Lilas Binisaya Film Festival goes to historic Cine Oriente

CEBU, Philippines – This year’s Lilas Binisaya Film Festival, held November 28-30, paid homage to one of the oldest theaters in Cebu which bore witness to our region’s glory days of the cinema.

Held at the historic Cine Oriente Theater of Colon, the festival was organized by Lilas Binisaya Inc. and Bisdak Pride Inc., in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). It was also endorsed by the Province and City of Cebu and by the Commission on Higher Education – Cebu.

According to festival director Maria Victoria “Bambi” Beltran (member of the National Cinema Committee), they brought the festival to Cine Oriente to preserve the Cebuano film culture.

“This is actually the third year that the NCCA funded a local film festival here in Cebu. This is the first time that we did it in a very public place such as the Cine Oriente because the two previous festivals were held at the University of San Carlos. We decided to bring it out. We chose Cine Oriente because it’s one of the oldest theaters in Cebu. Colon is also the oldest street in the Philippines. We want to promote and support Cebuano film culture. We think it is significant to do it here because those old films were also shown here,” Beltran explained.

Noted Cebuana actress Pilar Pilapil graced the opening ceremonies.

The festival was participated in by students, cast and crew who watched the screening of the opening film “Ang Manok ni San Pedro,” one of the highest-grossing Cebuano films to date. Written by Marcos Navarro Sacol and directed by Joe Macachor, starring Stevan Escudero, Teresa Diez and Porcing Torrevilas and produced by the Arong brothers, this Cebuano classic tickled the festival audience to no end.

Cebu Provincial Board Member Julian Daan popularly known as Stevan Escudero impressed the audience during the open forum of his own film. He sponsored the resolution that the province will endorse and support the festival.

Beltran urged the new generation to appreciate our own film scene. “Showing film festivals like this is our one way of encouraging people. There are so many ways, you make workshops, you make film festivals and film screenings but the thing is to get the audience, so we’re still working on that. We hope to cater to a bigger audience especially when we screen the films because that will expose them,” she said.

“During the 60s and 70s, we had big names Gloria Sevilla and Caridad Sanchez making their own films. I take my hats off to them because that time, it was not even digital, it was just film. Now, it’s a bit easier because of the technology,” added Beltran.

Beltran remains optimistic about a re-emergence of the Cebu film industry. “I’m very positive about it but of course, it will not be very fast. We thought that we don’t have a Cebuano film festival. We have a film scene but we don’t have the producers and distributors. Hopefully, we become an industry that can sustain itself. At the moment, we just try to encourage young filmmakers and try to find a producer that will produce a film for regular screening. Somehow, it’s easier now for us to get grants like what we got from Cinema One.”

A total of 14 short films were screened at the Lilas Binisaya Film Festival. It also showcased the Best of Cebuano Shorts such as “Saranghae My Tutor” directed by Victor Villanueva, “Doktora” directed by Christian Linaban and “To Siomai Love” directed by Remton Zuasola – award-winning Cebuano short films that have garnered honors at the Cine Manila, Cinemalaya and Gawad Urian, respectively.

The Lilas Binisaya Film Festival winners are: Best Screenplay — Jaylou Dari’s “Handurawan” and Shannon Ranin’s “Hipalgan;” Best Cinematography — Jaylou Dari’s “Handurawan;” Best Editing — Ivan Martinez’s “Handumanan sa Usa Ka Salida;” Best Production Design — Patricia Joy Martinez’s “Hipalgan;” Best Sound — Dani Bautista’s “Silingan”; Best Actor — Romeo Bantugan Jr. of “Dream on Bai;” Best Actress - Mary Grace Remo of  “Halok;” and Best Director — Jaylou Dari of “Handurawan.”

A special citation called the Lilas Binisaya Bisibis Award was also handed out to Ivan Martinez for “Handumanan sa Usa Ka Salida.”

For the Best Picture awards, first place went to Jaylou Dari’s “Handurawan,” second place to Patricia Joy Martinez’s “Hipalgan,” and third place to Hanz Florentino’s “Dream on Bai”

The three Best Picture awardees were rewarded one-term, two-term and full-term scholarships provided by the Film & Media Arts International Academy, which focuses on core disciplines needed for 21st century filmmakers.

Judges were award-winning screenwriter/director and producer Emman Dela Cruz, Sinulog Foundation Chair Ricky Ballesteros and Creative Director of the Film & Media Arts International Academy Carey Rothman.

Beltran said that the best short film winner will be brought to a much bigger film festival. “One of our programs is called the Cinemas in the Region program and what we do is we give funds for local film festivals in as many regions as we can all over the country. The best short film, we will bring to Cinema Rehiyon Film Festival that’s another NCCA Cinema Committee funded project, a bigger festival because we gather all the best from all over the Philippines and Cebu is going to host the next one in 2015.”