4 Pinoy films join 40th Rotterdam Film Festival
02/02/2011
NETHERLANDS - Independent film directors Khavn dela Cruz and Adolfo Alix Jr. arrived in the Netherlands on Sunday to participate in the 40th anniversary of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), the biggest annual gathering in the Netherlands of film makers from all over the world.
Both directors have 2 films to be screened until February 6 in different theaters in Rotterdam.
Alix Jr. will be showing “Presa,” recently awarded as the Best Documentary Film in Metro Manila Film Festival and the controversial movie “Chassis,” which was given an X rating by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).
Meanwhile, “Son of God,” dela Cruz’s collaboration with Danish film maker Michael Noer, will have its international premiere in IFFR together with his other film “Kumander Kulas: The One and Only Concert of the Amazing Kummander Kulas and His Poor Carabao in the Long and Unwinding Road of Kamias”.
All four will be screened under the category Spectrum, together with other films that “provide an essential contribution to international film culture.”
The award-winning film “Pinoy Sunday” of Taiwanese director Ho Wing-Ding, inspired by the lives of Filipino OFW’s, was also chosen for the 2011 IFFR.
Since 2005, the Philippine independent cinema has never failed to be represented in IFFR. Several Filipino film makers and script writers have also been awarded the Hubert Bals Fund, a financial grant for independent films organized by IFFR.
Among these awardees are Lav Diaz, Sherad Anthony Sanchez and John Torres. Both Alix Jr. and dela Cruz are recipients of the Hubert Bals Fund.
According to Gertjan Zuilhof, programmer for South East Asia, one of the more distinct characteristics of Filipino independent films is its ability to tackle social issues and Philippine history.
“In my films, I always look for something that is special in that film making itself, out of the commercial style, you have a lot of approaches that can fit art house cinemas, film festival films or films that are based on society like Adolfo’s film. They have a political interest, they want to say something about society,” said Zuilhof.
He also mentioned films by Lav Diaz, which fulfill their requirement of extraordinary style and substance.
Meanwhile, Dela Cruz, who is already on his 7th year of participating in IFFR, expressed disappointment at the seemingly lukewarm acceptance of Filipinos for independent films.
“Parang incongruent na kumabaga sa labas ka pa tinatangkilik kaysa sa sarili mong bayan hindi sya nabibigyan ng ganoong atensyon. Pero usapin din kasi yan ng istruktura ng pagpalabas dito sa Pilipinas. Siyempre un matinding bias ng Hollywood cinema at yong mainstream. May mga gumagawa naman ng hakbang para magkaroon ng pagbabago sa panonood at pagpapalabas ng pelikulang hindi lang yon at yon din,” said the young director and musician.
Although he feels that it will be a long process to change the attitude of Filipino viewers towards indie films, dela Cruz hopes that the government will help in funding these films and in regulating the screening of foreign movies in the country.
Because of its 40th anniversary celebration, organizers promise that this year will be the biggest IFFR to date.
More theaters and even private building were allotted for the screening. Forty special places including Groot Handelsgebouw, Maritime Museum, Kunsthal and Focuskliniek eye hospital are added to be film venues. Visitors can get special XL passes to access these 40 locations.
Viewers can access screening schedule via http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/.
Both directors have 2 films to be screened until February 6 in different theaters in Rotterdam.
Alix Jr. will be showing “Presa,” recently awarded as the Best Documentary Film in Metro Manila Film Festival and the controversial movie “Chassis,” which was given an X rating by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).
Meanwhile, “Son of God,” dela Cruz’s collaboration with Danish film maker Michael Noer, will have its international premiere in IFFR together with his other film “Kumander Kulas: The One and Only Concert of the Amazing Kummander Kulas and His Poor Carabao in the Long and Unwinding Road of Kamias”.
All four will be screened under the category Spectrum, together with other films that “provide an essential contribution to international film culture.”
The award-winning film “Pinoy Sunday” of Taiwanese director Ho Wing-Ding, inspired by the lives of Filipino OFW’s, was also chosen for the 2011 IFFR.
Since 2005, the Philippine independent cinema has never failed to be represented in IFFR. Several Filipino film makers and script writers have also been awarded the Hubert Bals Fund, a financial grant for independent films organized by IFFR.
Among these awardees are Lav Diaz, Sherad Anthony Sanchez and John Torres. Both Alix Jr. and dela Cruz are recipients of the Hubert Bals Fund.
According to Gertjan Zuilhof, programmer for South East Asia, one of the more distinct characteristics of Filipino independent films is its ability to tackle social issues and Philippine history.
“In my films, I always look for something that is special in that film making itself, out of the commercial style, you have a lot of approaches that can fit art house cinemas, film festival films or films that are based on society like Adolfo’s film. They have a political interest, they want to say something about society,” said Zuilhof.
He also mentioned films by Lav Diaz, which fulfill their requirement of extraordinary style and substance.
Meanwhile, Dela Cruz, who is already on his 7th year of participating in IFFR, expressed disappointment at the seemingly lukewarm acceptance of Filipinos for independent films.
“Parang incongruent na kumabaga sa labas ka pa tinatangkilik kaysa sa sarili mong bayan hindi sya nabibigyan ng ganoong atensyon. Pero usapin din kasi yan ng istruktura ng pagpalabas dito sa Pilipinas. Siyempre un matinding bias ng Hollywood cinema at yong mainstream. May mga gumagawa naman ng hakbang para magkaroon ng pagbabago sa panonood at pagpapalabas ng pelikulang hindi lang yon at yon din,” said the young director and musician.
Although he feels that it will be a long process to change the attitude of Filipino viewers towards indie films, dela Cruz hopes that the government will help in funding these films and in regulating the screening of foreign movies in the country.
Because of its 40th anniversary celebration, organizers promise that this year will be the biggest IFFR to date.
More theaters and even private building were allotted for the screening. Forty special places including Groot Handelsgebouw, Maritime Museum, Kunsthal and Focuskliniek eye hospital are added to be film venues. Visitors can get special XL passes to access these 40 locations.
Viewers can access screening schedule via http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/.
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