Nakatakda na sa Abril 19, 2024 ang ikalawang Parangal ng Sining o Honor of the Arts ng Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).
Ang unang FDCP Parangal ng Sining ay ginanap noong Abril 23, 2023 sa Seda Vertis North, Quezon City.
Pinagkalooban doon ng Annual Achievent Award sina Dolly de Leon, Soliman Cruz at Martika Escobar.
Binigyan naman ng Lifetime Achievement Award sina Vilma Santos, Lily Monteverde, Nick Deocampo at ang Cinemalaya Foundation.
"This year, gagawa uli kami ng Parangal," pahayag ng technical consultant ng FDCP na si Direk Jose Javier Reyes sa mediacon nitong Pebrero 15, 2024, Huwebes sa Pandan Asian Cafe, Sct. Limbaga St., Quezon City.
"OK, ima-mount uli ang Parangal. Medyo nag-aapuhap kami para sa Annual Awardees. In other words, Filipinos who have proven themselves to be of outstanding international presence, hindi ba?
"Naghahanap pa kami, pero we have some names already lined up, OK, for possible approval of the board of trustees to be our Lifetime Achievement.
"Baka may isa na posthumous, OK. So in other words, ipagpapatuloy namin ito because we feel that this is a way for FDCP to honor and highlight people who have achieved such great contribution to Philippine cinema."
May paliwanag si Direk Joey sa mga respetadong personalidad na di kasali sa parangal.
Lahad niya: "Maraming nagre-react, 'E, bakit wala si Nora Aunor?! Bakit wala si Ricky Lee?!'
"My God, they’re National Artists! Nothing can be higher than being a National Artist.
"Nakakahiya naman na bigyan pa namin ng you know… hindi naman sinasabi naming you know, it’s way, way down.
"Pero yung National Artist is na-achieve mo na ang tugatog ng artistic tagumpay, OK. We don’t need to repeat that.
"And we’d like to give an opportunity to other people, specifically dedicated to films. So magaganap ang nasabing Parangal na ito, OK.
"Siguro puwede ko nang sabihin, isa pa lamang ang more or less, sigurado na diyan. It’s a posthumous award to Teddy Co, OK, for his scholarship in Philippine cinema.
So, kagaya ni Nora Aunor, hindi na rin pagpupugayan si Ricky Lee sa Parangal ng Sining?
Napatili si Direk Joey, "Hindi na puwede! Paano mo naman kokoronahan ang taong may korona na?”
Read: FDCP officials Tirso Cruz III, Joey Reyes react to separate awards night of MIFF
FDCP PARTICIPATION IN THREE MAJOR EVENTS
Kabahagi ang FDCP sa tatlong importanteng event ng local movie industry ngayong taon.
Salaysay ni Direk Joey, "It is the 20th anniversary of Cinemalaya, OK. And by December, it will be the Golden MMFF, the 50th year.
"And it’s also the 100th year of Eddie Romero, OK. So we are also gearing various activities to help support these major events."
CINEMALAYA
Sisimulan ng FDCP ang partisipasyon nito sa Cinemalaya 2024.
Aniya, "OK, the Cinematheques will be showing selected best pictures of Cinemalaya for the past 20 years."
MMFF BEST PICTURES
Most likely, gaganapin ang Cinemalaya 2024 sa Ayala By the Bay sa Macapagal Blvd., Parañaque City.
Pagpapatuloy ni Direk Joey, "And then in the latter part, in preparation for the Golden MMFF, we’ve asked MMDA, and FDCP will be showing the best pictures of MMFF through the past 50 years.
"Hindi naman lahat yung 50. Kasi yung iba, would you believe, are dead films na. Wala nang kopya, OK. So yung mahahagilap namin.
"And then we are talking to CEAP (Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines) na baka puwedeng maipalabas yan as part of Sine Singkuwenta, OK.
"We’re still yet to negotiate with CEAP na ipapalabas yung mga best pictures ng MMFF for P50, OK, in preparation for the Golden MMFF, which they’re really preparing to death."
Read: Free cinematography course for college students, handog ng Mowelfund, FDCP, at CMB Films
tribute to FILMS of national artists
Magbibigay-pugay din ang FDCP sa National Artist na si Eddie Romero, na kilalang film director-writer.
"Tapos yung kay Eddie Romero… yun ang masaklap, di ba? Yung ibang pelikula ni Eddie Romero, dead films na. Wala nang kopya.
