In June, the Film Development Council of the Philippines launched its initiative, Binging During Quarantine, a campaign encouraging the public to share their favorite films and series—particularly those currently available in online platforms—so that others could binge on them as well during this quarantine period. The campaign is a safe and fun way to promote our love for cinema while maintaining necessary social distancing by staying in the comfort of our homes.

After the success of this year’s first-ever Manila-hosted 24th Asian Television Awards (ATA) last January 10 to 12 at Resorts World Manila, the region’s most celebrated TV awards show opens its Call for Entries for the 25th Asian Television Awards. The 25th ATA is slated to happen on January 15 to 17, 2021 at Cambodia with Bayon TV as official broadcast partner. 

The government’s commitment to ensure the health and safety of film and audiovisual content workers as operations resume amid the COVID-19 pandemic is made possible through the Joint Administrative Order No. 2020-001 of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Department of Health (DOH), which is endorsed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Philippine cinema’s presence will undoubtedly be felt at this year’s edition of the Locarno International Film Festival. In collaboration with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), this year’s edition of Locarno, dubbed Locarno 2020 – For the Future of Films, features The Philippines as a spotlight country in its Open Doors program.

Docs by the Sea, the only international forum focused on Southeast Asian documentary projects, will continue in this year’s fourth edition via its Online Platform. The forum which features a Storytelling and Editing Lab and a Pitching Forum will run for two weeks from August 13 to 28 in which the two programs will run concurrently. During this span, it will be attended by filmmakers, mentors, and industry decision-makers alike with the aims of developing relationships and collaborations within the film community of Southeast Asia. 

“Gensan Punch,” the first sports biopic of multi-awarded filmmaker Brillante Ma Mendoza, was among the titles presented by SC Films International at the virtual Marché du Film (Cannes Film Market) of the Cannes International Film Festival in France.