MANILA, Philippines—Filmmaker Auraeus Solito observed that Filipino films are “currently dominating” the festival circuit abroad.

In Pusan, South Korea’s premier festival which runs in September, there are six RP films in the lineup: Adolf Alix Jr.’s “Adela,” Dante Mendoza’s “Serbis,” Joel Ruiz’s “Baby Angelo,” Francis Pasion’s “Jay,” Chris Martinez’s “100” and Solito’s “Boy.”

In Toronto, also in September, there are two RP films in the program: “Serbis” and “Adela.”

In the 65th Venice International Film Festival, which runs from Aug. 27 to Sept. 6, there are also two Filipino films, “Jay’ and Lav Diaz’s “Melancholia,” in the Orizzonti section.

Noted Jim Libiran, whose film “Tribu” won the Youth Jury Prize at the Paris Cinema Film Festival last month: “The Philippines could be the next Korea in world cinema. It’s up to the government and private sector to make the most of these opportunities.”

Solito and Libiran were among at least 60 Filipinos who attended the two-week Paris Cinema festival last month.

These Filipino directors and producers met with their French and European counterparts, “to discuss co-production possibilities—including the various grants available for European film projects,” recounted Martin Macalintal, audiovisual attaché of the French Embassy in Manila.

At a reunion lunch hosted by Regal Films producer Lily Monteverde, the delegates discussed the prospect of harnessing the gains of Paris Cinema.

Macalintal noted that Mendoza’s “Serbis,” which competed in the main section of this year’s Cannes, was co-produced by a French company, Swift Productions.

He added that two Filipino films, Raya Martin’s “Independencia” and Avid Liongoren’s “Saving Sally” received grants from the French government through the Fonds Sud Cinema.

Largely through meetings held in Cannes and Paris Cinema, Alix’s “Adela” has found a worldwide distributor in US-based Visit Films.

Demand

Macalintal asserted, “There is a growing demand for a co-production agreement between France and the Philippines.”

Such a treaty, he explained, “would mutually benefit producers from both countries and [provide them with a] host of perks that national production companies are entitled to.”

Toward this end, Macalintal set up a meeting between Rolando S. Atienza, chair of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), and Alain Begramian, counselor for international and European affairs of the Centre National de la Cinematographie (CNC) in Paris during the festival.

Macalintal explained that the CNC “oversees the French film industry and manages a ‘production assistance’ program that redistributes taxes collected from the box office to help finance films from production to distribution.”

Macalintal reported that the “CNC [is] open to study a draft [of a treaty] with the Philippines.”

He said a bilateral agreement is in line with the “French policy to uphold cultural diversity and support the arts of developing countries.”