• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez has signed an executive order (EO) convening the Bacolod Film Festival Council (BFFC) to ensure the smooth implementation of the filmfest, with the maiden staging initially set this July.
Under EO 20 signed April 4, and copy furnished the Negros NOW Daily April 6, Benitez said the “city intends to commence the Bacolod Film Festival this current year to cultivate the local film industry, spread awareness of arts and culture, and boost local tourism in the city”.
Benitez will chair the BFFC, with Councilor Em Ang, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on History, Culture and Arts, as vice-chair.
The members include Councilor Jason Villarosa – SP Committee on Tourism chairperson, City Tourism officer Ma. Teresa Manalili, Local Economic Development and Investment Promotions officer Mae Frances Llamas, City Legal officer Romeo Carlos Ting Jr., Budget officer Imelda Williams, City Treasurer Arlene Memoria, schools’ division superintendent Reynaldo Gico, and representatives from SM Malls Cinema and Ayala Malls Cinema.
Film industry experts Alfredo Lucot, Julius Dela Pena, and Paolo Lindaya as well as Sine Negrense Film Festival organizer Tanya Lopez are also on board as members, as per the EO.
“Members, representatives and/or staff of the Bacolod Film Festival Council are authorized to claim for honoraria and/or incidental expenses relative to the services rendered, in addition to their duties and responsibilities, and for work beyond office hours, subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations, and chargeable against the budgetary allocation of the council,” the EO said.
The BFFC shall formulate policies and guidelines for the selection and screening of films to be featured in the festival; appoint the festival director, who will manage the operations of the festival; set the terms of office of the festival director and its remuneration; set the theme for the film festival for each year; promote and facilitate partnerships with relevant stakeholders in the film industry; and allocate and manage the funds appropriated for the film festival, among others.
The holding of the filmfest is under City Ordinance No. 1086, or the Bacolod Film Festival Ordinance, authored by Ang, and passed by the SP Feb. 14, 2024. It aims to establish a film festival in Bacolod to further develop the film production scene and to create a venue where local filmmakers and producers can showcase their talents, the EO said. | CGC