"So we are looking for one, which will celebrate his 100th anniversary and most likely, this will be held at the Metropolitan Theater."
Kabilang sa mga pelikula ni Direk Eddie ang Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon? (1976), Banta ng Kahapon (1977), Aguila (1980), Kamakalawa (1981), at Hari sa Hari, Lahi sa Lahi (1987).
Dagdag ni Direk Joey, "And the next Philippine Film Month will be dedicated to the National Artists of Film, specifically centering on Eddie Romero, Brocka, Bernal, Marilou Abaya, Kidlat Tahimik, and the like. Gerry de Leon, kung may available."
Ngayong 2024 din ang 30th anniversary ng Manila Film Festival Scam, kung saan inako ng talent coordinator na si Lolit Solis ang pagiging mastermind.
Read: Joey Reyes, prangkang sinabi kung bakit walang 2024 Summer MMFF at PPP
MAJOR PROBLEMS IN PH CINEMA
Pagkatapos ng 49th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), matamlay na muli ang mga sinehan.
Ayon kay FDCP Chair Tirso Cruz III, major problems ng local movie industry ang malaking buwis sa pelikula, ang epekto ng streaming, at ang pagbabago ng nakagawian ng mga tao dahil sa pandemya.
Paliwanag ni Direk Joey, "Na-spoil tayo, e, hindi ba? Hand-in-hand with that is the cost of ticket prices sa sinehan.
"Sabi ko nga, Pugx500 ang Netflix, mabulag ka na, makatarata ka na, you can watch yourself to death, hindi ba?
"But then, for a minimum wage earner, who earns a little over P600, and a ticket that costs P400, magse-second thought ka talaga na manood, no? And then may repercussion pa yan.
"Tapos yung mga logistics problems ng nagsusyuting, na nagiging problema rin.
"Pero I will summarize mine in three points. Number 1, binanggit ko na ito sa MIFF noong nag-round table kami.
"Ang sabi ko, before we demand or request for worldwide popularity, and acceptance of Filipino movies, I think the bigger problem is sustainability.
"OK, bago tayo sabihin, ‘The world! Let’s get the Oscar chuva-chuva,’ can we keep the Filipino cinema alive?
"Kasi ang bigger problem is pabawas na nang pabawas ang nagpo-produce ng pelikula, OK.
"Ikalawa, Filipino cinema cannot last for only 10 days a year. OK, Filipino cinema cannot be the Metro Manila Film Festival. OK.
"Tingnan niyo ang nangyari after the Metro Manila Film Festival. Yeah, there was the miracle of Rewind, hindi ba?
"Na bongga-bongga pa rin, after nun, back to normal, hindi ba? That’s not the way to sustain Philippine cinema.
"And the bigger question is BAKIT? Bakit hindi na nanonood ang tao sa sinehan?
"And the answer to that is… pucha, nung two years na nakulong ang mga Pilipino, nanood ng Netflix, tumaas ang antas ng panlasa nila. OK.
"Yung Korea na lang, hindi ba? Tumaas ang antas. Natuto silang gumamit ng various platforms and Torrent, hindi ba? So nakakakita sila ng World Cinema.
"So kung magbabayad ako ng PHP400, it better be worth it. E, pucha, bigyan mo ako… how will I spend PHP400 kung ang budget ng pelikula, P6M? Hindi ba?
"Yung puchi-puchi, hindi ko papanoorin. Hihintayin nila iyang mag-streaming.
"And then lastly, ang liit ng window between cinema and streaming — 45 days! E, di hintayin ko na lang sa streaming.
"Some of the biggest flops are the biggest hits sa streaming. Ibig sabihin, inintay sa streaming.
"So in other words, the challenge is for Filipino producers, 'Oy! Tigilan niyo na yung puchi-puchi ninyo!’
"Pero sabi naman ng producer, ‘Bakit ako mag-i-invest ng P30M, e, wala ka namang probability na kikita ka at hindi ka papanoorin?’
"So chicken-and-egg situation. So ang kailangan, magtulungan. Dun kailangang magtulungan.
"May nagtanong pa rin, ‘Bakit ang Koreano, ganun? Bakit napaka-successful ng Korean cinema?'
"Isa lang ang sagot ko, ‘Koreans love Korea. Do Filipinos love Filipinos?’ I think that answers the question completely."