7 Pinoy films featured at Rotterdam festival
By Loui Galicia, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
Posted at 02/08/2012 7:44 PM | Updated as of 02/08/2012 7:44 PM
Director Lav Diaz talks to the media at the International Film Festival Rotterdam
MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino filmmakers triumphed once again, this time at a recent film festival in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
From January 25 to February 5, the Pinoy films were shown at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), which is considered as the home of Philippine cinema in Europe.
Regulars at the IFFR are veteran indie filmmakers Lav Diaz, Khavn dela Cruz and Raya Martin.
Martin, for instance, is dubbed by the Dutch press as the “wonder boy from the Philippines.”
But even if he did not go to this year's festival, his films “Buenas Noches Espana” and “Boxing in the Philippine Islands” were among the seven Pinoy films shown at the festival.
Diaz attended the festival to support his two films “Florentina Hubaldo and “Siglo ng Pagluluwal."
Dela Cruz was also there for his film “MondoManila."
A first timer in Rotterdam, Jet Leyco was ecstatic about showing his films "Ex Press" and "Patlang."
The Pinoys feel indebted to the IFFR for its continued support to Filipino filmmakers, paving the way for the Philippines to become part of the cultural movement.
“It’s not that our films are here but sila ang regular na tumutulong sa atin and they believe in Philippine cinema, especially the Hubert Bals Fund, which is funding independent filmmakers in the Philippines,” said Diaz.
Called a “maestro” by the IFFR, Diaz said the Philippines is not behind anymore in the world of filmmaking.
“The so-called cult movement sa mundo, we’re part of it. Hindi tayo naiiwan. The very fact na that they’re inviting Filipino cinema, bahagi tayo, kasama tayo sa malawak na kilusan sa kultura,” Diaz said.
“They respect us, may acknowledgement, may awareness na may ginagawa rin tayo sa Pilipinas,” he said.“For one, like itong Rotterdam, it’s one of the greatest festivals in the world, in terms of programming serious cinema. Andito tayo.”
According to Diaz, it is IFFR programmer Gertjan Zuilhof, who first programmed the Filipino films at the festival.
“Gertjan Zuilhof believes in Philippine cinema. He’s the first na nag-program ng maraming Filipino films dito sa Europa. This the home of the Philippine cinemas in Europe. Of course, kasama ang Venice dyan,” Diaz explained.
The IFFR is the largest festival in the world in terms of films and audience, which counts more than 300,000 viewers every year.
“They see your films na parang ganung talaban, may ganung interaction ng mga kultura na mahalaga para sa world peace or pag-unawa sa mga pagkakaiba at similarities ng mga tao, ibat ibang tao, ibat ibang kultura,” Dela Cruz said.
Leyco and another first timer to the festival Hazel Orencio, who is the lead actress in "Florentina Hubaldo" and "Siglo ng Pagluluwal," were both in awe of the IFFR.
“Exciting siya kasi first time kong pumunta dito tapos first film ko din siya. Sobrang okay din mga viewers, mga nanonood. Yung atmosphere, ambience dito sa Rotterdam sobrang okay in terms of cinema,” Leyco said.
The IFFR is a unique festival showcasing the works of art of filmmakers although lacking in pomp and glamor.
But still Orencio was overwhelmed by the festival community’s warm reception to the Filipinos.
“Nalulula ako. Nahihiya ako actually. Tapos celebrity dito si Direk Lav so people were greeting him, critics,” Orencio said.
Now that most of the Pinoys have returned to the Philippines, they said that do not aspire for grandeur nor recognition back home.
Their only wish is for the present government to extend a bigger hand to the makers of serious films because they do not expect President Benigno Aquino III to understand the intricacies of Philippine cinema.
But according to the indie filmmakers, what Aquino can do to put the industry on the right track is to carefully choose those who will oversee them.
"They are those who know, those who are open and those who do not allow their biases to affect the growth of both the culture and the Philippine cinema," they said.
SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/02/08/12/7-pinoy-films-featured-rotterdam-festival
