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| (Image Source: Journal Online/Bacolod City LGU) |
The local government unit (LGU) of Bacolod City has launched a film festival which will serve as a platform to showcase the creativity of filmmakers residing in the city, develop film appreciation, and further promote the local film industry. Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez officially announced the call for entries to the Bacolod Film Festival in accordance with the recently approved City Ordinance No. 1061 co-authored by Councilor Em Ang, chairman of the Bacolod City Council's Committee on History, Culture, and Arts of the Bacolod City Council, and fellow councilors Cindy Rojas and Celia Matea Flor.
The ordinance, which provides for the creation of the Bacolod Film Festival Council (BFFC), is made up of 21 sections covering its functions and responsibilities, the role of the Festival Director, the festival theme, selection process, awards night, and source of funds, among others. The BFFC will select filmmakers who will receive subsidies to shoot their short films to be shown during the film festival scheduled to be held on September 2024. An awards night is slated to serve as the culminating event of the filmfest. Ang revealed that the city government will provide production grants worth Php300,000 each to ten filmmakers, whether producer, director, or writer, who are bonafide residents of Bacolod City. She clarified that selected filmmakers do not need to shoot scenes entirely in the city.
The ordinance, known as the Bacolod Film Festival Ordinance, is anchored on Section 16 of Republic Act No. (R.A.) 7160, also known as the Local Government Code of 1991, which mandates local government units (LGUs) to exercise their powers for the enrichment and preservation of culture in their respective jurisdictions. Ang added that the city government is partnering with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), pursuant to R.A. 11904, otherwise known as the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, for funding assistance. The act seeks to promote and support the development of Philippine creative industries by protecting and strengthening the rights and capacities of creative firms, artists, artisans, creators, workers, indigenous cultural communities, content providers, and stakeholders. “Bacolod is the very first one to avail of that by way of our film festival,” said.
The members of the city council unanimously passed the resolution last February 14, 2024 on its third and final reading during the 85th regular session of the city’s Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) with Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran as presiding officer. Mayor Benitez signed the ordinance last February 21, 2024, just a week after its passing. The BFFC will be chaired by the city mayor with the SP Committee on History, Culture and Arts chair as vice chairperson. Its members will be comprised of the chair of the SP Committee on Tourism, City Tourism Officer, City Legal Officer, City Budget Officer, Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion Officer, Department of Education (DepEd) Division Schools Superintendent, representatives from SM Cinema, and three from the local film industry.
