PH Cinema Celebrates 100 Years in Biggest Int’l Film Festival in Mexico

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The world continues to join the Philippines in the celebration of its One Hundred Years of Philippine Cinema, especially as the Philippines has been announced as this year’s Spotlight Country at the 22nd Guanajuato International Film Festival (GIFF). The festival will run from July 19 to 28, 2019 in World Heritage sites Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende in Mexico.

Led by the Philippine Embassy in Mexico, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) will help spearhead the Philippine Spotlight Program and the Philippines’ Guest Country participation at the GIFF in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Department of Tourism (DOT), Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), ABS-CBN Films (Star Cinema), and Cinematografo.

“The selection of the Philippines as the first Southeast Asian Spotlight Country in the Guanajuato International Film Festival is a great honor and perfect opportunity to bring the best of Philippine cinema and our culture to Mexico, a country which we share a long history with. FDCP is pleased to spearhead the participation of the country at such a big film festival,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Mary Liza Diño.

Aside from films, GIFF will be a celebration of Filipino culture which will spotlight the country’s music and food. There will be a conference on the History of Philippine cinema: Cinema, Colonization, and Culture by University of the Philippines Film Institute (UPFI) film historian and educator Nick Deocampo; a Mexico-Philippines Bilateral Forum in collaboration with Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (IMCINE); and a musical concert which will be attended by 1,000 expected guests. FDCP Chairperson Liza Diño, who is also a chef, will prepare an 8-course dinner to treat VIPS to Filipino-Mexican fusion cuisine, together with Mexican chef Marcela Bolaño, the chef and owner of Marsala, Cocina con Accen, and MB Catering by Desing in San Miguel de Allende.

A total of 30 films will be screened at the GIFF in different sections, including Philippine Cinema Retrospective: Cinema, Colonialism, Culture, Kidlat Tahimik, QCinema/Contemporary Films, Short Films from Philippine Archipelago, and In Special Program/Section.

The selection consists of luminaries of Philippine cinema, such as Kidlat Tahimik, Lino Brocka, Lamberto Avellana, and Fernando Poe, Jr. Other Filipino filmmakers who will showcase their works at the GIFF are Brillante Mendoza, Mario Cornejo, Sheron Dayoc, and Khavn De La Cruz. ABS-CBN, the country’s largest media company, will also participate at the GIFF.

Philippine Cinema Retrospective: Cinema, Colonialism, Culture

1.    A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino - Lamberto Avellana, 1965

2.    Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag (Manila in the Claws of Light) - Lino Brocka, 1975

3.    Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon? (As we were) - Eddie Romero, 1976

4.    Pagbabalik ng Lawin - Fernando Poe Jr., 1975

5.    Batch ‘81 - Mike De Leon, 1982

6.    Oro, Plata, Mata - Peque Gallaga, 1982

7.    Himala (Miracles) - Ishmael Bernal, 1982

8.    Noli Me Tangere - Gerardo de Leon, 1961

9.    Karnal - Marilou Diaz Abaya, 1983     

Kidlat Tahimik

1.    Mababangong Bangungot (Perfumed Nightmares) - 1977

2.    Turumba - 1981

3.    Bakit Dilaw ang Gitna ng Bahaghari? (Why is Yellow the middle of the Rainbow? - 1994 (Documentary)

4.    Lakbayan - 2018, with Brillante Mendoza and Lav Diaz

QCinema/Contemporary Films

1.    Matangtubig - Jet Leyco, 2015

2.    Apocalypse Child - Mario Cornejo, 2015

3.    Manananggal sa Unit 23B - Prime Cruz, 2016

4.    Women of the Weeping River - Sheron Dayoc, 2016

5.    Pag-ukit sa Paniniwala - Hiyas Bagabaldo, 2018 (Documentary)

Short Films from Philippine Archipelago

1.    To Siomai Love - Remton Zuasola, 2009

2.    Boca - Zurich Chan, 2010

3.    Sanayan lang ang Pagpatay - Gil Joseph A. Sanchez, 2011

4.    Ang Pagpukaw sa akong Damgo - Arbi Barbarona, 2014

5.    Happy Fiesta - Joe Bacus, 2014

6.    Aliens Ata (Maybe Aliens) - Glenn Barit, 2017

7.    Bawod (Bent) - TM Malones, 2017

8.    Tembong - Shaira Advincula, 2018

In Special Program/Section

1.    Mula sa Kung Ano ang Noon - Lav Diaz, 2014

2.    Alipato: The Very Brief Life of an Ember - Khavn Dela Cruz, 2016

3.    Eerie - Mikhail Red, 2018

4.    Yellow Rose - Diane Paragas, 2019

National Artist for Film and Father of Philippine independent cinema Kidlat Tahimik will be given an international tribute at the GIFF for his contribution to the cinema along with “Good Will Hunting” director Gus Van Sant and “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” director Terry Gilliam. Moreover, Cannes winner Brillante Mendoza will serve as the President of the Jury and will also give a keynote address at the GIFF.

