Award-winning filmmaker Carlos Siguion-Reyna looks forward to revitalizing the country’s independent film industry as the new Competition and Monitoring Committee chairman.
Seguion-Reyna assumed the position vacated by director Jose Javier Reyes, who is now serving as the new chairman of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).
“I have to get into transition mode. Basically, a lot of that is making sure na ma-implement kung ano ‘yung naka-plan for 2024,” said Siguion-Reyna when asked about his first order of business. “Right now, I’m getting to know the landscape of this year’s Cinemalaya Film Festival.”
He will run the Cinemalaya Film Lab for 2025, guiding the 20 semi-finalists to complete their scripts for next year’s competition. Siguion-Reyna has a deep connection to Cinemalaya.
He taught 13 writing and directing courses at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in Singapore for seven years and participated in Cinemalaya during his summer breaks. His feature film ‘Hari ng Tondo’ received the Special Jury Prize at the 10th Cinemalaya in 2014. He also served as a jury member in 2013 and 2015.
As the new competition chairman, he continues to lead and direct programs at the Cinemalaya Institute, offering workshops and film direction courses since 2015.
The six-week workshop offers five masterclasses on Basic Filmmaking: The Silent Film; Screenwriting; Production Management; Film Editing; and Cinematography. Its faculty are members of New York University’s (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts Asia’s M.F.A. program in film in Singapore, headed by Siguion-Reyna.
“That went on every year for about five years and then the pandemic hit so we couldn’t continue. We talked about reviving the Cinemalaya Institute, regularly and face-to-face. I hope to get back to that by next year,” shared the veteran filmmaker-mentor.
Being the competition and monitoring chairman was not exactly planned. Siguion-Reyna’s gradual participation through the years led him to see and appreciate the original and evolving vision of Cinemalaya – as an organization, as a foundation, and as a film festival.
“It got me interested, not only in independent-minded, personally-voiced films but also in education through the Cinemalaya Institute. I thought it was a place I was comfortable in, where I could contribute something. So that’s why when I was asked by Direk Laurice to be the competition chairman, I immediately said yes,” shared Siguion-Reyna.
For Siguion-Reyna, the future is bright for Cinemalaya. He wants to maximize the wealth of Philippine materials from different regions. “There is no shortage of personal voices. Considering the challenges we as a nation are going through, our internal and external affairs, and how they affect our attitudes and conditions as citizens in this country – there is no shortage of things to talk about, to make films about.”
As a veteran filmmaker who champions the dynamic film landscape in the Philippines, Siguion-Reyna encourages aspiring filmmakers to keep telling their stories.
“What we are really looking for is something that’s not spelled out enough and something not easily visible like a beautiful vista or a great acting scene,” Siguion-Reyna underscored.
“What is really important is we get to see you – what is your take on the world? What is your take on what’s going on around you? It’s your voice. It’s your perspective. Because, in the end, that is what will make me, a viewer, to go into the cinema to watch what you have created and take on that journey with you,” concluded Siguion-Reyna.
