Pinoy animation to be showcased in France

MANILA, Philippines — Five animated short films exploring such themes as love, horror and the millennial life will be showcased at the Fête du Cinéma d’Animation (Animated Film Festival) organized by the French Animated Film Association in Paris on Oct. 21.

These are Arnold Arre’s Milkyboy, which is about a child prodigy turned struggling young adult; Avid Leongoren’s Josephine, which shows a mysterious woman watching a house burn down; Nikkolo Salazar’s Marianing, which tells of an avenging husband hunting down aswangs; Karl Derik Sia’s Hinagunoy sa Goryon, which depicts sparrows and parental loss; and Christine Joyce Silva’s Building Too, a millennial-inspired music video.

The shorts are previous winners of Animahenasyon, the annual animation competition being held by the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPI) since 2007. ACPI executive director Rose Gonzales told The STAR that the films were selected by the French organizers for their stories and technical attributes.

The ACPI is also set to attend the Le marché international des contenus audiovisuels (MIPCOM), the biggest international market for audio-visual content taking place this Oct. 16 to 19 in Cannes.

The country’s participation in these two notable events is made possible through the joint efforts of the French embassy in the Philippines and the Philippine embassy in France. It marks a new milestone as well in the French-Philippine diplomatic relations, which turns 70 this year. It also comes on the heels of ACPI’s first-time participation in the International Animation Film Festival and Market (MIFA) in Annecy, France last June. Their booth was sponsored by the French embassy and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

“They’ve known of the country’s artwork and services, but to have our presence there really made a difference,” Gonzales said, also confirming that some local studios were able to sign partnership contracts during the MIFA.

According to French embassy audiovisual attaché Martin Macalintal, animation is an art and industry where France and the Philippines share a common ground. The Embassy of France considers itself as a “key partner in the internationalization of the creative industries of the Philippines, specifically in cinema, animation and video game development” by providing opportunities for interactions and exchanges between local agencies and their counterparts in France.

“Both for the Philippines and France, animation is a priority sector of the creative industries so we tried to find platforms to be able to develop these linkages between the two countries,” said Macalintal.

Apart from organizing screenings and subsidizing involvement of Pinoy animators in filmfests, he also revealed that they’re facilitating negotiations between Philippine animation schools and the Réseau des Ecoles du Cinéma d’Animation (Network of Film Animation Schools) to identify institutions and programs in France, which could contribute to the capacity-building activities of the local animation industry.

Additionally, scholarships co-funded by the French embassy and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) are expected to be offered to Filipino animators to enable them to pursue specialization courses.

“So, if we are able to activate these scholarships in 2018, then hopefully, by 2020, we can have graduates already who can teach advanced animation to the Filipinos here,” Macalintal said.

“That’s the direction we’re taking right now. Next year, maybe we can sign a (cooperation) agreement in the creative industries, specifically on animation, so that we can fly in more experts or send more Filipinos to train in France. The moment (it happens), they will realize how many studios there are in the Philippines that can perhaps co-produce (films).”

To date, Gonzales said, the Philippines is home to about 30 small, medium and micro-sized animation studios plus schools that are helping their students produce animation films. Some of those they are showing in France started out as school projects.