Since 1998, the GIFF has been offering a diverse selection of screenings, conferences, and other activities and bringing international film industry professionals together for networking opportunities.

6th Entrepreneur and Franchise Expo Opens Today

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The 6th Entrepreneur and Franchise Expo (EFE) successfully opened its doors to aspiring entrepreneurs today at Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall. The event will run for 3 days, from July 19 to 21, and will feature over 100 Franchise Opportunities and Business Solutions.

The opening ceremony was led by the Founder of the event and CEO of Mediacom Solutions Inc. - David Abrenilla, together with, Ferdie de Belen, Senior Manager of Megatrade Hall; Trixie Esguerra, Founder of Wrap it Up; Rudolf Kotik, Founder of RK Franchise Consultancy; Johnah Umpo, Business Development Officer of DV Boer Farm; Michael Nobleza, Service Manager of Tysons Global Exchange Inc.; and Michael Exconde Bayot, Head of Sales and Marketing of Tysons Global Exchange Inc.

With the tagline “Your Step to Success”, the expo is the Philippines No.1 Entrepreneur and Franchise Event featuring 90 exhibitors with 100 franchising concepts and innovative SMEs.

The goal of the EFE is to give aspiring entrepreneurs an overview of the franchising industry in the Philippines and to connect franchisors with interested franchisees. At the same time, the expo will showcase various business suppliers catering to small and medium-sized businesses that can help them grow their business.

Apart from the Expo, Mediacom Solutions Inc., will also stage the Entrepreneur Success Summit which is a comprehensive series of talks with Successful Entrepreneurs that will share their entrepreneurial journey and their insights on How to START, GROW & SELECT a Successful Franchise. Some of the speakers for the Summit are the RJ Ledesma, Founder of Mercato Centrale; Franchising Expert - Rudolf Kotik; Glenn Razon, President of Razons by Glenn and more.

This year’s Entrepreneur and Franchise Expo is sponsored by Tysons Global Exchange Inc., Alkaviva Waters Philippines and DV Boer Farm.

To learn more, visit www.efe.ph and join their Facebook community at www.facebook.com/efeph.

Inclusive Growth Key to Peace and Prosperity in Mindanao

Wazzup Pilipinas!

An inclusive atmosphere in business is necessary to maintain the gains of peace and continue the enabling environment for prosperity in Mindanao.

This was emphasized by Dr. Annette Pelkmans-Balaoing, Escaping the Middle-Income Trap: Chains for Change (EMIT C4C) convenor, during a workshop in UP Diliman on July 12, 2019.

“In the context of conflict and war, we need markets to be humane. We need markets to be inclusive,” she said.

Pelkmans-Balaoing cited the case of Unifrutti Tropical Philippines, a firm that invested in a 1,300-hectare banana plantation called La Frutera in Maguindanao, and their relationship with the community and the farmers operating there.

Unifrutti, she said, recognized the land rights of the people in Maguindanao; it employed former rebels or combatants to build trust and establish relationships. 

“Investment usually expose you to higher risk. but in this sense, investment in the form of social capital lessens the risk in operating in a risky environment," she added.

According to Senen Bacani, chair of Peace and Equity Foundation and one of the co-founders of La Frutera, this success is due to the recognition that peace and development should always come together.

“Unifrutti went there for profit, but we believed that to do that, we needed to take care of the people, community, and environment,” he said.

Bacani further noted that cultural sensitivity matters in dealing with the social realities on the ground.

“If people trust you, they will do what you requested them to do. We always wanted to work with community leaders in the area,” he said.

Other topics such as the proposed details of a model Islamic community and logistics, and opportunities and challenges in connecting different producers and players in agriculture and urban markets in Mindanao were also discussed.

PEF is a partner in the EMIT C4C, a research program under the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies that collaborates with the Partnerships Resource Center of the Rotterdam School of Management (Erasmus University), seeks to understand the conditions for enhancing the competitiveness and inclusiveness of agriculture value chains. EMIT C4C, for instance, studies how smallholder farmers are linked with mainstream companies and social enterprises.


You can view this article here: https://pef.ph/index.php/2019/07/19/inclusive-growth-key-to-peace-and-prosperity-in-mindanao/