A dozen Filipino short films will be shown to the public for free at an online film festival beginning today.
At the Sine Halaga film festival, 12 movies will be screened which are reflective of many aspects of Filipino culture and are aimed at imparting essential values to young audiences.
The film scripts were selected by a jury from over 100 entries and the festival was organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in partnership with the Negros Cultural Foundation (NCF).
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Elvert Bañares, Film festival Director , said the Sine Halaga Film festival films will be used for classroom education as a tool to teach Filipino values and a series of webinars and study guides are being prepared to aid Filipino teachers.
The films are also NCCA’s contribution to the celebration of 100 years of Philippine cinema.
The films that can be watched include Zig Dulay’s “black rainbow” which is about the story of a young boy named Itan who is unable to continue with his education as his parents could no longer afford to send him to school. A scholarship gave him the hope to fulfill his dream.
Also the drama “Lorna” of Noel Escondo is about a single mother who defies the odds to feed her kids, while the comedy “Ugbos Ka Bayabas” of Manie Magbanua, Jr. revolves around circumcision rites.
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The fantasy stories that form part of the lineup are like Rod Arden Condez’s “Dandansoy,” which is about aging night creatures which seek to find a mystical lake in Negros where they can just turn into ashes and disappear forever.
The films were selected by the NCCA Committee on Cinema’s Chairperson Rolando Tolentino, film critic and educator Tito Valiente, award-winning filmmakers Jeffrey Jeturian, Roy Iglesias, Sari Dalena, National Study on Filipino Values author and lead researcher Arvin Villalon and co-author Jose Soliman, Jr. (AW)
