If the US has "Hollywood," India has "Bollywood," and South Korea has "Hallyuwood," some government sectors believe that the Philippines' time to shine in the international film market will also come.

The key is in honing the right talents and equipping them with much-needed competitive skills. This is what The Quezon City Film Commission (QCFC) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) sought to do as they launched  the Young Creatives Challenge (YC2) Film Lab through a signing ceremony in Quezon City last Dec. 12.

YC2 Film Lab's mission is to empower young filmmakers aged 18-35 to transform raw screenplays into production-ready feature films through mentorships, workshops, and other activities. The program, running for eight months, consists of four phases: story development, production design and feasibility, pitching and packaging, and market readiness. 

QCFC executive director Liza Diño said the master classes will provide hours and days of fruitful learning for the students. She cited as an example the class on preparing the film "dossier" and how to make the perfect pitch to investors.

"We have mentors na talagang sa iba-ibang  film labs all over the world, napipili yung mga projects nila kasi ang galing nilang magsulat or turn into a narrative their intention on why they want this project. Our young filmmakers will understand that it's not enough to have a great story.At the end of the day, if you don't know how to package your project, no one will take notice of the film," she stressed.

"We're very excited for this partnership with DTI because  our goal of elevating the status of the Filipino film industry is a journey, it's not something that happens overnight," she pointed out.

"We need more people to believe that while the process may take long, it should be continuous and consistent. Hindi po tayo dapat tumitigil doon sa ginagawang proseso. So, I'm happy because even during my time in my previous work (chair of the Film Development Council of the Philippines), the lab is already there as a mechanism of support for our filmmakers," Liza added. 

DTI Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba revealed that the DTI, through Sen. Imee Marcos, organized the Young Creatives Challenge, which has now become one of the flagship programs under the Creative Industries Development Act.

She noted that the film lab is DTI's "pilot collaboration with QCFC," where they commit to supporting the 36 young screenwriters of the program.

DTI's partnership with QCFC is for the screenplay category, but they also support other fields under the Young Creatives Challenge, like playwriting, graphic novels, animation, game development, and online content.

"We're hoping that after this partnership, we'll be able to level it up some more and to really be able to generate successful screenwriters and internationally acclaimed films coming from QCFC," she said.

Aldaba added that the end-goal is "for the Philippines to make a mark in the international scene. We're looking at Quezon City to become the hub for films. Right now, we're already working for the city to be designated as a UNESCO Creative City for Films."

Also present during the signing were QC's Acting Chief Tourism Operations Officer Giana Aira Barata and DTI Director Lilian Salonga who said that "by investing in Filipino creativity, we are cultivating an industry that drives economic growth and attracts international co-production and funding opportunities.”