The first Ilonggo film festival featuring all film genres made by Ilonggo filmmakers starts December 10 until December 14,2013 at SM Cinema 1 in Iloilo City.
CineKas1manwa is the first film festival in the country to donate all proceeds to a cause by helping survivors of super typhoon Yolanda in Panay Island,particularly in northern Iloilo, Capiz and Antique through the Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center’s relief operations and rehabilitation projects.
Ilonggo festival director Elvert de la Cruz Bañares said the entire proceeds of the festival will be donated to the survivors as Panay Island is still reeling from the onslaughts of the typhoon last November 8, 2013.
The regional disaster risk reduction management council reported some P9,6 billion damages in infrastructures, agriculture and fisheries on top of 215 dead, 461 injured and 20 missing.
Bañares said the film festival features 12 full length films and more that 40 short films by the filmmakers from Panay, Negros and Metro Manila who have Ilonggo roots and can speak the Hiligaynon dialect.
Opening the festival will be a documentary film by Ilonggo master director Nick Deocampo with a film on climate change in five Asian countries dubbed as “Cross Currents: Journey to Asian Environments and Gunita” as director in attendance.
Closing film on December 14 will be “Sonata” by PequeGallaga and Lore Reyes as directors in attendance while the local filmmakers from the municipality of Guimbal, Iloilo will be the filmmakers in focus.
Bañares said the curated programming will feature documentary and experimental films, short films by professional filmmakers,short films by student filmmakers, a horror program Moo-moo-an scheduled on Friday the 13th and the film from Guimbal.
The film festival is sponsored by the National Commission on Culture and Arts, and supported by the Film Development Council of the Philippines,UPV Cinematheque and SM Cinema in gathering all filmmakers originating from Region 6 to form a network and to print a definitive directory of all filmmakers from the region.
Bañares said the festival hopes to unify filmmakers and directors and merge their collective talents in promoting the region’s flourishing film industry.
Aside from Deocampo, Gallaga and Reyes, other noted Ilonggo filmmakers are Tara Illenberger, Erik Matti, Joenar Pueblo, Ned Trespeses, Ronny Poblacion, Peter Solis Nery, TM Malones and Jay Abello and their films are scheduled for screening at SM Cinemea1, UPV Cinematheque and Iloilo Cinematheque.
