With the theme "Divergence + Convergence," Cinema Rehiyon 15 × Montañosa Film Festival had successfully rolled out in Baguio City last March 2023. Numerous filmmakers across the country came together to showcase their works and support the city government's objective to establish an interwoven creative and tourism endeavor of Baguio as a Creative City.
ENRICHING FILM INDUSTRY—The National Artist for Film Kidlat Tahimik is rallying for regional filmmakers, encouraging investors to look beyond box-office hit criteria
Cinema Rehiyon, is the flagship project of the National Committee on Cinema (NCCA), and aims to promote films that tell stories rooted in the culture of the regions. Meanwhile the Montañosa Film Festival, is Baguio City’s very own regional film festival. Combined, these two power houses gave opportunity for regional filmmakers—first-timers, veterans, amateurs, and professionals—to exhibit their films to a wider audience and for regional filmmakers to build networks in events held in various venues in Baguio City.
As a UNESCO Creative City, Baguio is also a home to our National Artist for Film, Kidlat Tahimik. In a conversation with Manila Bulletin Lifestyle, the National Artist shared his idea about why investors should take risks for regional filmmakers.
THE WINNERS—Regional filmmakers across the country joined this year's Montañosa Film Festival competition. Winners received grants to be used in creating films that will be showcased in the 2024 edition of the festival
But first, the “Perfumed Nightmare” director thanked all the stakeholders who supported the festival and encouraged them to invest more on local filmmakers. “The help of these stakeholders toward the realization of local storytelling is the most important because it brings out all the local stories because these stakeholders had a common feeling that the films coming here in the festival are important for the local people. Therefore, it’s good for the country,” he told Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “They can relate to the stories that bring them hope and they know that they are also part of national storytelling.”
He then shared that the success of a film shouldn’t be gauged based on the monetary value it makes. Hence, investors should also look beyond the term box office hit.
“I think these stakeholders should just realize that yung pagtulong natin sa kanila [filmmakers] ay talagang off value. Minsan 'yan ang nagiging criteria, kung papatok sa takilya. Hey, hey. Let’s stop believing that everything should be papatok sa takilya [he fondly shared that he likes to call these films PST],” he said. “Maski na hindi mag-box office ang film as long as it has the first intention and the first content about what happened here in the locality and brings it in connection with the rest of the world. I think that is the main thing that stakeholders should measure if they have to support those efforts, not always tied to the money figures.”
The Montañosa Film Festival has given grants to numerous filmmakers in different categories such as documentary and narrative. All those who received it also went on various training and lectures from industry leaders, including Kidlat Tahimik. Their output will be showcased in the 2024’s edition of the said festival.