Amidst the noisy bustle of Manila’s historical city life lies the newest go-to for Filipino filmmakers and moviegoers. Situated in the civic center of the city, the new Cinematheque Centre Manila is offering free screenings of classic and contemporary Filipino films beginning on January 8, 2016. Enthusiasts who’ve grown tired of echoing their dismay over mainstream movies should find themselves equally satisfied as the Cinematheque sheds light over acclaimed Filipino film masterpieces.
Alongside the office transfer of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is the inauguration of the new Cinematheque Centre Manila last December 15, 2015. To celebrate the Centre’s opening, the FDCP has organized screenings of local masterpieces from Filipino film greats that are scheduled to run until January 31, 2016. Filling the roster of the commended and internationally recognized filmmakers are Lino Brocka, Lamberto Avellana, and Chito Rono to name a few. Apart from Filipino classics, the movie line-up has also been interposed with a few Danish films.
Opening the classic film screening is Lino Brocka’s critically acclaimed film Maynila, Sa Kuko Ng Liwanag that first appeared in 1975, and has since served as one of the country’s finest creations. Enthusiasts should expect to see the film’s remastered version which was first premiered at the University of the Philippines Film Institute last September 2013. Adding to the list of classics is Lamberto Avellana’s Portrait of the Artist as Filipino, a 1965 film that speaks of the pre-war days and the dying of Old Manila. It was an adaptation of the famous literary play by National Artist Nick Joaquin.
Moviegoers may also catch Lav Diaz’s Mula Sa Kung Ano Ang Noon, which won the grand prize at FDCP’s World Premieres Film Festival in 2014. It is among the two films, the other being Esoterika: Maynila by Elwood Perez, to have an admission fee of 200 pesos and the latter 100 pesos. All the other films are to be screened for free, a testament of their mission to bring “Filipino films to Filipinos”.
The new FDCP office, and also home to the newly instated theater, may be found at 855 T.M. Kalaw St. in Ermita, Manila, a few blocks away from the National Library of the Philippines. The 100-seat theater serves as the fifth Cinematheque in the Philippines, following those in Baguio, Iloilo, Davao, and Zamboanga City. Aside from the theater, FDCP’s new office also houses the Museo ng Pelikulang Pilipino that showcases the local film industry’s history, classrooms that may be used for gatherings or workshops, and a small souvenir shop. The establishment of the Cinematheque in one of Manila’s most historical locations, creates a new and more accessible venue for a wider array of Filipinos.
Interested film enthusiasts may check the full list of film screenings through FDCP’s website at http://www.fdcp.ph/contents/view?id=cinemathequemanila or through their official Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/FDCPSinengPambansa/.
Photos by Nikko Veloso
