Sinulog Video Docu tilt to capture stories of faith and a city in fiesta

Film enthusiasts, hobbyists, and both budding and professional filmmakers are invited to discover, experience and make the best of the fest in honor of the Sto. Niño by joining the annual Sinulog Video Documentary Competition organized by the Sinulog Foundation, Inc., in cooperation with the Cebu City Government and the Cebu Filmmakers' Society, Inc.

According to the competition's chairman Ron Heri Tan, the contest, now running for three consecutive years, has been "getting more and more serious individuals and groups interested. In 2005, we had 25 applicants who registered but only six 6 submitted their entries. Last year, we had 17 applications and 11 were able to complete their works and vied for the three major prizes."

He added, "This year, although we started late in our campaign because of the [change in the] original schedule of the ASEAN Summit, again we are hoping that there will be more who would be joining our contest."

Apart from trophies, the prizes at stake are P30,000 (grand prize), P20,000 (2nd prize) and P10,000 (3rd prize) with P1,000 for the consolation prizes.

Drawing even foreign entries

Interestingly, the competition has had caught the eye of non-Cebuanos as well. Tan said that last year's second placer "Sinulog for Beginners" was, in fact, done by a group of film students from the University of Makati (in Manila) under the supervision of their university professor, Seymour Barros Sanchez, a multi-awarded indie filmmaker himself.

Tan further revealed, "As of this very moment, we already have two non-Filipino filmmakers who are joining, one is an American and the other is a German. You see, the competition is open to everyone, regardless of nationality and status."

It is hoped that the competition would spur more non-Cebuanos to be more than just a spectator-someone who'll actively take part and genuinely enjoy what is considered as the country's "mother of all festivals."

"Just like the Photography Competition, the Sinulog Video Documentary Competition, aside from the main religious purpose of phrasing and venerating the Sto. Nino, should be another good reason why other people from all parts of the world would stay in Cebu and celebrate the Sinulog Festival with us during this time of the year," Tan said. "We encourage the professionals and non-professionals and it should challenge everyone, the new ones to be at par with the experienced videographers and filmmakers, and the professionals to be always striving for perfection and excellence and not to be complacent. That's why as of now, we don't classify and put categories. Everyone has his/her fair chance."

Winning elements

There are no surefire elements to stand out among a crowd, so to speak. However, Tan said that they "want a fast-paced but complete and compact 5-15 minuter, something that the Sinulog Foudation can also use for its marketing campaigns. We used to have a 15-30 minutes requirement, but this year, we shortened it when we noticed that most entries were dragging. In terms of content and format, there's no limit as long as it does not veer away from the main religious theme of the festival."

But relevance aside, freshness in concept is also key. When the contest debuted in 2005, its first-ever grand prizewinner Raymond N. Aquino came up with "Dance of Devotion," which beautifully recorded a personal account of doing the actual shoots and how the making of it renewed his faith. Last year's winner filmmaker Ruel Antipuesto, on the other hand, created the docu "Ossie," which Tan described as a very fluid and technically excellent film about Ossie Hermosisima, a regular Sinulog Photo Competition contestant.

"So, every year we always get this intense feeling of excitement to see different point of views, from different angles of a very wide and varied possibilities of recording in video the many thresholds one can uncover by just being there either as a spectator or by intentionally contributing something in this very noble but sometimes commercially exploited exercise of giving thanks to the Child Jesus Christ," he related.

Tan believes that the competition makes a very good venue as well as an exercise for filmmakers, especially the new ones, as they intend to collectively work on reviving the Cebuano Film Industry-a very feasible pursuit, he declared, what with the emergence of digital film technology. "We hope to hit two birds with one stone, to contribute something in the Sinulog Celebration and at the same time motivate our filmmakers to keep doing stories not only about Sinulog but also about Cebu as a people," he concluded.

For more information, contact Ron Heri Tan at 09272589909 / [email protected] or through the Sinulog Foundation Office, located at the Ground Floor of the Cebu City Sports Complex, R. R. Landon St., Sambag II, Cebu City with Tel. Nos.: (032) 253-3700 / 254-5010 / 253-2224. Or log in to www.sinulog.ph.