By MARIE SINADJAN

The Queen City of the South has never been more alive, especially its art and creative sector. From books by Cebuano authors making it to the Frankfurt Book Fair to original musicals touring the world, there’s no shortage of talent down south! More than that, efforts to bring those talents to the world stage have ramped up in recent years as more and more organizations recognize the potential of the entertainment industry outside of the NCR.

Here are some of the creative events happening in Cebu these next two months. 

2023 Sugbo Entertainment Expo (SEE): Create Trip Summit

Called SEE Cebu for short, the Sugbo Entertainment Expo is one of the highlights of the Cebu Business Month 2023 and focuses on the Creative Entertainment Sector. Its primary objective is to bring together experts and visionaries to help elevate Cebu’s entertainment industry to prominence on both Asian and global stages.

The event will have panel discussions with 30+ speakers from international and local regions, exhibitions featuring cutting-edge creations, immersive workshops, diverse booths, giveaways, captivating performances, and other engaging activities to foster exchange of ideas and experiences. It will serve as a platform for networking, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration among professionals and enthusiasts in the creative entertainment sector, with a specific focus on comics, animation, music, original content, and video game development.

It will be held this Oct. 20-21 at the Il Corso Lifemalls. 

www.facebook.com/CebuBusinessMonth

Lamat: Ancient Belief and Healing Practices 

in the Visayas + Visayan Mythical Creatures Cosplay Contest

Palm Grass: The Cebu Heritage Hotel has been organizing events year-round that shine a light on Visayan culture and heritage. This Oct. 14 they’re hosting a talk on ancient healing practices, with Dr. Isidro Sia, of the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care, and Seane Aljas, grandson of Siquijor Healing Traditions author Conception Aljas, as panelists.

It will be a hybrid event that explore age-old traditions, mystical beliefs, and the healing practices that have shaped the heritage of the Visayan people, tracing our fascinating history and profound healing traditions. (Lamat is a Binisaya word that means “to enchant.”)

The event is free and will be livestreamed at Palm Grass The Cebu Heritage Hotel Facebook page and on the pages of their event partners Tres de Abril Foundation, Inc., USC- Center for Social Research and Education, Diyandi Heritage Center, the Central Visayas Association of Museums, and SOAN2020.

And on Oct. 28, they’re hosting a cosplay contest featuring mythical creatures! 

www.facebook.com/PalmGrass

Short+Sweet Film Festival: “Making the world a more creative place ten minutes at a time”

Black Box Theatre is an Australian theater company and cooperative led by actor, director, independent theatrical producer and performance arts advocate Luke Berman. This year they have brought their Short+Sweet film festival to the Philippines, with the Cebu finals happening next Saturday, Oct. 14, at the Marcelo B. Fernan Conference Center. All tickets are for ₱350.00. The audience will be voting for their favorite films, and they will also decide which of the five wildcard films will advance to the Manila finals on Oct. 28 at the Doreen Black Box in the Ateneo de Manila University.

Trailers for the Filipino finalist films Love Again, Rose, Coming Home, Cut, They Who Were Lost in Oblivion, To Be with Ma, and A Personal Reminiscence can be found on Black Box Theatre’s Facebook page.

www.facebook.com/blackboxtc 

CebuLitFest x Komiket

Komiket collaborates with CebuLitFest once again to bring its fun komiks art market to Cebu. Happening on Nov. 10-12 at the IEC Convention Center, the event will showcase exhibitors from all over the country. Tickets are now available for ₱100/day or ₱500 for a three-day VIP access pass. 

www.facebook.com/cebulitfest

Marie Sinadjan is a Filipino fantasy author, singer-songwriter, musical theatre actress, and book reviewer. She loves coffee, travelling, and watching the stars.

linktr.ee/mariesinadjan