Filmmaker Raymond Red weighs in on challenges and potential of emerging tool
The 6th CINEGOMA Film Festival may soon open its doors to AI-generated content as organizers explore the possibility of launching a special category dedicated to the controversial technology.
At the press launch held July 30 at Sine Pop in Cubao, award-winning filmmaker and festival creative consultant Raymond Red confirmed that discussions are underway on how to handle AI’s growing presence in filmmaking.
While still in the early planning stages, Red said the idea is gaining traction as the landscape of cinema continues to evolve.
“It’s a very sensitive subject,” Red said during the panel.”Even Hollywood is brought to its knees because of AI. But it’s not something we can avoid—it’s inevitable. What’s important is how we use the tool.”
Known for his advocacy for short film and education, Red emphasized that the festival’s approach to an AI category would focus less on technical polish and more on concept.
“You can’t really judge those films based on acting or cinematography—it would be unfair,” he said. “What we should be recognizing is the prompting skill and the idea behind it. There’s still a human mind behind that.”
The AI category, if approved, would be the first of its kind in a local film festival. Festival founder and RK Rubber Enterprise CEO Xavier Cortez echoed Red’s sentiment, saying the inclusion is part of CINEGOMA’s forward-thinking mindset.
“Technology keeps changing, and we want the festival to grow with it,” Cortez said. “Even if we started as a rubber factory, that doesn’t mean our story ends there.”
CINEGOMA, a portmanteau of cinema and goma (rubber), started in 2019 as an internal film training project for RK Rubber employees. It has since evolved into a public short film festival that highlights Filipino grit and resilience, open to students, professionals, and even first-time storytellers with no film background.
Red, who joined the festival earlier this year as creative consultant, said the shift toward inclusivity and experimentation in short filmmaking is necessary to keep the art form alive.
“People say the film industry is struggling—and it is—but cinema as an art is still very much alive,” Red said. “Even TikTok and YouTube are part of what we now consider the new cinema.”
With the theme “May Kuwento Ang Bawat Laban,” this year’s CINEGOMA Film Festival calls on aspiring storytellers to submit original short films running 10 to 15 minutes, covering any subject except political or religious content.
To join, participants must follow all official RK Rubber social media pages. Cash prizes await the winners, with the 2025 edition set to open for entries later this year. The registration deadline is Aug. 15.
