The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) has partnered with the Intramuros Administration to launch #WeAreIntramuros film festival. Chairman of FDCP Liza Diño and Intramuros Administrator Atty. Guiller Asido At the press launch of the project, FDCP chair Liza Diño that they are combining film artistry with heritage and history appreciation, particularly Intramuros. Participants should be Filipino citizen 16 years old and above, and must be a student of a school in Metro Manila. These include Mapúa University, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Manila High School, and University of the City of Manila. The production crew must have no more than four members, all from same school. The submission of original concept with synopsis is Sept. 20. The film projects can be of any topic as long as these promote outstanding Filipino values like hospitality, valuing family, hard work, and resourcefulness. Also, the setting must be in Intramuros. They call on the students to join as “they are really familiar with the place. For sure they already have favorite spot where they hang out. So how can you turn that as a location for your film,” Diño said. “There are so many good places in Intramuros. We have churches, heritage site, parks, restaurants, hotel, and whole community. So it’s really possible to complete a film just within the area.” She hopes for the festival to promote and maximize the opportunity they have now that they have more visibility in film markets abroad. Asked if it’s okay for the participating films to show even the “shabby” side of Intramuros, Liza pointed out that when it comes to films “even the slums and warts can become beautiful.” “That’s how subjective film is,” she explained. She cleared that when they promote the Philippines in other country, they don’t just represent the tourist locations such as beaches, but as well as the streets – which foreign productions find “exotic” and “interesting.” “When you talk about location site, you’re not just talking about beaches. You have to find the gem, the beautiful things about your locality even if it’s just a street. Because through the film even the most ordinary street or location can become a beautiful location site,” she maintained. “So there’s no better way to really discover the beauty of Intramuros than through film.” #WeAreIntramuros film festival will run for three days. The first day is allotted for mentorship program with different speakers, directors, editors, to give talk. “So it’s like a boot camp or ala 101 filmmaking,” she shared. “We, FDCP emphasize on having an educational component. It’s overnight mentorship under different filmmakers and mentors in the industry. They will be taught the proper way of directing, editing, and such.” The second day is shooting day or the 24-hour filmmaking challenge. Diño said the mechanics are inspired by American reality competition show “The Amazing Race,” in which typically the teams race around and the program is split into different legs where each one requires teams to deduce clues, navigate themselves, interact with locals, perform physical and mental challenges, and vie for public transportation options on a limited budget provided by the show. The last day will show the 10 films in an outdoor cinema. The finalists can win the following awards: Best Film Award with Php 20,000.00 cash prize, trophy & certificate; Jury’s Choice Award with Php 15,000.00 cash prize, trophy & certificate; People’s Choice Award with Php 10,000 cash prize, trophy & certificate (most viral video); Consolation Prize of Php 5,000 for the eight production teams with certificates; and Special Award that the Jury might feel rewarding, Php 5,000 for one or two production teams with certificates. The films will also be used as promo videos in FDCP events.