Why Laurice is changing direction?

There is still hope for the local film industry.

Many observers (both inside and outside of the showbiz) opine that Republic Act 9167 is a positive development for Philippine cinema. R.A. 9167 created the Film Development Council of the Philippines and abolished the Film Development Foundation of the Philippines and the Film Ratings Board. The FDCP is primarily mandated to, among others, establish and implement a Cinema Evaluation System, develop and implement an incentive and reward system for the producers, based on merit to encourage the production of quality films.

An even brighter bit of news is that first-rate actress and filmmaker Laurice Guillen was appointed by Malacañang to lead the FDCP for three years.

The FDCP, according to its chair Laurice, takes over the work of the Film Development Foundation (FDF), under which was the old Film Ratings Board (FRB).

"The FRB is now called the Cinema Evaluation Board," Laurice points out. The CEB is now headed by theater stalwart Zeneida Amador. It is tasked to give 100 percent amusement tax rebate to A-rated films and a 65 percent amusement tax rebate to B-rated films.

"What we are concerned with at this point is producing more quality films," Laurice reiterates. "We hope that the CEB and the FDCP will push the industry to produce at least 30 B-rated films by next year. As the core number increases, more and more good movies will be made. In fact, our target is one hundred socially relevant films by the year 2004."

And when she says "socially relevant" films, she is not only referring to historical and/or political dramas. "It can be a simple family movie, but for as long as it reflects our being Filipino," she elaborates. "For as long as it makes us feel how it is to be Filipino. It can talk about our faith, our close family ties, our concept of and love for freedom, our culture."

In a nutshell, Laurice explains, "the new law gives the FDCP a wider mandate, but basically it involves the development of the Philippine film industry."

Although local movies are in dire straits, this well-respected and much-acclaimed industry leader is waxing optimistic about the future in spite of the bleak present-day scenario. (From an all-time high of 250 movies a year in 1997, the industry churned out only 50 movies last year.)

"It‘s very bad," Laurice says of the state of the industry. "It’s very bad, economically. All the figures are down. But it is during times like this that we can start something and make a difference."

Laurice’s efforts are badly needed by an industry attacked from all sides – by the specter of piracy and competitive modes of entertainment (Hollywood, cable TV, among others), as well as by the economic crisis and the peace-and-order situation (traffic and the bomb scare).

The new chair of the FDCP immediately went to work upon assuming office. She set up a Strategic Planning Meeting with Council members, as well as with other important members of the film community to map out the future of local cinema.

"Different ideas and points were raised during the workshop, but basically we came out with a common vision and mission: What we all want is a professional and united film industry that encourages the production and exhibition of quality films," Laurice says.

Among the present members of the Council is critic Bienvenido Lumbera (representing the groves of academe), as well as key representatives from the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the League of Mayors, the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports (DECS), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The FDCP is preparing a number of noteworthy projects that aim to give the industry a boost. Aside from its annual Screenwriting Workshop, the yearly Screenwriting Contest is also in the offing.

The Council also hopes to whip up a Web site, put up a film archives (in cooperation with the CCP and the NCCA), mount local and international film festivals, and act as the Filipino filmmaker’s champion in (and conduit to) the world market.

"A lot of foreign producers, distributors, and film festival directors are interested in Filipino movies," Laurice relates. "But they do not know who to approach."

Laurice’s concept is very simple. "It’s like a vending machine. Anyone who is interested in local movies, whether a big-time Hollywood producer or a college thesis researcher, only needs to log in, to hook up with Filipino filmmakers." The Web site will accomplish all this, Laurice reports.

In pursuing the Council’s goal of professionalizing the industry, it will also sponsor workshops for the various experts, artists, and technicians in the movie world.

"We will have technical workshops," Laurice continues. "There’s one lined up for sound technicians. And the workshop is not theoretical. It‘s going to be very practical, very hands-on. For example, if you were under the MRT, what type of mic should be used? Where should you place the boom mic? Most of the crew I had in American Adobo worked in independent movies and they were all so good. They knew where to set up the mics. You could have two characters talking in the middle of the street and still use live sound."

Laurice hopes to welcome both old and new members of the film community to the Council workshops.

"There are still a lot of people who are very willing and ready to help local movies," Laurice says. "We should open up the industry so that we can accommodate new talents, new ideas, new capital, new genres."

In the end, everyone in the film industry, both newcomers and old-timers, both pro and anti, both capital and labor, would stand to benefit from the FDCP’s vision.

"By raising standards, the industry would hopefully achieve our long-term goal: that of producing quality films that promote social and cultural transformation, while attracting a wider audience at the same time," Laurice says.

An A-rated film, she asserts, can also be commercial. "Your primary goal as filmmaker is to make the viewer interested in and engaged by your film," Laurice ends.