RP films take center stage in month-long fest in Spain

At least 10 award-winning Filipino films are taking center stage at a month-long special festival at the Barcelona art house cinema in Spain. The festival by the Filmoteca de Catalunya started September 1, according to the Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona. "For the month of September, a series of 10 award-winning Filipino films from 1976 to 2008 will be featured. These movies were made by such directors as Lino Brocka, Ishamel Bernal, Mike de Leon and Kidlat Tahimik," the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday. The DFA said the festival began with a showing of the 1976 classic "Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?" directed by Eddie Romero, and will also show films made as recently as 2008. Before the showing of the film, Filmoteca de Catalunya director Esteve Riambau and Consul General Eduardo de Vega gave a brief exposition on the Filipino film industry before the public. They highlighted the Filipino cinema artists' brilliant talent, which first found its fullest expression during the martial law years in the 1970s and early 1980s. The films being featured in the festival are Lino Brocka’s "Insiang," Ishmael Bernal’s "City After Dark," Mike de Leon’s "Itim," and Kidlat Tahimik’s “Turumba". More recent, award-winning films will likewise be shown such as Laurice Guillen’s "Santa Santita", Jeffrey Jeturian’s "Kubrador", Raymond Red’s “Bayani" and “Anino", and Brillante Mendoza’s “Serbis". During the opening, Riambau also told the Consulate that the same films were featured in an earlier film festival in Granada. Filmoteca de Catalunya is an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting historical, classic and independent cinema in Spain’s Catalonia region.—JMA/JV, GMANews.TV