Sine Negrense: Negros Island Film Festival
After a short but lively conversation with the Executive Director of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, Mr. Will Fredo, at the Cine Kasimanwa Awards Night After Party last December 2015, Tanya Lopez and Dr. Adrian Torres were able to excite him enough to want to see the possibility of building an FDCP Cinematheque in Negros. On January 2017, with Chair Liza D. Seguerra of FDCP and their architect in tow, they came to Negros, to The Negros Museum. So over Chicken inasal, garlic rice, and kansi, they lengthily talked of how, waves of Negrense visual storytellers have made their mark in Philippine Cinema.
In 1991, Peque Gallaga together with other Negrense decided to give back to Negros the talents and experience they have acquired in Manila, and so the Negros Summer Workshops was born. The Negros Summer Workshops offered classes in Film Production, Cinematography, Production Design, Acting, and Production Management, that would culminate in the Piaya Awards which featured the collaborative short film outputs of the participants. This in turn produced a new batch of young creative prodigies to the film industry, under mentorship of Director Peque Gallaga, who are at present pursuing careers in the industry and making waves in film competitions in other countries.
In 2012, Negros Summer Workshops closed on the retirement of Peque. This short lull on the film movement in Negros paved the way to the establishment of the Bacollywood Workshops and the Bakunawa Workshops, these initiatives continued to develop potential filmmakers and produce films in a smaller scale. Their outputs are also included and curated within the Cinema Rehiyon Programming of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts(NCCA) in different part of the country, and other local festivals like the CineKasimanwa West Visayas Film Festival held in Iloilo.
Other initiatives like the Kahirup Film Festival of Silay City and the Sine Agustino of CSA-B Film Competition have been sprouting in the past years as well as the Bakunawa Film Workshops extending its outreach to San Carlos, Bago and other communities with NCCA Outreach, and the establishment of the University of St. La Salle’s Institute for Moving Image(IMI).
And so, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) saw the significance for a Cinematheque to be built in order to sustain the progression of the culture of cinema in the Island. The first Cinematheque in Negros Island will be built by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), in cooperation with, and at The Negros Museum.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
Sine Negrense: Negros Island Film Festival hopes to provide a viable outlet of expression and aims to bring out a new generation of filmmakers and enthusiast, as well as cultivate an informed public on the importance of Cinema and Storytelling in the context of National Identity, Culture and Heritage.
The Film Development Council of the Philippines, formerly Chaired by Ms. Liza Diño Seguerra, in cooperation with the Negros Museum has built a Cinematheque in the Negros.
The FDCP has a 2-part thrust, the Artistic Development, to develop the competency of the filmmakers in all aspects of the film process, and the Audience Development, to broaden the taste and critical thinking of the local movie goers.
The Sine Negrense will encourage the new breed of filmmakers to find their voices as Negrosanon to tell their own stories.
With the theme. “Fuel to burning passion,” the FDCP and Sine Negrense aims to bring out a new generation of filmmakers and enthusiasts as well as well as cultivate an informed public on the importance of cinema and storytelling in terms of national identity, culture and heritage.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
The week-long film festival features an Exhibition, Lecture Forum, and Short Film Competition.
The Short Film Competition aims to inspire emerging filmmakers to express their unique voices as Negrenses by narrating their personal stories through film.
Within the Exhibition Component, a spotlight is placed on the accomplishments of both the First and Second Wave filmmakers who have left an indelible impact on the local and international film scenes. Additionally, recognition is given to New Wave filmmakers who have achieved distinction in national competitions and festivals.
SINE NEGRENSE AWARDS
Sine Negrense: Negros Island Film Festival will be giving out three (3) types of award. For the Short Film Competition Component, “Ang Kadungganan sang Makina-admanon” for the most Promising Film Makers of the Intercollegiate Category. “Ang Kadungganan sang Hangkilan”, for the Best Film Makers of the Open Category.
The Ang Kadungganan sang Tingadlum, will be given to honor a Negrense master storyteller, dream weaver, and someone who has given back and mentored Negrense Artists/ Film makers.
The Etymology of the award names are as follows:
KADUNGGANAN – meaning: award, honor.
MAKINA-ADMANON – referring to someone with budding/promising talent. Root word: Kina-adman, talent.
HANGKILAN – referring to someone who is masterful, skillful, and artistic.
TINGADLUM – referring to a Master Shaman, Babaylan, Storyteller, Dream Weaver.
ORGANIZERS
FILM DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF THE PHILIPPINES
The Film Development Council of the Philippines is the government-backed lead agency for film in the Philippines ensuring that the economic, cultural and educational aspects of film are effectively represented at home and abroad. Their mission is to recognize Filipino artistry in films, promote our country and its talents globally, protect our film cultural heritage, and empower every Filipino through film development and education. They envision to reaching every Filipino to create a thriving and self-sustaining film industry that contributes to cultural and economic development of the country.
NCCA COMMITTEE ON CINEMA
The National Committee on Cinema (NCCinema), under the Subcommission on the Arts (SCA), is one of the 19 national committees of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the cultural arm of the government. It is composed of distinguished sectoral representatives from the Filipino cinema community specifically in the areas of mainstream filmmaking, independent cinema, film education, film outreach, film restoration and archiving, and film journalism. They envision a dynamic Philippine cinema that is creative and responsible, reflecting the Filipino people’s culture, needs, values and aspirations, both national and global. NCCinema mission is to harness all available resources towards the vision to benefit and uplift the Filipino cinema community.
THE NEGROS MUSEUM
The Negros Museum is dedicated to promoting and sustaining a deep understanding of local culture, history, artistic practice, and ecology, primarily among the children and youth of the island of Negros, and also among peoples visiting the various areas of the province. The Negros Museum commits to this work in order to contribute to long lasting social understanding and envisions itself to become an exemplary center for arts, culture and Filipino heritage.
