Cinema Rehiyon 2012 to feature Mindanao films

By RG Alama

Tuesday 24th of January 2012

DAVAO CITY, JAN. 24 (PIA)-- Regional film festivals in Mindanao have contributed their share of films for the forthcoming Cinema Rehiyon 2012 National Film Festival to be held in Bacolod City this February 8 to 12.

Among those to be showcased in the annual film festival of regional movies will be Zamboanga City’s “Placebo,” Cagayan de Oro’s “Carmen” and Davao’s “Atong Amigo.”

"Placebo" won the best film in the last year’s Mindanao Film Festival while "Carmen" was the runaway winner for best short film in the recently held Cinemagis Digital Short Film Festival in Cagayan de Oro City.

The Davao City based Mindanao Film Festival is touted as the longest running independent film festival in the country. Tracing its roots from a film workshop festival nine years ago, it has blossomed into an avenue from filmmakers across different parts of Mindanao to show their stories.

Davao City was chosen to host the third Cinema Rehiyon Film Festival, the first time the event was held outside the confines of Metro Manila.

“It was a recognition of our efforts, our sustained initiatives and our experience in continuously advocating regional filmmaking for nearly a decade, “ says Kenth Bajo festival director of the MFF.

“It’s not easy running a film festival much less going at it for eight straight years, we hope Dabawenyos will take pride on our film festival and also the films which have brought honors not just for the city but also for the country.”

In 2010, the short film “Latus” an MFF entry and directed by a local TV reporter JP Seniel bagged the Best International Short Film award in the New York Independent Film and Video Festival. The awarding was held in Cannes, France in time for the Cannes Film Fest.

While Cagayan de Oro’s Cinemagis is now on its fourth year and despite the onslaught of tropical storm Sendong , the film festival has managed to push through. Instead of movie tickets, patrons are encouraged to bring paper and pencils which would be given to Cagayan de Oro school children affected by the flood.

“After going down there is no other way but to go up,” says Cinemagis festival director Hobart Savior. The film festival he says is indicative of Kagayanon’s resiliency. Savior who is a flood victim himself bucked doubts to go on with a highly successful film festival which culminated in an awards night held at SM Cagayan de Oro last January 20.

The 2012 staging of Cinema Rehiyon will also be held in Bacolod where an active regional filmmaking scene is thriving. It will also coincide with an annual Bacolod film festival dubbed as Bacollywood.

Cinema Rehiyon is a non-competition film festival is a project of the National Commission of Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Committee on Cinema in celebration of this year’s National Arts Month. The Bacolod staging of the Cinemarehiyon is in conduit with Crossing Negros Cultural Foundation Inc. and produced by Produksyon Tramontina Inc. (PIA/RG Alama)