The flourishing film festival in the region

I am pleased and honored to have been invited to serve as a resource person for an acting workshop from the organization I have been attending for the past several years, since my films have been screened and won prestigious awards to mention was a film by director Kenneth Dagatan’s Sanctissima (2015) where I won as Best Actress.

The Nabunturan Independent Film Exhibition, or NABIFILMEX, aims to produce avant-garde and distinctive cinematic works that highlight the talents of regional filmmakers from Nabunturan and other parts of the country.

The NABIFILMEX is an annual indie film festival held in Nabunturan, Davao de Oro (former Compostela Valley) which has been known for its open-air film exhibition at the beautiful and huge Nabunturan Municipal Hall Plaza. It seeks to support regional filmmakers and offer a venue for the exhibition of various storylines and creative expressions.

In the background, the festival seeks to raise awareness of Nabunturan as a major tourism attraction in the Davao Region by showcasing regional talent and culture via distinctive cinematic storytelling. The event offers a venue for artistic expression while addressing contemporary issues, features new films from regional artists. It is a celebration of the creative energy of the community as well as a film exhibition.

Using film as a medium, NABIFILMEX aims to promote Nabunturan as a well-known tourism destination in the Davao Region. The festival's objective is to present new films that tell tales that are important to the neighborhood. Local filmmakers now have a platform to display their skills and originality.

NABIFILMEX was created as the flagship program of Municipal Tourism Council of Nabunturan, Inc. (MTCNI) and has been declared as one of the official festivals of Nabunturan, Davao de Oro, held every third week of September. It is a celebration of art and culture as it showcases a wide variety of films from different genres, regions, and cultures, providing audiences with a richer understanding and appreciation of regional diversity.

The eleventh edition of NABIFILMEX, which celebrates variety, creativity, and resilience across many areas, focuses on themes of peace, security, new beginnings, and a bright wave of innovation. This year, the subject is Cinema in the Open: Embracing a New Decade. This outdoor film festival will feature films that tell stories of change, innovation in art, cultural legacy, and the quest for peace and security in the region.

Who would have thought that the event we know today has a difficult beginning. The films were being exhibited at a school gym, and the local government was apprehensive because there was no theater and little awareness of this kind of arts and culture promotion. They also didn't know if anyone would attend. A year later, with the help of the local government, the organizers were able to secure funding for one additional workshop and rescheduled the festival. Additionally, they got a reply to the email they wrote to the Open Air Cinema Foundation.

The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) was instrumental to the creation of the Nabunturan Cinematheque Centre. Since then after its inception, series of activities are being held there, establishing a thriving cultural environment that fortifies ties within the community and raising the standard of living in Nabunturan as a whole. A true creative endeavor involving the whole community --community-owned, community-managed, and community-focused.