The Bacolod City government has launched a film festival that will serve as a platform to showcase the creativity of filmmakers residing in the city, develop film appreciation, and further promote the local film industry.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez officially announced the call for entries. Councilor Em L. Ang, Committee Chairperson on History, Culture, and Arts of the Bacolod City Council, co-authored the ordinance with fellow Councilors Cindy T. Rojas and Celia Matea Flor.
for the festival
The ordinance, which provides for the creation of the Bacolod Film Festival Council (BFFC), outlines its functions and responsibilities, the role of the Festival Director, the festival theme, the selection process, the awards night, and source of funds.
The BFFC will select filmmakers who will receive subsidies to shoot short films to be shown during the film festival in September. An awards night will also be held as a culminating event.
Ang revealed that the city government will provide production grants worth P300,000 each to ten legal residents of Bacolod City who are filmmakers (producers, directors, or writers). She clarified that selected filmmakers do not need to shoot scenes entirely in the city.
“Bacolod is the very first one to avail of that by way of our film festival,” Ang shared.
The BFFC will be chaired by the city mayor, with the SP Committee on History, Culture and Arts chair as vice chairperson. Members include the chair of the SP Committee on Tourism, City Tourism Officer, City Legal Officer, City Budget Officer, Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion Officer, DepEd Superintendent, and representatives from SM Malls Cinema, and three from the local film industry.
