Legarda Encourages Support to Pinoy Indie Films, Invites Everyone to Watch Cinemalaya Movies

Senator Loren Legarda today encouraged Filipinos and foreigners alike to support independent films by watching short films and retrospectives featured in the 11th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition from August 8 to August 15, 2015 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Greenbelt 3 Makati.

Legarda said that the annual Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival is an important program that supports the work of independent Filipino filmmakers and invigorates Philippine filmmaking.

"The usual challenge for filmmakers is funding. But we have many talented independent filmmakers who are able to do world-class films and manage to win accolades and awards despite modest resources. Thus, through government funding of the Cinemalaya Festival, we show our support to our independent filmmakers and we hope that more Filipinos would also show their support by watching these films," said Legarda who, during the budget deliberations last year, proposed for government funding of the 2015 Cinemalaya Festival.

Opening ceremonies for the 11th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition was held on August 7, 2015 featuring Taklub, the advocacy film spearheaded by Legarda and directed by Brillante Mendoza. Taklub, which received special commendation from the 2015 Ecumenical Jury at the 68th Cannes Film Festival, will also be shown today, August 8, at Greenbelt 3, Cinema 5.

Meanwhile, this year's Cinemalaya Festival also features works of independent filmmakers in nearby countries such as Turkey, Kazakhstan, India, Myanmar, Czech Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Cambodia and China.

Legarda said she also hopes that succeeding Cinemalaya Festivals can be brought to the provinces so that more Filipinos will be able to appreciate independent films.***

For more information about the films and screening schedule for the 2015 Cinemalaya Festival, please visit the official Cinemalaya website: http://www.cinemalaya.org/screening-schedule.