Beginning this year, the Philippines is officially celebrating and commemorating the heritage, significance, and legacy of Philippine Cinema through Philippine Film Industry Month, an annual month-long observation mandated by President Rodrigo Duterte.
The Film Development Council of Philippines (FDCP), as the lead agency in observing Philippine Film Industry Month, has lined up a wide array of events and programs for the inaugural celebration with the theme “Ngayon ang Bagong SineMula!”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the observance of Philippine Film Industry Month 2021 will be done online on the social media pages of FDCP for the Opening and Closing events. Screenings will be hosted exclusively on the FDCP Channel virtual platform (fdcpchannel.ph).
The Opening of Philippine Film Industry Month on Sept. 1, to be streamed on FDCP’s Facebook pages and YouTube channel, will feature the launch of the Nood Tayo ng Sine Campaign plus important announcements from the International Film Industry Conference (IFIC), First Cut Lab Philippines (FCL PH), FDCP FilmPhilippines Incentives Program, and Mit Out Sound: International Silent Film Lab.
FDCP’s flagship program, the 5th Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP), returns to the FDCP Channel with its first leg, featuring free screenings from the Sine Kabataan Short Film Competition and Sine Isla: LuzViMinda Short Film Competition from Sept. 17 to 26.
Also screening for free on the FDCP Channel are eight heritage films restored or enhanced by the FDCP Philippine Film Archive such as “Insiang” by National Artist Lino Brocka and Manila by Night by National Artist Ishmael Bernal for the whole month of September, and films in the special Elwood Perez Retrospective from Sept. 25 to 30.
