Ikinagulat ng ilang industry observers ang strongly-worded statement ng bagong-talagang director general ng Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) na si Vivian Velez.
Nitong Nobyembre lamang naitalaga si Vivian sa puwesto, kapalit ng dating director general na si Leo Martinez.
Sa statement ng FAP ay pinasaringan ni Vivian ang Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), na pinamumunuan ni Liza Diño-Seguerra.
Narito ang buong pahayag ng FAP na inilabas sa Facebook kahapon, December 4:
“The Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) was established in 1981, mandated to promote film worker careers, advocacies, work relations, among many things.
“Likewise, FAP was tasked to recognize superlative performances by its members through the Luna Awards, which is considered by many as the pinnacle of all Philippine film industry awards.
“But the FAP became a fallen angel of late and has been reduced to menial work, bordering charity, and entitlement.
“It functioned through donations, mostly from the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) which FAP has had a hard time and a rough relationship with, unable to collect remittances from which resulted in cash flow issues for the academy.
“This is not an indictment on the MMFF but the anemic leadership demonstrated by FAP which gave up on its mandate altogether.
“This weakness resulted in the expulsion of FAP in the ExComm of the MMFF.
“Another recent example is the abrogation of the then FAP leadership of its prestigious Luna Awards to the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), a partnership that has never been clearly communicated to us—the new administration of the FAP.
“It appears that the main responsibility of overseeing the preparations and all the processes for nomination and selection of winners for the 2019 Luna Awards has been given to the FDCP, which is a clear violation of FAP's mandate.
“Therefore, I, together with the new management of FAP is here to clean house, correct erroneous traditions, bring back FAP to its roots, and center on the welfare of film workers.
“There will be arduous days, grumblings, hate and discontent ahead.
“As L. Tolstoy said, "Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold."
“Signed
“Vivian Velez
“Director General
“Film Academy of the Philippines”
ISSUE WITH FDCP
Kinagabihan, sa pamamagitan ng Facebook at text messaging, hiningan ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) ng karagdagang paliwanag si Vivian tungkol sa inilabas niyang pahayag.
Inamin ng aktres na mayroong hindi pagkakaunawaan sa pagitan ng FAP at FDCP.
Saad ni Vivian, “When I assumed office, we had to go back from the very beginning on how the Film Academy got started... up to my assumption from office.
“Do I have a problem with how it is now with FAP and FDCP? Yes, very much so.
“It was not meant to be this way.
"It is not just with FCDP only, we have our own issues from within FAP also.
“While one finger is pointed at FDCP, four others are pointed back at us.
"We have to clean up internal issues as well."
Isa sa dahilan ng hidwaan ng dalawang organisasyong may kinalaman sa Philippine movies ay ang paghawak ng FDCP sa nakaraang 37th Luna Awards.
Ayon kay Vivian, ang Luna Awards ay pag-aari ng FAP.
Nais daw sanang makipag-usap ni Vivian kay Liza, pero abala raw ito sa kanyang mga biyahe abroad.
Lahad ni Vivian, “I've been requesting an audience to speak to her about the agreement of FDCP with FAP in regards to Luna Awards.
“I think she was busy coming in and out of the country attending film festivals all over the world.”
Sa Nominees Night ng Luna Awards noong November 20, parehong dumalo sina Vivian at Liza.
Pero hindi sumipot ang bagong FAP director general sa mismong awards night.
Paliwanag ni Vivian tungkol dito, “We were held completely in the dark with our own Luna Awards last November 30.
“How can we support that?”
Sa hiwalay na panayam ng PEP Troika columnist na si Gorgy Rula kay Liza, sinabi nitong nirerespeto niya ang opinyon ni Vivian at bukas siya sa pakikipag-usap.
Saad ni Liza, “We respect her opinion. FAP is one of our board of trustees. If she has concerns, she can always take it up during our board meeting.
“The Luna awards this year is a one-time partnership — only because it’s hundred years of Philippine cinema.”
Mananatiling bukas ang PEP.ph sa maaaring ihayag ni Liza ukol dito.