FDCP LEADS PHILIPPINE DELEGATION TO BUSAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2020

FOUR films, one film project, and 10 production companies are among the representatives of Philippine Cinema in the 25th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in South Korea.

“Death of Nintendo” by Raya Martin, “Cleaners” by Karl Glenn Barit, “How to Die Young in Manila” by Petersen Vargas, and “Kids on Fire” by Kyle Nieva are part of the BIFF Official Selection.

Sheron Dayoc’s “6th Finger” is the only Filipino project in Busan this year while 10 production companies are part of the Philippine Pavilion spearheaded by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

The FDCP is also the organizer of the Philippine Cinema Night as well as the sponsor of the webinar “Screen Talk: Asian Production Bounces Back” featuring FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño as one of the speakers.

“The Busan International Film Festival has been a crucial plat- form for the global track of the Filipino film industry. This year, the FDCP continues to be one with the BIFF in promoting Asian Cinema especially amid the COVID- 19 crisis,” said Diño.

The BIFF, which runs from October 21 to 30, has limited film screenings in Busan while the pro- grams and events concurrent with the festival have been migrated online.

Of the 192 films in the BIFF Official Selection, the Philippines is represented by two full-length features and two short films.

The four Filipino titles have one screening each at the Busan Cinema Center.

“Death of Nintendo” by Raya Martin, a Philippines-United States production that had its world premiere in Berlinale 2020, is part of the A Window on Asian Cinema section together with Karl Glenn Barit’s “Cleaners,” which had its international premiere in Busan on October 21.

Both coming-of-age films were selected for A Window on Asian Cinema to demonstrate different visions and styles of filmmakers from Asia. “Death of Nintendo” will be shown at the Haneulyeon Theater on October 27.

The two Filipino shorts, “How to Die Young in Manila” by Petersen Vargas and “Kids on Fire” by Kyle Nieva, are in the Asian Short Film Competition of the Wide Angle section for short films, experimental films, and documentaries that show a vast range of cinematic viewpoints and a marked vision.

“How to Die Young in Manila” will have its world premiere on October 28 while “Kids on Fire” will be shown on October 29. Both shorts, which also deal with the struggles and issues concerning the youth, will be screened in Cinema 2. (Rohn Romulo)