I am glad to share with you a new monthly observance that puts the spotlight on Philippine Cinema. Through Proclamation No. 1085, President Rodrigo Duterte declared September as Philippine Film Industry Month, ensuring the celebration of Philippine Cinema annually throughout the country.

Especially in the past decade, the Philippines has been in no short supply of internationally acclaimed films, actors, and filmmakers. We have scored wins in the “Big 3” international film festivals, namely Berlin, Venice, and Cannes. We have also received awards from other A-List international film festivals such as Cairo, Locarno, Tallinn, Warsaw, Montreal, Tokyo, and IDFA in the Netherlands.

Improving the state of Philippine Cinema does not just involve supporting the development, production, distribution and exhibition of films locally and internationally.

Philippine Cinema kicked off 2021 with a bang. The strong drive to create Filipino films has surely overpowered the bleakness of the pandemic. Amid and despite the Covid-19 situation, Filipino talents continue to make their mark internationally, fueled by their passion, artistry and determination.

It takes a village to create a film — a team of hardworking and dedicated workers who pour out their heart and soul along with blood, sweat, and tears. Sleepless nights, body aches, tight deadlines, and high stress levels are dealt with during pre-production, production, and post-production as well as in distribution and exhibition.

We all heaved a sigh of relief when 2020 finally ended and welcomed the new year with optimism and hope. While the new normal of the previous year has carried over and will most likely happen for the rest of the year, there is a stronger determination now in the Filipino film industry to overcome the Covid-19 crisis.

Without a doubt, the year 2020 and this pandemic have forever changed our way of life. Who would have thought that we would reach this situation wherein most cinemas are still closed, we cannot roam around our favorite malls, or even leave our house without fear?

At the heels of the conclusion of the national celebration of the Philippine Cinema Centennial, we reflect on the eventful path that brought us to this state. We remember those who blazed the trail that we are gainfully treading on. This industry has strength, dignity, and promise because of people who have risen above and beyond their artistry to make it so.

The cinema experience has changed in recent years because of the decline of movie-going audiences and the burgeoning of online platforms. And this year, it was further altered drastically with the closure of movie theaters worldwide due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Philippine Cinema is dominated by women.” I will never forget hearing this when we hosted a Panel Discussion in Osaka, Japan which featured women filmmakers in Philippine Cinema. Sari Dalena, filmmaker and then head of UP Film Institute, went on to present how in the past 100 years of Philippine Cinema, women have been among the trailblazers and leaders of the Filipino film industry.