MANILA, Philippines - Philippine cinema is almost a hundred years old. In Asia, Filipino filmmakers were among the pioneers. Its lively film scene remains a vibrant presence in world cinema, and a handful of its practitioners have achieved world recognition. Prominent filmmakers and their films have figured time and again in establishing the esteemed reputation of Philippine cinema locally and internationally. Positive critical endorsements for these films formed through repeated viewings have helped established their positions in the canons of Philippine cinematic art.
Of the roughly 8,000 plus full-length films produced in the first century of local cinema, many have been irretrievably lost, rendering moot and judgment as to their artistic merits. Just as bad are the forgotten status of talented filmmakers from way back, whose best works and once promising careers have fallen off the radar film history.
The film series titled Overlooked Films, Underrated Filmmakers aims to re-assess certain films and filmmakers by taking a second look at their unjustly neglected bodies of work, and even restore a few reputations in the process. This will help to expand the repertoire of Philippine cinema, by going beyond the programming of the usual auteurs and masterpiece titles. There will be much to discover, and rediscover, by rounding up not the usual suspects.
For now, the initial batch of films/filmmakers will be limited to six. As more “lost” and neglected films come to the surface from here and other parts of the world, the film series will continue to run, without an expiry date.