Philippine cinema in books

The University of Santo Tomas Publishing House published the two book volumes of Lee—Ang Daigdig ng mga Api: Remembering a Lost Film and Riding the Waves: 15 Years of Cinemalaya.

Six books by icons and experts on Philippine cinema have been launched at the 18th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

Nick Deocampo's book Alternative Cinema: The Unchronicled History of Alternative Cinema in the Philippines and Philippine Cinema 1897-2020 by Gaspar Vibal and Dennis Villegas were launched at the Cinemalaya Tent.

Alternative Cinema is a collection of ethnography and history of alternative cinema in the Philippines. It also seeks to reveal the “hidden side” of Philippine cinema. The book took 40 years to create, utilizing Deocampo’s notes, notebooks, and diaries.

The author is an award-winning Filipino filmmaker, film historian, University of the Philippines Film Institute (UPFI) professor, and advocate for film literacy. Since 1982, he has written on alternative films in the country, which started while he was in Paris shortly after graduating from the UP.

Philippine Cinema 1897-2020 received the Best Book on Art in the 39th National Book Awards. The book was written by Gaspar A. Vidal of the University of the Philippines Diliman and Dennis A. Villegas of the Far Eastern University. It was edited by Teddy Co.

Co is the founder of Cinema Rehiyon. He was the chairman of the Cinema Committee the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Also launched were the books Mga Screenplay ni Ricky Lee Volume 1: Brutal, Moral, Karnal and Mga Screenplay ni Ricky Lee Volume 2: Himala, Cain at Abel, Salome by national artist for film and broadcast arts Ricardo “Ricky” Lee at the Third Floor CCP Hallway.

Lee, a Filipino screenwriter, journalist, novelist, and playwright, collaborated with fellow national artist for film and broadcast arts Marilou Diaz-Abaya on the screenplays of Brutal, Moral, and Karnal. The first volume contains the complete scripts of the three films with precursory articles on their developments.

For the second volume Mga Screenplay ni Ricky Lee (Volume 2): Himala, Cain at Abel, Salome, Lee included the three screenplays of the films, which were directed by Ishmael Bernal, Lino Brocka, and Laurice Guillen respectively. Bernal and Brocka are both national artists for film and broadcast arts.

The University of Santo Tomas Publishing House published the two book volumes of Lee.

Ang Daigdig ng mga Api: Remembering a Lost Film (a collaboration between Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr. and Dik Trofeo) and Riding the Waves: 15 Years of Cinemalaya edited by Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr. was launched at the Cinemalaya Lounge by Latitude at the Third Floor of the CCP Main Gallery.

Del Mundo is a writer who recreated the multi-award winning film Ang Daigdig ng mga Api in book form. He collaborated on the book with Dik Trofeo, the film’s assistant director, who contributed anecdotes and black-and-white pictures from behind the scenes. Dick Baldovino was another photo contributor to the book’s images.

Riding the Waves: 15 Years of Cinemalaya was relaunched after last year’s online release. It contains a vibrant tapestry of narratives that portray through words and images the first 15 years of the festival’s existence through the contributors’ unique vantage points.

World-renowned artists and cultural figures who contributed articles to Riding The Waves include Doreen Yu, Lito B. Zulueta, Jose Javier Reyes, Marjorie Evasco, Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr., Bayani San Diego, Jr., Philip Cheah, Max Tessier, Ben Suzuki, Jessica Zafra, Michael Kho Lim, and Chris B. Millado.

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