense-Møller from Magic Hour Films (DK), the workshop offers participants a transformative training journey spanning over 3 residential workshops in Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden. In addition to the core curriculum, participants will have the unique opportunity to develop 28 selected documentary, feature film, and series projects, as well as focus on their careers, company structures, and entrepreneurial skills over the course of the year.

Liza Dino, known for her outstanding contributions to the Philippine cinema, has emerged as a trailblazer and a formidable force in the global film landscape. As an accomplished actress, government official and producer, Liza has continuously championed the development and promotion of Southeast Asian cinema on the world stage.

Throughout her career, Liza has amassed an impressive array of accomplishments, including her noteworthy role as the Chairperson of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), where she spearheaded various initiatives to elevate the local film industry. Her visionary leadership has led to the implementation of groundbreaking programs and policies aimed at enhancing the competitiveness and global presence of Filipino cinema.

“I am thrilled to further my mission of shining a spotlight on Southeast Asian cinema and drawing global attention to our talented regional filmmakers. We are already witnessing the significant impact of our efforts, with Southeast Asian films triumphing at top-tier festivals and beginning to establish a foothold in the market. However, the work is far from over. It is crucial to sustain this momentum and strive for continuous improvement in the quality of films we create. I am grateful to EAVE for enabling me to persist in the work I have initiated.” Liza Shared.

Liza Diño's participation in the EAVE Producers Workshop not only serves as a testament to the exceptional talent and unwavering dedication to the craft but also underscores her commitment to advancing the interests of Southeast Asian filmmakers on an international scale. Through her involvement in this prestigious programme, Liza aims to further her advocacy for the development and promotion of diverse and authentic narratives from the region, thereby solidifying Southeast Asian cinema's position in the global cinematic landscape.

As the first Filipina French Knight in Cinema, Liza Diño continues to break barriers and inspirefuture generations of filmmakers with her pioneering spirit and unwavering passion for the art ofcinema. Her participation in the EAVE Producers Workshop represents a significant opportunityto further her vision and advocacy, ultimately contributing to the enrichment and advancementof Southeast Asian cinema on the world stage.

Diño is currently in Luxembourg for the first leg of the EAVE Producers Workshop.