Every year, the Cinemalaya Film Festival opens its doors to the Philippines’ up and coming independent filmmakers. The festival’s annual rosters of impactful feature films and shorts have provided ample opportunities, platforms, and safe spaces for the country’s most prolific creatives to thrive and grow in their own right.
Now in its 20th year, commonly known as Cinemalaya XX, the film festival has gone full-force advocating for social awareness and breaking cultural barriers in the face of adversity. Participating directors, artists, and production companies drew inspiration from this year’s thought-provoking big-screen narratives to spearhead their own contributions to Cinemalaya XX’s grand launch at Ayala Malls Manila Bay.
Award-winning multimedia company CreaZion Studios gave the film festival a collaborative spin on August 3 with Setting Sail for Movie Sales: An Industry Talk on Film Marketing and Sales. The session helped aspiring filmmakers find their footing in local and international film markets.
Speakers Real Florido and Hesed Arce spent the afternoon imparting their knowledge and experiences on understanding a project’s key marketing elements before bringing it to fruition.
Florido, Cinemalaya alumnus and CreaZion Studios’ Co-Founder and Executive Vice President, shared his takeaways from having his directorial debut at Cinemalaya 2014 with “1st Ko Si 3rd.” He explained, “I think it’s very integral to understand where you will bring your movie from the get-go. You have to understand what windows and platforms you can utilize to reach as many audiences as you can.”
As an independent filmmaker, Florido also learned how integral unique perspectives are to a project’s trajectory in the industry. “Most filmmakers from Cinemalaya go to the international festival route right after the competition. It’s important to contextualize how and why these festivals will help recoup your investments or investor’s funding,” he said.
Florido elaborated further that this positive mindset doesn’t just benefit the project at hand, but the connections, target markets, and future partnerships it caters to, as well. “1st Ko Si 3rd” even brought him and his story to Seattle, Portland, Washington, and California for international audiences to watch and partake in the global Filipino film community.
Thanks to the local film market’s penchant for collaborations, international networking, and storytelling beyond awards and accolades, Filipino movies have put the country on the map of global media and entertainment. CreaZion Studios’ Distribution, Acquisitions, and IP Manager Hesed Arce attested to the long-running feat at the industry talk.
“While our films are being recognized in festivals abroad and are being shown in streaming platforms, we also learned that there’s another good opportunity we can explore—inflight and ship entertainment rights. With this, we can bridge the gap when our ‘kababayans,’ the OFWs and seafarers, look for Filipino films they can watch when they board planes and ships,” Arce recalled.
For Arce, production companies should also maintain the communal experience that movies foster. “Of course, while it is no doubt that it is a huge risk in today’s time, we should still believe in releasing films theatrically. Perhaps as lovers of good stories and the movies, we should champion how important it is for us to laugh, cry, and even scream together while watching films in theaters—and that’s the magic of cinema.”
More than these nifty marketing and distribution tips, Florido and Arce reminded the Cinemalaya and Industry Talk attendees to grab every opportunity they can to see the value in creating, watching, and discussing films. Arce affirmed, “Always believe in your films. And if you’re not sure where you can take them, let us help you make business out of your films.”
Prior to Cinemalaya XX, CreaZion Studios has already committed to bolstering the sales of local and international films in various windows and platforms. Their upcoming releases in 2024 include Coralie Fargeat’s acclaimed Cannes Film Festival Best Screenplay winner “The Substance,” starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley to be released on September 25; Florido’s upcoming rom-com “Everything About My Wife,” starring Dennis Trillo, Jennylyn Mercado, and Sam Milby to be released on November 27; and 40th Film Academy of the Philippines’ Best Actor and Philippine Comedy Icon Roderick Paulate’s newest project “Mudrasta,” to be released on December 11.
Photos from Cinemalaya
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