ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/2 Feb) – This city will be the first venue in Mindanao to host the film festival dubbed “Sineng Pambansa.”
Mayor Celso Lobregat and Briccio Santos, chair of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), forged a memorandum of agreement Wednesday for the conduct of “Sineng Pambansa: Zamboanga Film Festival 2011” this month in time for the celebration of Dia de Zamboanga, which marks this city’s inauguration as a chartered city.
The film festival, which will feature nine Philippine movies, will be held from February 23 to 25 wherein one of the films to be featured is a 1936 film entitled “Zamboanga.”
Zamboanga City is celebrating its 74th Chartered Day anniversary on February 26.
The “Zamboanga” film, said Santos, was actually discovered being kept in the United States Library of Congress.
Santos said they have chosen Zamboanga City as the venue of the filmfest’s initial leg in Mindanao since this city is the cradle of history and culture in Mindanao.
“It is a hub for many different people – Muslims and Christians,” Santos said.
The venue of the film festival with six screenings a day will be the two theaters at Mindpro shopping mall, according to Lobregat.
Tickets will be given for free to the different schools as well as the other sectors of the society and concerned stakeholders, Lobregat said.
Sineng Pambansa is a program thrust of the FDCP with the goal of revitalizing the Philippine film industry.
The program involves screening of Filipino films for two or three days in different cities and population centers in the country.
The signing of the MOA between Santos and Lobregat was witnessed by FDCP Executive Director Jose Miguel de La Rosa, Vice Mayor Cesar Itturalde and other stakeholders.
(MindaNews)
