To showcase films that aim to break the stigmas on HIV and AIDS in the country and to empower filmmakers to turn stories into films with powerful advocacies, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), together with EON Foundation and LoveYourself Inc., is hosting the CineSpectra 2019 Short Film Festival.
The Festival will take place from Aug. 26 to 27 at TriNoma Mall in Quezon City, and from Aug. 28 to 30 at the Cinematheque venues in Manila, Iloilo, and Davao.
Themed “Your Judgment, Their Life,” this year’s CineSpectra will premiere 10 Filipino short films that challenge perceptions and enlighten Filipinos about HIV and AIDS and their impact on society and the country today.
During the CineSpectra press conference last Aug. 15 FDCP Chairperson and CEO Mary Liza Diño stated that this film festival is unlike any other because it shows how films are used as “a medium to send the message of awareness on HIV and to take out the stigma of people living with it.”
She added, “The advocacy of Film Development Council of the Philippines right now—which is very much aligned with EON Foundation’s goal—is to make sure that the messages and the films that are coming out from CineSpectra is not just to finish the film. There was a film lab and film education component.”
Among the 97 entry submissions, 10 film projects from across the Philippines were selected to fully develop their ideas. The finalists underwent film labs for the development and production of their films, including a pitching workshop, a story development lab, and an editing lab. They also attended sessions which broadened their understanding of HIV, AIDS, and sexual health.
The opening film for the festival is the critically-acclaimed French film BPM (Beats per Minute) by Robin Campillo, which premiered in the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and won the Grand Prix Prize. CineSpectra will also feature a panel discussion on the film’s role in HIV and AIDS awareness with key organizations and important individuals, and will highlight the screening of competing short films. The evening will be capped off with an Awards Night.
On CineSpectra’s second day, the public is welcome to enjoy free screenings of CineSpectra short films, Beats Per Minute, and the iWant advocacy film Mga Batang Poz by Chris Martinez.
One CineSpectra winner will be part of this year’s Sine Kabataan 3 and will be screened in all cinemas nationwide in September. This will be paired with a Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP) 2019 full-length counterpart.