By Leilanie Adriano | Philippine News Agency
LAOAG CITY – A scary film fair featuring Ilocanos’ rich culture and tradition of remembering the dead will highlight this year’s 10th Lilia Cuntapay Short Horror Film Festival set on October 28-29 at the La Tabacalera Food Park.
For those who are at home who wish to join the event, the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office (INTO) said Tuesday (Oct. 26) the same will also be featured online through the Semana ti Ar-aria (Halloween bash) Facebook page.
Every year, various local government units and their private partners are coming up with Halloween-inspired fun activities in support of enriching local traditions while earning a living particularly in this time of the pandemic.
As a tribute to the late Ilocana actress Lilia Cuntapay, a famous horror queen in Philippine cinema, the Ilocos Norte government continues to hone the skills and talents of amateur filmmakers and students by providing them an avenue to show what they’ve got in the exciting business of film industry.
Under the contest guidelines, all entries must be original, featuring at least one distinct Ilokano death tradition and it must have been produced within the period of Oct. 4-15, 2021.
Awardees will receive trophies and cash prizes for best picture, best director, best screenplay, best in cinematography, best sound effects, and best actor and actress.
“This celebration aims to help amateur filmmakers to grow and honour a genre that needs a new blood to thrive,” Xavier Ruiz, senior operations officer of the INTO, said in an interview.
“It’s always nice to know that our local government units and private sectors are organizing and pushing for events in addition to what the Capitol is doing,” he said.
Starting Oct. 26 to Nov. 6, a Halloween TikTok makeup transformation online contest will also be conducted while a virtual Halloween customer competition will highlight the annual “Tumba Festival” in Paoay town on Nov. 1.
The famous “Tumba” of Paoay is one of the oldest Ilokano traditions of celebrating All Souls’ Day akin to Mexico’s Dia de Muertos, or the Day of the Dead.
It portrays a celebration that is both solemn and jovial. It is meant to remember and honor the departed ones as well as to provide a form of neighborhood entertainment. (PNA) – bny
