• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Bacolod City could be the first local government unit to avail of funding for its film festival set in July from the Department of Trade and Industry, under Republic Act 11904, or the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act (PCIDA) of 2022, Councilor Em Ang said.
Ang, author of the newly-minted Bacolod Film Festival ordinance, said Feb. 26 that the DTI has funding under the PCIDA. “I think that Bacolod is the first to avail of that by way of our film festival.”
The PCIDA, which lapsed into law on July 28, 2022, mandates the development of a vibrant Philippine creative industries by protecting and strengthening the rights and capacities of creative firms, artists, artisans, creators, creative workers, indigenous cultural communities, creative content providers, and other stakeholders, the DTI, which chairs the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council, said.
The creative industries, under PCIDA, cover several domains, including audio visual media, like recorded and live audio and audio-visual content, such as films, TV and animated film productions, and vlogs.
The filmfest ordinance has an appropriation of P6 million.
Mayor Alfredo Benitez said Monday that he has earmarked P3 million for the maiden staging of the film festival this July, adding that DTI will also augment the initial funding.
“Bacolod should be proud of their creatives. We have very artistic directors, and actors,” Benitez said, adding that they will be given another platform to show their creativity via the film festival.
Ang said the selected filmmakers from Bacolod will each receive P300,000 in subsidy, and that cinemas have agreed to show their short films for two weekends of July, at four or five films per ticket.
“Bacolod and nearby cities in the province of Negros Occidental have been producing films that made their mark in Philippine cinema, and several of these even made it to the Metro Manila Film Festival,” Ang, chairperson of the SP Committee on History, Culture and Arts, said in the ordinance passed by the SP Feb. 14 and co-authored by councilors Celia Flor and Cindy Rojas.
She added that the ordinance “aims to further develop the film production scene in the city by creating a venue where Bacolod/Negros produced films are shown in major cinemas” here.
The film festival also complements Benitez’s plan to have a major event each month in Bacolod to draw in visitors, and help the local tourism and economy, Ang said. | CGC
