Martin’s film ‘Independencia’ wins 2nd Rotterdam Grant

Martin’s film ‘Independencia’ wins 2nd Rotterdam Grant


By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Filipino filmmaker Raya Martin wins a second grant from the International Film Festival Rotterdam or IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund Fall 2007. The young director, who is only in his early twenties, is the only Filipino on this season’s list of 28 winners.

Martin’s film "Independencia" won in the Script Development Category of the HBF.

According to a statement sent by the IFFR to ABS-CBN, Martin will receive financing to develop the film which is set against a backdrop of the American occupation of the Philippines in the early 20th century.

On October 30, the HBF announced grants totaling 435,000 euros (P28 million ) to 28 film projects in 18 countries for fall 2007.

Martin was already an IFFR grant recipient early this year when he was awarded a 15,000-euro (960,000 pesos) Prince Claus Fund in January for Independencia which was one of the 46 Cinemart Projects 2007 and which was selected by the jury as the Best Cinemart Project 2007.

IFFR spokesman Bert-Jan Zoet said that the HBF has now decided to further support Martin in the fund’s Script Development Category.

“Martin gets this support to be able to develop his project from its initial idea and outline to a script. He has therefore not started shooting the film.

“The Hubert Bals Fund has the experience that financial support in this first development stage can be crucial as often there are no co-producers or other financiers yet. The Fund's support can now act as seal of approval that may help to attach more financiers to the project.” Zoet added.

"Independencia" may be seen as follow-up to Martin's previous feature film “Short Film About Indio Nacional”, screened at last year’s IFFR, dealing with the end of the Spanish colonial period.

Zoet said that to be selected for the HBF, filmmakers from southern or developing countries can enter their projects twice a year and that hundreds of applications are received in each of these selection rounds.

“The fact that Raya Martin's film project "Independencia" has been awarded during CineMart 2007 and has now been selected for support by Hubert Bals Fund, makes it clear that his work does have a clear international appeal. Both CineMart and Hubert Bals Fund take this aspect in serious account when selecting film projects,” Zoet said.

“He is the smartest of the young filmmaking talent currently working in the Philippines, open to influences ranging from silent cinema, avant garde to pop culture and yet not less political than his film-making colleagues,” Zoet commented.

Independencia is produced by Arleen Cuevas for Cinematografica Independiente en Filipinas in Manila.

The 37th IFFR will take place on January 23 to February 3, 2008.

The Hubert Bals Fund is designed to bring remarkable or urgent feature films and feature-length creative documentaries by innovative and talented filmmakers from developing countries closer to completion.

It provides grants that often turn out to play a crucial role in enabling these filmmakers to realize their projects.

Since the Fund started in 1988, close to 600 projects from independent filmmakers in Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America have received support. Approximately 80% of these projects have been realised or are currently in production. Every year, the IFFR screens completed films supported by the Fund.

It is supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dutch non-governmental development organizations Hivos and NCDO, the DOEN Foundation and Dutch public broadcasting network NPS.

The HBF supports training initiatives for filmmakers in Ethiopa, Philippines, Costa Rica and Uganda. In Armenia and the Philippines, the fund participates in co-production meetings and awards are granted to the most promising film projects.

The winners for the IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund Fall 2007 are:

Post production

I want to see – Khalil Joreige & Joanna Hadjithomas ; Lebanon
El cielo, la tierra, y la lluvia (The Sky, the Earth and the Rain – Jose Luis Torres Leiva ; Chile
A festa da menina morta (The Dead Girl’s Party) – Matheus Nachtergaele ; Brazil
Fujian Blue –Weng Shou Ming ; China
Liverpool – Lisandro Alonso ; Argentina
Sweet Sixties – Sergei Loznitsa ; Ukraine
Wonderful Town – Aditya Assarat ; Thailand
Zimbabwe – Darrel James Roodt ; South Africa

Script development

Le coq (The Rooster) – Mitra Farahani ; Iran
Mute Affairs – Bui Thac Chuyen ; Vietnam
Feast of Villains – Pan Jian Lin ; China
Friccion (Friction) – Michel Lipkes ; Mexico
Gabbla (Inland) – Tariq Teguia ; Algeria
Black and White Photos – Haolun Shu ; China
Independencia (Independence) – Raya Martin; Phillippines
Untitled Bahman Ghobadi Project – Bahman Ghobadi ; Iran
Ocaso (Decline) – Théo Jose Court ; Chile
Stroke – Daniela Schneider ; Mexico
Susa – Giorgi Chalauri ; Georgia
Tatuagem (Tattoo) – Hilton Lacerda ; Brazil
The Umesh Chronicles – Pooja Kaul ; India
Zephyr – Belma Bas ; Turkey

Digital production

Los Herederos (The Inheritors) – Eugenio Polgovsky ; Mexico
A Journal of Crude Oil – Wang Bing ; China
Oxhide II – Liu Jiayin ; China
Un suspiro (A Sigh) – Paz Encina ; Paraguay

Distribution

La Libertad, Los Muertos & Fantasma – Lisandro Alonso – release by Mantarraya Producciones in Mexico City ; Mexico

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

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