Mindanao's most anticipated movie event the fourth Mindanao Film
Festival will open this December 14 until December 21, starting with
the screening of full-length digital film Concerto: Davao War Diary on
the opening day of the festival.
This year's festival promises to be the biggest compared to the past
staging of the annual festival which originally started as a short
film festival for Dabawenyo filmmakers five years ago.
Kenth Bajo, Festival Director said that aside from theatrical exhibit
of short films from Mindanaoan filmmakers at the Gaisano Mall cinema,
the festival will have screening of selected full-length films, a film
convention and the much-awaited Film Awards night.
Aside from short films coming from the Guerilla Film Workshops, the
MFF will feature works of other local filmmakers plus those from the
National Commission of the Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the National
Council for Children's Television (NCCT) and a short film from
neighboring Indonesia .
"The film community is growing, we are slowly seeing the birth and
growth of Mindanao cinema, this festival will reflect these changes."
Bajo said. Foremost among the positive changes in the festival is the
City Government of Davao's support to the event plus the growing
assistance of the private sector to the endeavor.
Bajo said that through the festival he sees the growth of the
Hollywood of the south. Our filmmakers are making films here, they are
shown abroad and they are winning awards there. Bajo cited Sherad
Sanchez's Huling Balyan ng Buhi, which recently was shown in Denmark ,
and his recent work the award-winning Imburnal, which was shot in one
of Davao City 's barangays.
Other films include Thank You Girls directed by Charliebebs Gohetia
which competed in a film festival in Vancouver , another is the peace
advocacy movie Hunghong sa Yuta directed by playwright Arnel Mardoquio.
He said that another full-length digital film a Chabacano-Bisaya film
will also be shot in Davao and Zamboanga perhaps in early next year."Slowly we are crafting a Mindanao cinema. This festival will
hopefully help us achieve it." Bajo added.
A nearly obscure festival four years ago, the Mindanao Film Festival
is slowly making the right noises, just recently, actress Dawn
Zulueta, wife of Davao del Norte 2nd district Representative Anton
Lagdameo has agreed to support the film. Renowned filmmaker Kidlat is
also making an appearance as one of the Convention speakers.
The MFF is brought to you by the Mindanao Film and Television
Development Foundation, the NCCA, the City Government of Davao, City
Tourism Office and the Museo Dabawenyo.
