A MORE intensive workshop and profound understanding of the nature of cinema as a mirror of reality propelled the second year of Cinevita Film Workshop last April 2 to 10.
The workshop was organized in lieu of the Cinevita Film Festival, the Varsitarian’s annual film project that started in 2007. The workshop was also part of Varsitarian’s advocacy of espousing film as a tool for meaningful expressions of life.
For 10 days, 16 student-filmmakers from the University Belt learned the tricks of independent filmmaking from Venice Film Festival Best Director Pepe Diokno (Engkwentro, 2009), Balanghai Trophy recipient for Best Director Emman Dela Cruz (Gabon, 2007) Gawad Urian Best Film winner Paolo Villaluna (Palugid, 2001), Fil-Canadian director Edber Mamisao, assistant director Bianca Balbuena (Layang Bilanggo, 2010), and Jay Hernandez of Big Top Productions, the Varsitarian’s technical outfit partner, together with UFO Productions.
Lessons
During one of his lectures, Dela Cruz cultivated a deeper understanding of the core concepts of filmmaking by discussing the history of cinema to the participants and giving them tips on pitching potential film materials.
“Filmmaking is a metaphor,” Dela Cruz said. “If the students can grasp this concept, they will have what it takes to create great films.”
Diokno and Balbuena, on the other hand, gave both practical and technical advice to the participants, saying the quality of films does not depend on the production’s budget.
“If you are making an independent film, the money in your wallet is all you’ll need as long as you spend it wisely,” said Diokno, one of the youngest names in Philippine independent cinema.
Diokno also told the student-filmmakers that family members and friends play a vital role in independent filmmaking by being “great sources of free assistance.”
“Whenever you can get something for free, grab the opportunity to do so,” he said. “Your mother can provide food for the crew, your friends’ house can be a filming location, and so on.”
Meanwhile, Villaluna—the name behind the acclaimed film Selda (2007)—said aspiring filmmakers should be driven not by money or fame, but by the film’s ability to reflect dimensions of life.
“The sad fact is, the ‘indie’ film director has become the new ‘rock star’,” Villaluna said. “Most people want to do it for the sake of popularity.”
He also said that the rise of recording technology “has democratized filmmaking.”
“However, as a consequence of making films being accessible to many [through various media like] Youtube, the qualities of these ‘films’ [became] questionable,” Villaluna said.
Film showcase
To put their skills to the test, participants were divided into three groups on the workshop’s fifth day and were tasked to produce their own short films.
The participants came up with three short films that tackle day-to-day vignettes of their lives and environment.
“Bayad Po” tells the story of a teenager’s struggle with his own paranoia, when he suspects that a thief inside a jeepney would snatch the money intended for his tuition.
Meanwhile, the film “Deadline” highlights the hazards of the devil-may-care lifestyle of today’s youth by showing a grandson’s emotional pursuit to make it up to his dying grandfather.
What seems like an innocent love story takes a sinister turn in “Summer Love”, with its storyline revolving around lovers cum serial killers engaging in pre-emptive murder.
Dela Cruz commended the students’ works and said they should be proud of it.
“After some audio tweaks, we encouraged them all to submit their films for both student and professional festivals video competitions like the Annual Gawad CCP, Cinemalaya Shorts Section, and Cinemanila Young Cinema Section,” he added.
Winning ‘Q’ Film directors Marti Salva (Fine Arts and Design), Varsitarian artist-photographer Karla Toledo (Architecture), and Margo Flores (Arts and Letters) participated in the workshop, together with Varsitarian Circle writer Ana May dela Cruz and Thomasians Bernadette Infantado, Samuel Evardone, Stephen Lopez, Patrick Uy Jose Alejandro Eduarte, Emmie Rose Dineros, Leo Leaño, Miguel Lorca, and Monica Galima. Ani ng Dangal for Cinema recipient Nash Anggahan and Far Eastern University students Ronald Acal and Chino Villagracia were also given slots in the seminar-workshop. J. E. F. Jose
