Introduction to Alternative Cinema
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
UP Film Center, UP, Diliman, Q.C.

Marra PL. Lanot

Today, the 14th International Women's Film Festival will showcase works by young filmmakers - Rica Arevalo, Nerissa Picadizo, Minnie Solomon Crouse, Mirana Medina, and Ellen Ongkeko.

Most, if not all, have participated and received honors and awards in international filmfests here and abroad. Some have gained experiences in production, in script continuity, as assistant directors, as actors, as editors, and as writers.

What's significant about the present crop of filmmakers is that they present the various social, political, and economic concerns of women. They cover environmental issues, family problems, graft and corruption, globalization, etc. While some may not be strictly feminist, they do carry a woman's perspective in that they don't offend a woman's sensibility, and may possibly develop a higher gender awareness. They thus deserve encouragement and support.

I would like to single out Angels, written by Ricardo Lee and directed by Ellen Ongkeko. The first local digital full-length feature film, it bears many of the elements of a gender-sensitive film. Without being preachy, it celebrates hope and empowerment in moments of adversity. It demonstrates, above all, how the political is personal and how the personal is political.

To the filmfest organizers and participants, congratulations!