A year has passed when terrorists under the leadership of the ISIS-inspired Maute clan laid siege to the predominantly Muslim city of Marawi in Lanao del Sur, and for nearly a year fought government forces and drove the population out of the city.
On May 21, ANC, The ABS-CBN News Channel, started airing four short films made by Marawi residents to commemorate the city’s devastation in the hands of both the terrorists and the government forces. The film tells stories of heroism, struggle, and healing of the people of Marawi.
We see Marawi through the lenses of four of Marawi’s own young filmmakers in ANC’s “New Moon” series, within the timeslots of Early Edition, Top Story, and The World Tonight.
We met the filmmakers last week at a press conference held for them by ANC at the ELJ building. They were Sittie Alyssah Diron and Geral Jan Nino Omelio, both students at Mindanao State University—Marawi (MSU-Marawi), and MSU-Marawi professor Ali Yusoph. ARMM Assistant Cabinet Secretary Omar Ali was unable to attend the press conference as he was held by his job in Mindanao.
Sittie, an AB Journalism senior made Matou, based on the story of Mastora “Matou” Dadayan, a farmer and fisherman living in a small barangay in Marawi City. During the siege, Matou’s wife and her unborn child died leaving him to take care of their older son.
Geral, also a senior in MSU-Marawi, a Developmental Communication major, produced Kanlungan with fellow students. The film tells the story of teenager Zohmaya and her younger siblings, recalling a simpler, happier life back when they had not lost their home and lived with different families in the aftermath of the Marawi siege.
Omar’s film Suicide Squad, meanwhile, tells the story of a group of rescuers trained for natural disaster calamities. Never in their wildest imagination did they think that one day they’ll be saving people of all walks of life—from terrorists who took siege of their beloved city to their own loved ones.
Completing the list is Ali’s Islam, which he produced with his wife Sur. Their film tells the story of someone trying to make sense of these virtues amid living through the dire consequences of war waged by fellow Muslims in the name of Allah.
The filmmakers received guidance and technical support from ABS-CBN journalists and brought forth authentic and unfiltered stories from the ground that can enlighten and inspire the entire nation.
The four films will be put together into one full episode to be anchored by Tina Monzon Palma who moderated the Q&A will air soon on ANC.
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The annual Summer Dance Divertissment and Diversifiera 2018 of the Halili Cruz School of Ballet and HC Conservatory will be presented 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Newport Performing Arts Theatre (NPAT), Resorts World Manila, tomorrow.
The summer dance program was designed by Associate Artistic Directors Anna Halili -Cruz Bueno and Grace Perez. Artistic Director is Shirley Halili Cruz.
Choreographers and dance teachers are Grace Garalde-Perez, Anna Halili-Cruz Bueno, Julia-Camille Mazo, Aira Louise Rostrata, Gabrielle Alexis Quinto, Fiona Richardson, Heather Holt-Smith, Stephen Biadoma, Marco de Ausen and Wilson Ong. The program design was by Daryl Bueno.
The Halili-Cruz School of Ballet has been awarded as the “Most Outstanding Ballet School in Asia” and represented the Philippines in different international festivals.
To date the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet and the Halili-Cruz Dance Company have garnered more than 400 national and international awards.
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Navotas City Hall, through its Public Information Office, conducted a seminar-workshop on digital filmmaking for junior high school students and teachers on May 10 and 11 at the Pangisdaan Hall, 4th Floor NCH.
The workshop, facilitated by advocacy filmmaker and film educator Seymour Sanchez, aimed at preparing the participants for the shoot of their short narrative film entries to the 3rd Navoteño Film Festival. Navotas City Mayor John Reynald Tiangco and Vice Mayor Clint Nicolas Geronimo also delivered inspirational talks during the event.
Sanchez discussed development, pre-production, production, post-production and distribution, and talked about scriptwriting, cinematography and lighting, production design, sound, music, editing and directing. Eloisa Sanchez imparted her knowledge in production management and producing films for Red Room Media Productions while FEU’s resident actor and short film editor Rowi Du shared some tips and advice in his fields of expertise.
The annual project, which is facilitated by PIO head Irish Cubillan, is open to all junior high school students from the city. Among those competing this year are Kaunlaran High School, La Naval Academy, Navotas National HS, Navotas National Science HS, San Jose Academy, San Rafael Technological and Vocational HS, San Roque National HS, Tangos National HS and Tanza National HS. Only one entry per registered school will be accepted.
All members of the production team (maximum of eight students per school) must be officially enrolled in the school they are representing. A certification from the school principal must be submitted to PIO prior to production. They must also submit a written parental consent endorsed by the teacher-adviser/s and principal to PIO prior to the shoot.
The film festival, which has tourism as its theme this year, serves as a platform for the city’s future filmmakers to develop and harness their craft and showcase their works, as well as a means to discover young and talented Navoteños for the city’s art scholarship program.
