Almost 10 months ago, I had one of the biggest surprises of my life when The Manila Times Chairman Emeritus Dr. Dante A. Ang offered to me this Sunday Times Magazine column while we were having a meeting on our partnership for the “Sine Sandaan” on The Manila Times TV (TMT TV).

I realize now that this column came at a time as the film industry, like the rest of the world, adapts to an uncertain climate and I hope that in sharing our programs and initiatives and moving forward, we can be ready with what’s to come.

A mix of optimism and uncertainty

Looking back at my columns since March 29, it dawned on me that my writings were not just about the recent happenings in the industry. The columns highlighted the journey of Philippine Cinema since March — how the industry reacted, adapted, and dealt with the Covid-19 situation with courage, creativity, and perseverance.

We started off the year with big wins in international film festivals, led by Rafael Manuel’s Berlinale Shorts Silver Bear Jury Prize for “Filipiñana.” Yet, everything was shrouded in uncertainty with the onset of the pandemic.

When the state of national calamity was announced in March, no one knew that the community quarantine lockdowns would last this long. And until now, there is no end in sight despite the various updates on vaccine developments. This makes it so difficult to gauge when and how Philippine Cinema can bounce back and return to normal, gravely affecting workers who have been displaced.

Despite the difficulties, Filipino filmmakers continued to triumph in the international scene such as Lav Diaz who received the Orizzonti Award for Best Director for “Lahi, Hayop (Genus Pan)” at the Venice International Film Festival. In Cannes Docs Online, “Holy Craft” by Joseph Mangat bagged the Docs-in-Progress Award while in Locarno Open Doors Hub, “Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah vs. The Amazonistas of Planet X” by Avid Liongoren won the Open Doors Development Support grant.

Dealing with obstacles head on

My succeeding columns tackled the film industry’s numerous responses to the Covid-19 crisis. The FDCP launched the Disaster/Emergency Assistance and Relief (DEAR) Program, Binging During Quarantine and #NoodTayoNgSine campaigns, National Registry website, Philippine Film Archive (PFA) website, CreatePHFilms Philippine Cinema Funding Program, ASEAN Co-production Fund, and Safe Filming Program.

The crucial Safe Filming Program was created by the Joint Administrative Order No. 2020-001 of the FDCP, Department of Health, and Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) on Health and Safety Protocols for the Conduct of Film and Audiovisual Production Shoots and Audiovisual Activities during Covid-19 Pandemic.

Additionally, various groups tapped into creativity and resourcefulness in the face of adversity such as the Lockdown Cinema Club, Open House, and Volunteer Corps PH. Celebrities and film workers held charity projects while production companies, big and small, shared their content online for fundraising purposes and sometimes, even for free to help the public deal with the lockdown.

The FDCP and the sectors it represents also came together for the issuance of safe filming guidelines, inclusion of film and audiovisual workers in the Bayanihan 2 fiscal stimulus package, and approval of the Eddie Garcia Bill, which has already gotten through the House of Representatives. It is pending approval at the Senate.

House Bill No. 7762, named after the late, great Philippine Cinema icon, sets occupational safety and health standards to protect the rights of film, television, and radio entertainment workers. A precedent of the Eddie Garcia Bill is the DOLE-FDCP Joint Memorandum Circular No. 001, Series of 2020 on Working Conditions and Occupational Safety and Health of Workers in the Audiovisual Production.

PH Cinema in the new normal

The national film agency also refocused its programs for 2020 to push through with the many plans for the betterment of the industry via online platforms: FDCP Film School, the month-long Sine Sandaan Closing Celebration in September, Film Industry Conference, Full Circle Lab Philippines, participation in and support for local and international film markets and festivals, and the recently-concluded 4th Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP). In addition, the PFA’s film restoration efforts carried on amid the pandemic.

The migration to online was inevitable, and aside from the FDCP Channel that hosted the PPP4, other emerging platforms for film distribution and exhibition include TMT TV, MOOV of Cinema Centenario, Upstream, Cinema ’76 @ Home, and WeTV Philippines. These new platforms are welcome additions to the roster of digital streaming channels that showcase Filipino films such as Netflix, iflix, iwantTFC, Amazon Prime Video, HBO GO, iTunes, Apple TV, and YouTube Movies.

We all missed the traditional film festival community experience this year, but the virtual staging of our local festivals was still able to propagate the love for Philippine Cinema in spite of the limitations. We had the online editions of Cinemalaya, Daang Dokyu, Maginhawa Film Festival, PPP4, and QCinema. And best of all, we pushed through with the Metro Manila Film Festival moviegoing tradition, which runs until January 7, via Upstream and GMovies.

Looking forward to better days

The tough and challenging 2020 has just come to a close, and with all the obstacles that were hurled at us in the past months, I cannot help but marvel at how Philippine Cinema managed to survive despite the odds. We started the year with uncertainty about the pandemic, but we ended it with a resolve to survive through innovative ideas and novel ways to deal with the crisis.

More importantly, Philippine Cinema is still thriving even if it is struggling because all of its stakeholders have shown solidarity in the face of distress. It is heartwarming and inspiring to know that we are looking out for one another as we continue to empathize and take action in order to heal and recover as one.

Let us hope and pray for a better year ahead. Stay safe and healthy, and may we all have a happy and prosperous New Year.