Filipino directors explain why they are not enjoying success back home

They've picked up prizes from Cannes to Bangkok, so it's evident that Filipino films are among the stars of the region's film industry. Aside from the three awards won at the Bangkok International Film Festival, Brillante Mendoza's "Serbis" was selected for the main competition at Cannes this year, while young Raya Martin's "Now Showing" was well-received during Cannes' Director's Fortnight.

Back home, however, their films are less than successful.

During a talk on Pinoy Cinema held as part of festival, four filmmakers explained that their struggles have much to do with the fact that their movies are independent. Participants were Adolf Alix Jr, whose "Drumbeat" was showing out of competition, Lav Diaz, a festival juror, John Torres and Martin. Two other directors, Mendoza and Francis Xavier Pasion, had films in competition. Pasion's "Jay" won a special mention in the Main Competition.

"We get less and less support in our own country where cinema is a dying culture. People prefer to download movies or watch DVDs," said Martin, whose five-hour-long drama "Now Showing" is a look at the evolution of how films are viewed in Filipino culture.

"Even though we produce a lot of good indie films, our audience is small. Now, with the mainstream industry doing badly too, we are having to share an even smaller audience," said Mendoza in an earlier interview. His "Serbis" won the Southeast Asian Competition at the Bangkok fest, and another film of his, "Slingshot" was screened out of competition. "Serbis" was the first Filipino nominee for Cannes' Golden Palm since 1985's "Bayan Ko: My Own Country" by Lino Brocka.

Killing culture

Hollywood heavily dominates in the Philippines, with only a few local productions being made each year.

The independent films, which are critical of society, tend to flourish at festivals, noted prominent director Lav Diaz, an industry veteran who broke away from the mainstream around 2001 and embarked on a career as an indie director, making a string of lengthy dramas.

John Torres, whose "Years When I Was a Child Outside" won a special mention in the Bangkok fest's Southeast Asian Competition, added that digital technology has opened the boundaries of filmmaking and helped make indie films prosper.

"You can make films in your own time, in your own place and at your own rhythm."

But only a few arthouse venues are willing to show their works and financial support comes from just two sources: the Cinemalaya Film Festival and the cable network ABS-CBN, with grants of between US$10,000 and $25,000 (Bt340,000 to Bt850,000).

The government does have a culture committee but obtaining funding is not easy.

"The regulations and paperwork make it almost impossible. And although they give you freedom in filmmaking as well as in the content, you don't get the funds for a year, meaning you have to pay for everything upfront," Torres said.