MANILA, PHILIPPINES, MAY 12, 2021 — On its 15th year, the International Silent Film Festival Manila (ISFFM) has stepped up efforts to promote silent filmmaking in the Philippines by establishing Mit Out Sound (MOS): International Silent Film Lab 2021.

The ISFFM is a joint partnership among the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Embassy of France in Manila, Philippine Italian Association, Goethe-Institute Philippinen, Instituto Cervantes de Manila, and Japan Foundation, Manila. 

Established in 2007, the ISFFM is among the few remaining silent film festivals in the world and the first and oldest Southeast Asian silent film festival. It is an awaited cultural event among cinephiles and music lovers as it brings together film classics and Filipino musicians on the same stage to perform and reinterpret stories.

Through the online MOS: International Silent Film Lab, the ISFFM aims to encourage the production of silent films and discover new talents who will be mentored by local and international filmmakers on story development, editing, technicalities, and other elements of silent filmmaking to better translate their visual narratives.

The ISFFM committee will choose 10 filmmakers to undergo the intensive MOS film lab. The FDCP, through its Film Cultural Exchange Program (FCEP), will conduct all MOS activities, including the Visual Storytelling Lab, Safe Filming Lab, and Editing Lab sessions that will be held via Zoom. 

Participants will each be awarded a production grant worth PHP 50,000 to produce their silent shorts that will premiere at the Silent Short Film Competition in the 15^th ISFFM in November 2021. 

During the festival’s culmination, incentive awards will also be given: Best Film Award (PHP 20,000 with trophy and certificate), Jury’s Special Prize Award (PHP 10,000 with trophy and certificate), and Jose Nepomuceno Award (PHP 15,000 with trophy and certificate).

“Philippine Cinema has lost most of its early silent films. This sad reality inspired the creation of the first Mit Out Sound: International Silent Film Lab in order to revive the interest in silent filmmaking and enhance the expertise of Filipino filmmakers in creating unique and quality films,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño. 

She noted that silent filmmaking is crucial in the history of Philippine Cinema because the first movie produced and directed by a Filipino, “Dalagang Bukid” by Jose Nepomuceno, was a silent film. The classic’s release date of September 12, 1919 was the basis of the declaration of Sine Sandaan or One Hundred Years of Philippine Cinema.

Since the production of silent films only appeals to a few filmmakers, the ISFFM has issued a nationwide call for entries by amateur and professional filmmakers aged 16 and above.

With the theme “Reimagining the Past with the Present,” the MOS: International Silent Film Lab seeks to celebrate film retrospective and pay homage to Philippine silent cinema. Submissions must present the filmmakers’ artistic and contemporary reimagination and recreation of any of the following Filipino silent film classics:

• “Dalagang Bukid” by Jose Nepomuceno
• “Ang Tatlong Hambog” by Jose Nepomuceno
• “Ang Manananggal” by Jose Nepomuceno
• “Moro Pirates” by Jose Nepomuceno
• “Mang Tano, Nuno ng mga Aswang” by Jose Nepomuceno
• “Tianak” by Jose Nepomuceno
• “Mali-Mali” by Jose Nepomuceno
• “Estrellita del cine” by Jose Nepomuceno
• “Miracles of Love” by Vicente Salumbides
• “Patria Amore” by Julian Manansala
• “Oriental Blood” by Carmen Concha

Interested filmmakers should submit the following requirements in an organized Google Drive folder with a shared viewing setting to [email protected] until June 18, 2021:

• Presentation deck of the story treatment (Applicants may submit a maximum of two treatments.)
• Accomplished application form
• Official government ID 
• Portfolio of past works

To download the application form and for more information, visit https://www.fdcp.ph/mitoutsound and for inquiries, contact Ms. Julienne Calugcug at [email protected] or [email protected]. 

