In its bid to continue supporting the Filipino film industry especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) announced the awardees of its CreatePHFilms Philippine Cinema funding program that provides selective funds for development, production, post-production, and distribution.
Cycle 1 of CreatePHFilms ended in November and after thorough deliberations in December, the Selection Committee chose 22 grantees: eight for scriptwriting, four for script development, three for small budget production, two for large budget production, and five for post-production. The funding allocated for the CreatePHFilms Cycle 1 awardees amounts to P12.1 million.
The esteemed Selection Committee members for Cycle 1 are Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Christopher de Venecia, FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño, director and writer Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr., director and Directors' Guild of the Philippines, Inc. representative Raymond Red, Cinema Evaluation Board Chairman Christine Dayrit, Solar Pictures, Inc. General Manager Butch Ibañez, and cinematographer and Lupon ng Pilipinong Sinematograpo President Mackie Galvez.
“The industry has been clamoring for public funding to support the development of films since 2016. We believe in the importance of public funding, as countries with thriving film industries such as France and South Korea benefit from various government programs and funding. At long last, the Philippines has public funding for film development through CreatePHFilms, and now, we have our first batch of grantees,” said Diño.
“We are proud of the resiliency of our filmmakers and their perseverance to continue the production of their projects in these challenging times. We hope for the government’s continued support to the industry through funding programs,” she added.
Through the CreatePHFilms Funds for Development for Scriptwriting and Project Development, the FDCP wants to support Filipino scriptwriters by helping them develop innovative stories based on Filipino culture and heritage.
CreatePHFilms was launched in September in time for the commemoration of the closing of the Philippine Cinema Centennial celebration.
“This domestic funding program also shows the government’s support for the vulnerable sectors of the film industry by increasing economic opportunities for local services and workers,” added Diño.
For more information and the list of awardees, email [email protected] or visit www.fdcp.ph/CreatePHFilms.