Na-slash nang bonggang-bongga ang budget ng gobyerno para sa state colleges and universities, sa DepEP at PhilHealth, pati sa Arts and Culture.
“Totoo, totoo,” sabi ni FDCP Chairperson Jose Javier Reyes sa mediacon nitong Enero 27, 2025, Lunes, sa Limbaga 77 restaurant, Sct. Limbaga St., Quezon City.
“Lalo na sa CCP [Cultural Center of the Philippines], oo. So ang tanong niyo, how true — alam ko na, uunahan ko na — wala nang Cinemalaya this year?
“Di ba, yun ang gusto mong itanong?”
Ang Cinemalaya ay prestihiyosong festival ng indie films.
Proyekto ito ng CCP, at nakagawiang ganapin tuwing Agosto. Nakadalawang dekada na ito.
Read: Cinemalaya XX awards night: highlights and sidelights
Ilang taon nang si Direk Joey ang chairman sa committee na nagmo-monitor ng entries sa Cinemalaya.
Diretsong pahayag ng multi-awarded scriptwriter and director, “Meron pa this year! Meron pa this year.
“Mag-uusap pa ang Board of Trustees ng Cinemalaya with Mr. [Tonyboy] Cojuangco and Laurice Guillen.
“Meron pa. Assured yon this year. Assured yon THIS YEAR.”
Read: Joey Reyes on FDCP budget, film restoration, new building
THE FUTURE OF CINEMALAYA
Sa pagkakaalam ng PEP Troika, tatlo sa Cinemalaya 2025 entries ang nagsusyuting na.
Puwedeng wala nang Cinemalaya next year?
“Assured this year,” tanging tugon ni Direk Joey.
Kaya ba hindi nag-announce ng call for entries para sa Cinemalaya 2026?
“Assured na this year.”
Pero puwede pang ma-save? Sa tulong ng private sector?
Tumango si Direk Joey, “Yeah. Yeah. I think that is the alternative being given by Mr. Cojuangco and Laurice Guillen, OK.
“They will be looking for private [funding] in the event na hindi na talaga masuportahan ng CCP, OK.
“Sabi nila, 'Alam ko na ang next question ninyo, kaya ba ng FDCP [Film Development Council of the Philippines]?
“Hindi namin kaya yung halaga, e, dahil medyo may kalakihan. We can just give support dun sa mga napiling films but we cannot handle that.
“At saka we cannot support a specific festival because we have to be fair to all the other festivals which ask for support.”
Si Direk Laurice ang president ng Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc., samantalang si G. Cojuangco ang chairman.
Read: Direk Joey Reyes urges Pinoy filmmakers to "think globally"
CINEMALAYA IN DANGER OF BEING DISSOLVED
Matagal nang bahagi ng Cinemalaya filmfest si Direk Joey. Ano ang personal niyang damdamin na “nanganganib” ang Cinemalaya?
“Na-shout ko yan sa Facebook — saddened, heartbroken,” tugon ni Direk Joey.
“This is the end of something great pag hindi siya na-save.
“Chris Martinez, Law Fajardo, Dan Villegas, Antonette Jadaone, Sigrid Bernardo. These are all children of Cinemalaya.
“How can we put an end to something as important as that? How can we not say that it is part of Philippine culture?
“And how can you possibly imagine Philippine culture without cinema?
“We need Cinemalaya. We need Cinemalaya!
"It has been around for 20 years, and it would not have lasted 20 years if it were not important to the development not only of Philippine cinema but the evolution of Philippine culture.
“I think we should look at cinema as an artifact of every phase of Philippine history.
“And we should give due respect to that. I’ve worked with Cinemalaya for so many years. It’s very close to my heart.
“And it will completely devastate me if it should come to an end. Ano na ang mangyayari sa future filmmakers natin?”
Read: Showbiz Anniversaries 2024: Manila FilmFest Scam, MMFF, Cinemalaya
FDCP UPCOMING PROJECTS
Andaming proyekto ng FDCP sa unang quarter pa lang ng 2025.
Merong pa-workshop sa cinematographers, ganoon din sa documentary filmmakers.
May mga ipapadala sa Berlinale, pati sa international filmfest ng Rotterdam.
Para sa Valentine’s Day, andiyan ang Sine Sinta: Pag-ibig at Pelikula 2025.
Ipalalabas ang mga pelikulang Gitling at Past Lives sa piling Ayala cinemas at regional Cinematheques.
Sa Marso, may curation ng World Cinema.
Tampok dito ang Flow, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Bird, A Traveler’s Needs, Dahomey, at Young Hearts.
Nasa ikawalong taon na ang Sine Kabataan, kung saan ang participants ay hanggang 23-anyos lamang.
Meron ding filmfest ng animated films.
Isusulong ng FDCP sa pamumuno ni Direk Joey ang documentaries, animated films, at short films.
Buo ang pananalig ni Direk Joey na documentary ang unang Filipino film na maso-shortlist sa kategoryang best international feature ng Oscars o Academy Awards.
May iba pang incentives at grants ang FDCP.
Tatlong iconic films ang ipapa-restore — Death Was A Stranger (1963) ni Lamberto Avellana, Badlis sa Kinabuhi (1969) ni Leroy Salvador, at Sister Stella L (1984) ni Mike de Leon.
Malaki ba ang budget na ipinagkaloob sa FDCP para maisakatuparan ang mga ganitong proyekto?
Napangiti si Direk Joey, “By the grace of God, OK, and siguro dahil charming ako… we got the biggest budget ever this year for FDCP.
“Andaming insertions na ibinigay dahil kasi ipinakita naman namin yung mga plano namin na mga projects which are based…
“Wala kayong napansin? They are basically home-based. They’re really development projects, so medyo, di ba, pagkatapos ng budget defense namin, nagka-cartwheel kami palabas ng Senado, OK.
“Dahil anlaki ng ibinigay, at saka andami pang ibibigay na insertions lalo na dito sa restoration, OK.
“So we’re very, very happy, OK.”