The best of regional films at the Philippine Arts Festival 2012

MANILA, Philippines - The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) will once again hold Cinema Rehiyon, a non-competition film festival which highlights some of the best works in the region.

The festival aims to give budding regional filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their unique culture through films set in their respective regions and shot in local dialects, a fresh take on indie filmmaking.

Headed by Miguel Rapatan, Cinema Rehiyon, which will be held from Feb. 8 to 11, 2012 , is one of the seven flagship projects of Philippine Arts Festival 2011 (PAF).

The NCCA will screen standout short and full-length films from participating regions, and those selected films will be featured in the culminating film festival. Forums and panel discussions will also be organized prior to the film festival.

The festival brought local communities from all over the country to start their own fledging film movements and local production groups (Bacolod, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, CALABARZON, Cebu, Davao, Pampanga, Samar, Western Mindanao). Most of these groups have been supported by the NCCA for the past years.

Last February, Cinema Rehiyon 3 was held for the first time outside Manila, in Davao. The three-day screening featured award-winning films such as Sheika by Davao’s Arnel Mardoquio (2011 URIAN Best Screenplay, Editing and Actress), and Damgo ni Eleuteria by Cebu-based Remton Zuasola (2011 URIAN Best Picture, Director, Music and Cinematography; Special Jury Prize Award in the International Competition Section of the Jeonju International Film Festival in South Korea).

The wealth of talent collected in Cinema Rehiyon 4 bodes well for the future of Philippine cinema. The public is encouraged to experience this richness firsthand by going to the screenings and supporting the Philippine film industry.

PAF is held every February in celebration of National Arts Month pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 683 signed in 1991. The month-long festival is spearheaded by the NCCA, led by its chairman Felipe de Leon Jr. and OIC-executive director Adelina Suemith.

For this year’s celebration, the NCCA has taken the theme “Tradisyon at Inobasyon” (Tradition and Innovation) which aims to further advance local creativity in the arts. Eminent local and foreign artists will take part in this biggest and grandest month-long cultural gathering.

For more details on the activities and schedules, contact PAF Media Director and NCCA-Public Affairs and Information Office (PAIO) head, Rene Sanchez Napenas at (632) 527-2192 or 0928-5081057, or PAF Festival Manager, Vanessa Nicolas at 0918-6380412. Log on to www.ncca.gov.ph or email us at [email protected].