By Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA
BACOLOD CITY — The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) unveiled the PHP4.5-million Cinematheque Centre Negros here in a soft opening for the “Sine Negrense: Negros Island Festival 2018” set November 24 to 29.
FDCP chair Liza Diño, who was here on Monday, said she was overwhelmed to see the completion of the film screening venue made possible through the collaboration of local stakeholders with the national government.
The 78-seat movie theater is located in the annex building of The Negros Museum on Gatuslao Street.
“This is a fruition of a dream, this is a manifestation of how we can make dreams come true. I’m very overwhelmed, it’s surreal to see it really come to life. It didn’t take long, it’s a matter of little more than a year,” Diño said in a press briefing held inside the cinematheque or small movie theater.
She added Bacolod is “a perfect template of how prolific filmmakers traveled to Manila and created a name for themselves and gave back” to where they came from.
“Most of the masters of the film industry came from Negros, came from Bacolod. It is so fitting to have a cinematheque here,” Diño said.
During the press briefing, Diño was joined by Negros Cultural Foundation president Lyn Gamboa, veteran actor Joel Torre, Sine Negrense program director Adrian Torres, and Rodolfo “Banjo” Hinolan of Cinematheque Centre Negros.
A Cinematheque Centre is designed to be an alternative and accessible venue to expose audience to both conventional and non-conventional forms of film and programs directed to developing new filmmakers and upgrading the skills of existing ones.
Diño said the establishment of cinematheques is part of FDCP’s goal to empower regional film makers to tell the stories of their own localities without having to go to Metro Manila.
The venue in Bacolod is the sixth in the country aside from those in Manila, Iloilo, Davao, Zamboanga, and Nabunturan in Compostela Valley.
Meanwhile, this year’s Sine Negrense has 12 entries in the Inter-Collegiate Category. These are “Abyan” of Negros Occidental High School directed by Khalil Zayed Sanchez; “Anton,” La Consolacion College-Bacolod, Francis Adeo Bellarde; “Babayi,” Technological University of the Philippines-Visayas, Alter Gonzales Jr.; “Dagway,” Sagay National High School (NHS), Princess Kyle Bernaje and Mary Rose Senillo; “Hermano,” Sagay NHS, Arn Lopez; “Hirit,” Sagay NHS, Mary Rose Senillo; “Kaon,” Colegio San Agustin (CSA)-Bacolod, Ryan Torrico; “Kara,” Riverside College, Arron Tracy Galvan; “Ninos Inosentes,” CSA-Bacolod, Justine Ogapong; “Panan-aw,” Carlos Hilado Memorial State College-Talisay Campus, Carla Mae Mesa; “Pindot,” Eunice Jhoanne Soliva, Sagay NHS; and “Boboy,” Liceo de La Salle, Joaquinn Quilat.
In the Open Category, the eight entries include “Ang Paglimbasog sa Managhigalaay Aron Makalingkawas” directed by Paul Benzi, Jetmore Banot, Jomar Allan and Bruce Lloyd Imbo; “Bangag,” Nathan Bringuer; “Jameson,” Kurt Soberano; “Lumos,” Krizia Millanes; “Ribuk,” Carlo Navarrete; “Sound Bites,” Julius de la Peña; “Umalagi,” Matthew Piodena; and “Anacleto,” Jemima Lim.
All entries are being shown in the Cinematheque Centre Negros from Tuesday to Thursday.
The winners will be announced on Thursday night.
