THE country’s film industry continues to go global after several films and filmmakers were shortlisted to participate in the 76th Festival de Cannes this month.
Led by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), the Philippine delegation will embark on a trip to France to attend the prestigious event on May 16 to 27.
According to the film council, two Filipino films will be screened during the Marché du Film event in the festival.
One is the action-thriller film Topakk (Trigger) directed by Richard Somes and starring Sid Lucero, Kokoy De Santos, Paolo Paraiso, Vin Abrenica, Arjo Atayde, and Julia Montes.
Topakk follows the story of an ex-special forces operative who is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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The other film that will be showcased is award-winning director J.E. Tiglao’s Her Locket.
Courtesy: FDCP on Facebook
The Marché du Film is a professional event held every year alongside the Cannes Film Festival. It offers a wide variety of opportunities and services for professionals, such as film screenings, conferences, workshops, and networking occasions. It attracts thousands of film industry professionals from around the world, including producers, distributors, sales agents, financiers, and filmmakers.
It is a key platform for launching new films, finding distribution deals, and building industry relationships.
La Fabrique Cinéma selection
Meanwhile, Arvin Belarmino’s Filipino project titled Ria will be included in the La Fabrique Cinéma 2023 selection.
The film recounts the story of a timid folk-punk musician who accepts side gigs from her friend, a pornography actress, to address her family’s financial crisis.
This program was created in 2010 to support the development and production of emerging talents from around the world.
It selects ten promising filmmakers from different regions of the world and offers them a chance to participate in a tailor-made program during the festival.
The selected filmmakers will get the opportunity to participate in various events, which include workshops, one-on-one meetings with industry professionals, and networking opportunities.
Courtesy: FDCP on Facebook
Spotlight Asia and Producers Network participants
Four Filipino producers will participate in a newly launched program called Spotlight Asia.
They are Benedict Mique of Lonewolf Films, Lino Cayetano of Rein Entertainment, Wilfredo Manalang of Fusee, and Kyla Danielle Romero of Mud Studios.
Spotlight Asia is a special program that was launched in 2017 and is focused on promoting Asian cinema and supporting emerging filmmakers from the region.
It includes a series of events, conferences, and screenings that showcase the latest and most innovative films from Asia.
Further, the program is designed to provide a platform for Asian filmmakers to connect with international distributors, producers, and other industry professionals, and to help their films reach a wider audience.
Mique and Cayetano, on the other hand, will also join the Producers Network program.
Courtesy: FDCP on Facebook
The Producers Network program provides opportunities for producers to pitch their projects to potential investors, distributors, and partners.
It includes roundtable discussions and panel sessions on topics such as financing, distribution, and co-production, as well as opportunities for producers to showcase their work and build relationships with other producers.
Alongside the participants, FDCP has also hand-picked 16 film companies to represent the country in the Marché du Film to “explore potential partnerships with their international counterparts.”
These companies are ADCO Film Production, Bakunawa Films, Bullet Manila, Create Cinema, Daluyong Studios, Eight Horses Productions, Fusee, Lonewolf Films, Mandala Productions, Mud Studios, Nathan Studios, Rein Entertainment, Straw Dogs Studio Productions, TBA Studios,Terminal Six, and Utmost Creatives.
Courtesy: FDCP on Facebook
FDCP will also host the Philippine-Singapore Pavilion with the Singapore Film Commission “where delegates around the world can join in-depth discussions and be introduced to Philippine cinema.”
