CIDFF: The Convergence of Creative Minds

Cebu International Documentary Film Festival (CIDFF) is setting aside their laurels as they pursue their goal of becoming the “Cannes Film Festival” of Asia. At only 4 years, people are taking this budding Cebuano/Visayan film industry seriously.

For their 4th Curtain Raiser event last June 23, the movie “Dreamers” by Noelle Deschamps was screened, which was last year’s winner of Merit Award for Best in Content. With the upcoming CIDFF/CIFF this August, filmmakers from around the globe are flying in.

The question that begs to be answered is how did Cebu manage to be this fortunate as to hold an event as prestigious as this?

Back in 2012, at its initial stages, CIDFF had difficulty having locals to support the Film Festival. However, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) supported them and soon incorporated their first Curtain-Raiser under the CCCI’s flagship program Cebu Business Month.

“We had to start everything from scratch. What we did was, in order for us to have an ideal (start), we had to do it right. I had a lot of friends from New York who are filmmakers.” April Dequito, the Festival Director, said.

Through the years, they have invited filmmakers Aarti Shrivastava- the film course director for “Color My Taxi” a project under Omnilogy Inc-, Ramon Tort, Nouelle Deschamps, Tom Davia and a host of other foreign and local filmmakers to the event.

“It was divine intervention. Without Him it would not be possible, ” Marie Ernestine Denise Fajatin-Pegarido, Board Secretary said.

“We’re leaving a legacy. It’s a legacy for our children’s children,” she continued.

In order for the Film Industry to flourish, filmmakers, script-writers, and other movie-enthusiasts are encouraged to play a part- whether it be in creating films and submitting them, watching the films, or joining in their workshops.

These 25 selection of films will be played only once in this order. In this era of diverse competition, cooperation amongst the Industry players and stakeholders are highly needed.

For more information and updates, refer to their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cidff.org or check out their website at cidff.org.