MANILA, PHILIPPINES, SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 — During the first public session that kicked-off FDCP’s 2020 edition of the Film Industry Conference, speaker Aleksandra Swierk opened her talk by discussing film labs as essentially being a platform for “exchange.” Swierk emphasized the way that such labs fundamentally serve as a medium for exchanging ideas, opinions, stories, and talent. The thought was a fitting way to start FIC Online 2020: a four-day online conference that brought a diverse group of film industry experts into a single platform in which they shared their ideas, opinions, and expertise about valuable topics relevant to the film industry.  

By harnessing the possibilities of video communications and online live-streaming, FDCP brought the ideas and expertise of speakers from around the world to a broader public--despite the global travel restrictions currently in place due to the pandemic. Serving as a platform for exchanging ideas, FIC Online 2020 brought knowledge from a diverse group of local and international speakers and mentors to a broader filmmaking community that, by the end of the conference’s four-day span, consisted of over 2,000 attendees.

Aleksandra Swierk hosted the most attended public session titled "Getting Into Online Film Labs."

FDCP hosted this year’s edition of FIC from September 11 to 15. The conference featured numerous film industry experts as they spoke in eight (8) free public sessions and led (6) exclusive masterclasses, all tackling relevant topics in the various elements of filmmaking and the film industry. The public sessions and masterclasses were held via the online video conference platform Zoom. 

Attendees were able to pre-register for their chosen events and were provided a unique link to their chosen events. Despite the online platform, attendees were able to participate in the conference by asking questions to the speakers and mentors through zoom. In addition, the public sessions were also live-streamed via FDCP’s official social media platforms, including its Facebook and Youtube pages to bring the conference an even broader reach.

The most popular public sessions were ‘Public Session: 1: Getting Into Online Film Labs’ and ‘Public Session 5: An Exclusive Session with Netflix: Showcasing the Best of Filipino Content.’ Both sessions drew over 200 attendees on the official Zoom platform alone. The first session featured the aforementioned writer, script consultant, and Full Circle Lab Philippines mentor Aleksandra Swierk as the speaker. During the talk, she discussed “available international film labs that filmmakers and producers can take advantage of” and some valuable online tools and platforms. 

FIC Online 2020 also featured a panel discussing Filipino content on Netflix.

Meanwhile, session five featured a panel of speakers featuring Netflix Content Acquisitions Lead, Raphael Phang, and producer and directors Jun Lana and Perci Intala. FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Dino moderated the panel discussion as they spoke about Netflix’s collaborations and commitment to Philippine Cinema and the continuous growth of Filipino content on Netflix.

The exclusive masterclasses were also successful, with a total attendee count of over 650. Masterclass 1: Writing During Quarantine was the conference’s most attended with 144 attendees. This class was led by script consultant and Full Circle Lab Philippines Mentor, Ayman El Amir. During the class, he discussed the timely topic of being stuck on lockdown as a possibility for getting the creative juices running and “writing and finding an opportunity amid the difficulty.” 

FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Dino spoke about the success of the four-day conference. “We are excited about the success of this year’s Film Industry Conference. With over 2,000 attendees during a four-day span, we are happy that despite the various restrictions because of COVID-19, we were nonetheless able to bring important and meaningful content to the Filipino filmmaking community.”

FDCP partnered with various local and international organizations to hold FIC Online 2020.

She continued, “This year’s edition was held online, and through this virtual platform, we were able to continue bringing in international expertise that could help our aspiring or working filmmakers. With FIC Online 2020, we made sure to tackle timely topics that touched on our unique situation today. These included, for example, ‘Writing During Quarantine, ‘Editing During Quarantine,’ and ‘Pitching Your Project Virtually.’ These are classes that make an impact on filmmakers and how they make their art today.”

Both the public sessions and masterclasses were led by a combination of local and international film industry veterans. This year’s edition of the Film Industry Conference notably featured speakers and mentors from the ongoing Full Circle Lab Philippines. The film lab kicked-off immediately after FIC Online 2020, and will-run for a span of two weeks, concluding on September 30. Both programs are part of FDCP’s busy September and the broader celebration of Sine Sandaan: The Next 100. To learn more about FDCP’s various activities celebrating the conclusion of Philippine Cinema’s Centennial year, visit 

http://www.fdcp.ph/media/fdcp-celebrates-philippine-cinema-eventful-september. 

The Public Sessions for FIC Online 2020 are still available on FDCP’s social media pages. To watch these sessions, you may visit www.youtube.com/filmdevelopmentcouncil or www.facebook.com/filmindustryconferenceph