Lack of gov't appreciation, support biggest hurdle for Filipino films

PANGLAO, Philippines — The Filipino film industry has seen changes in the past years and continues to change but the lack of government support seems to be the biggest challenge for filmmakers.

Award-winning filmmaker Pepe Diokno said that the lack of support may be because the government does not see that films do more than just amuse.

He said that the Philippines taxes films when, in contrast, Korea and France fund their filmmakers and require cinemas to play local films.

"Governments like that recognize the power of film," Diokno said in the 'Powering Small Business' session of the Ocean Summit in Panglao, Bohol.

Philippine cinema saw a significant decline in production and distribution from the 1990s to 2000s due to a 30-percent amusement tax that the government collected.

"By early 2000s, people were saying that Philippine cinema was dead," the filmmaker said.

In 2009, the tax was decreased to 10 percent, which started a surge in the number of films produced yearly.

Diokno noted that the Philippines has won in every major film festival in 2016, proving that there is a market for different kinds of stories.

"We're producing more and more movies. There are beginnings of collaborations between independent artists and studios," Diokno said.

The filmmaker added that the Philippine government does not seem as eager for collaboration.

"Here, where the general mentality is that 'Film is just trivial. It doesn't mean anything, so we can tax it. It's just an amusement,'" the filmmaker said.

Diokno reiterated that other countries recognize the power of film to "shape hearts and minds on their own country."

"If there was more mentality from the government that recognized the power of film to shape culture, then we could do so much more," Diokno said.

There have been changes in the government's stance, however.

The Metro Manila Film Festival in December will feature just one film by a major studio while the other selections are by independent filmmakers.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority General Manager Thomas Orbos, whose agency organizes the festivals yearly, called the new selection a change for the better.

Film critic Nic Tiongson, chair of the festival's selection committee, said this year's festival is meant "to disprove the myth that quality indie films will not earn money and vice versa, commercial films cannot possibly have quality."

He said the selection committee evaluated entries along these guidelines: "No. 1, only those films that exhibit quality, as reflected in the graded evaluations. No. 2, the selection (committee) should consider representations of different genres — comedy, drama, horror, fantasy as well as documentary and animation."

The new move has been with opposition from big names who have were practically assured slots in past MMFFs, saying audiences only want to be entertained during the Christmas season, when the film festival is held.

But the government seems set on the new direction. Orbos said the MMDA is sticking by the committee's selections.

"[This] is the vision of the new MMFF kaya kailangang irespeto dahil alam naman natin na sa ika-aangat ito ng kalidad ng pelikulang Pilipino. The MMFF did their part. Now the challenge is on our new producers," FDCP chair Liza Diño also said in a Balita report earlier this week.

She said noted, however, that "it takes more than just having a good story to be successful in MMFF." She said that "[c]ommercial viability and the right marketing strategy is just as if not more important."