AFTER independent film festivals in Visayas and Mindanao, it?s Northern and Southern Luzon?s turn to welcome emerging and alternative filmmakers.

Following Naga, Bacolod and Davao, the Cinema Rehiyon, a project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), visited the Calabarzon (comprised of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon province).

The Pelikultura or the Calabarzon Film Festival was held at the Searca Umali Auditorium of the University of the Philippines in Los Baños from Feb. 24 to 26.

Building a network
Katrina Ross Tan, head of Pelikultura, told the Inquirer that the event ?achieved its goal of providing a venue for the region?s films and building a network for the region?s filmmakers.?

Closing film was Kim Homer Garcia?s ?Magkakapatid,? an entry in last year?s Cinemalaya. Garcia is from Batangas.

The lineup consisted of 14 films?10 narratives, four docus?that competed for prizes.

Best Documentary was Southern Tagalog Exposure?s ?43? from Laguna; Best Narrative was Kevin Dayrit and Jay Cuevas? ?Ang Pag-ikli ng Buhok ng Batang Babae? from Batangas.

Taiwanese films ?Kung Fu Dunk? and ?Cape No. 7? were also shown, courtesy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.

The audiences were responsive, Tan said. ?They laughed and cried during the screenings.?

Workshops held during the fest had Cebu-based filmmaker Remton Zuasola (?Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria?) and UP Film Institute teacher Ramon Bautista as speakers.

Organizers hope to turn the Calabarzon event into an annual event. Cavite delegates volunteered to host the next Pelikultura. ?We hope to receive the same support from the LGUs (local government units), corporate sponsors and the NCCA,? Tan said. ?Numerous films from the region have been recognized in Manila and abroad. Regional films redefine the concept of ?national cinema.? Now, the focus is to develop grass-roots filmmaking?telling our own stories.?

Cinema is no longer Manila-centric, Tan noted. ?Filmmakers no longer need to go to the city to have their films shown.?

In line with the move to bring Filipino movies to the regions, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is staging the third Sineng Pambansa in Baguio City this month.

Inaugural fest
Baguio is the inaugural fest in Luzon, after successful editions in Visayas (Iloilo in January) and Mindanao (Zamboanga in February).

The Baguio fest, which will run from March 25 to 27, will feature: Adolfo Alix Jr.?s ?Romeo at Juliet,? Ferdie Balanag?s ?Walking the Waking Journey,? Mes de Guzman?s ?Mundo sa Panahon ng Yelo,? Jim Libiran?s ?Happyland,? Gil Portes? ?Two Funerals,? Raymond Red?s ?Himpapawid,? Chito Roño?s ?Emir,? Kidlat Tahimik?s ?Bakit Dilaw ang Gitna ng Bahaghari,? plus two films by Mike de Leon, ?Itim? and ?Kung Mangarap Ka?t Magising.?

?Kung Mangarap? was shot in Baguio City. Tahimik and Balanag are from Baguio.

Sine ng Masa, the fest?s mobile component, will have open-air screenings at the Burnham Park and Ifugao Village, too.

Briccio Santos, FDCP head, met with Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan in preparation for the festival.

?Thanks to the support of the mayors and the local government units, 2011 will be a very busy year,? Santos said.

After Baguio, the fest will move to San Fernando, Pampanga from May 24 to 27; Marawi, Lanao del Sur in June; Quezon City in August, and Naga (Camarines Norte) in November.

?We have also initiated talks for an Ilocos Film Festival with Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, and for a Cagayan de Oro event with their officials, ? Santos said.