The 1st Mit Out Sound: International Silent Film Lab Mechanics:

1. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

• The International Silent Film Lab is open to Filipino filmmakers, aged sixteen (16) and above, amateur and professional.
• Applicants must submit a presentation deck of their treatment, an official government ID, an accomplished application form, and a portfolio of their past works. 

2. TREATMENTS

• Each applicant may submit up to two (2) treatments, which should focus on the theme: “REIMAGINING THE PAST WITH THE PRESENT”

To celebrate film retrospective and pay homage to the Philippine silent cinema, the stories submitted by the applicants must present their artistic and contemporary reimagination and recreation of the following Filipino silent film classics:

1. Dalagang Bukid (musical) by Jose Nepomuceno
2. Ang Tatlong Hambog (romance-comedy) by Jose Nepomuceno
3. Ang Manananggal (horror) by Jose Nepomuceno
4. Moro Pirates (Muslim adventure) by Jose Nepomuceno
5. Mang Tano, Nuno ng mga Aswang (horror) by Jose Nepomuceno
6. Tianak (horror) by Jose Nepomuceno
7. Mali-Mali (comedy) by Jose Nepomuceno
8. Estrellita del cine by Jose Nepomuceno
9. Miracles of Love (romance-comedy) by Vicente Salumbides
10. Patria Amore (nationalist film) by Julian Manansala
11. Oriental Blood (Muslim romance-adventure film) by Carmen Concha

•  The silent short film must have no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. It can be live-action or animated, colored or black and white.
• It must have a running time of a minimum of ten (10) minutes and a maximum of fifteen (15) minutes, including credits. 

3. DEADLINE OF SUBMISSION

• The deadline for submission of entries is on June 18, 2021. Applicants may submit their requirements in an organized Google Drive folder with a shared viewing setting to [email protected].
• The ten (10) shortlisted entries will be announced on June 25, 2021. 

4. AWARDS

Aside from the production fund, incentive awards will be given to the finalists during the culmination of the 15th International Silent Film Festival Manila:

• Best Film Award - P20,000.00 with trophy and certificate
• Jury’s Special Prize Award - P10,000.00 with trophy and certificate
• Jose Nepomuceno Award - P15,000.00 with trophy and certificate

5. RULES & GUIDELINES

By entering the competition, the participants agree to abide by the competition guidelines and rules as follows: 

1. The ten (10) finalists must attend all sessions of the Mit Out Sound: International Silent Film Lab, namely the Visual Storytelling Lab on July 5-7, 2021, Safe Filming Lab on July 8, 2021, and the Editing Lab on September 13-14, 2021, and must produce the output required by the program.
2. The ten (10) finalists will be given a production grant of P50,000.00 each to produce a silent short film and shall comply with all the administrative and auditing requirements as advised by the Special Projects and External Affairs Unit. 
3. The completed short films will have their premiere during the 15th International Silent Film Festival in Manila 2021 under the Silent Short Film Competition.
4. Aside from the production fund, incentive awards will be given to the finalist during the culmination of the 15th International Silent Film Festival.
5. The use of original literary sources, music materials, artwork, photography, etc. must have proper clearance from their respective copyright owners before they can be used in the final output. The Festival organizers shall not be liable for any costs related to claims of performing rights organizations.
6. In case of any violation of the guidelines and rules, the organizers and the Selection Committee reserve the right to disqualify the participant and their films or remove them from the program.
7. The organizers and the judging committee reserve the right to disqualify any participant and/or to forfeit any prize from a participant who is found to have committed plagiarism or has undertaken fraudulent practice and/or activities harmful to the Festival or the Festival submission process.
8. FDCP reserves the right to create, revoke, and modify at any time, in any way its entry requirements, rules, and regulations at its absolute discretion without prior notice. Finalists and submitted entries shall be bound by any amendments or addition to the entry requirements, rules and regulations herewith.
9. The decision of the Selection Committee is final and irrevocable. The organizers and the Selection Committee are not obliged to give explanations for the results.