Lifestyle
CIDFF Curtain-Raiser
Now on its 5th year, Cebu International Documentary and Film Festival (CIDFF) Curtain Raiser featured 8 previous short films as a teaser for its main event on August 20-22, 2016.
“Making films is relevant nowadays since it can arm audience with the information, imagination or an opportunity to engage in the real world in a different creative way,” Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Melanie Ng said.
The Curtain Raiser event featured 4 narrative short films, 1 documentary and 3 animations. 2 of the short films were directed by Filipinos. USFA by Director Jason Laxamana was a short film about a young man whose biggest dream was to go to the USA. It detailed his love for the States, the extreme idealism he has for the foreign country and his journey in acquiring a visa. Abakada ni Nanay by Director Sarina Mejico was a documentary featuring a 76-year-old grandmother who went back to school in order to learn how to read and write. Her dream of becoming a nurse is a true testament to mankind’s persistent and hopeful spirit.
“We find artistic goals and advocacy goals to exist along the same line and can empower our emerging creative market to become a strong economic driver for Cebu,” Ng continued.
In lieu of that, CIDFF Trustee Mel Desquitado Allego along with the CIDFF members are hoping to create a Cebu Film Commission- an organization that would ‘support, regulate, accredit and hopefully offer incentives fiscal or non-fiscal’ for the emerging film industry.
Currently, there are 2 film productions in Cebu. One is a Singaporean-American co-produced film that has partnered with Above the Line Productions. In a span of 19 days 40 million pesos was pumped into the local economy which went to production, equipment, travel, transport, hotels, catering, electricians, carpenters, actors, actresses, costume designers, scriptwriters, cinematographers, casting calls and producers.
Cinema and other arts when encouraged could mean more than a past-time or hobby. It could be a new source of income.
“Imagine,” Allego said, “if it happened all year-round? What would it mean for our economy?”
