Binisaya Launches Ninth Film Festival
Photo by Novie Ann Brigoli (Official Binisaya Film Festival Photographer)
On the July 30, 2018, Binisaya set out to launch its ninth iteration of the film festival in front of a small crowd inside the conference halls of Waterfront Airport Hotel and Casino in Lapu-Lapu City with the theme: “Tan-aw man ka?(Why are you watching?)”. The launching opened with a speech from Ms. Grace Lopez, who talked about Binisaya’s history and goals, one of which is to promote the once prominent Cebuano film industry that rivaled even its counterpart from mainland Manila. Following Lopez was this year’s festival director, Ronnie Gamboa Jr., who explained his plans for Binisaya for the year 2018.
Binisaya is a movement founded by several film makers, one of them being University of San Carlos alumnus Keith Deligero, which aims to promote Cebuano film, provide an avenue for filmmakers to showcase their art, to give the Cebuano a voice in the film scene and personifies Cebuano culture.
Gamboa’s plans for Binisaya 2018 include the Barrio-Barrio series, or a series of screenings to be held in rural and provincial places outside of mainland Cebu. “It’s our way to let the people from the provinces know that things like these exist,” says Gamboa. Also part of their plans are the midnight screenings, which will be held at Kukuk’s Nest in Lahug and in the Rizal Public Library. In line with their screening plans, outdoor screenings are to be held in The Grid in Talamban every Wednesday, in Sugbo Mercado at IT Park every Friday and in The Market, located beside Westown Lagoon in, every Saturday. These screenings will start from Aug. 1, 2018 and will end on the 31st.
Gamboa also spoke of plans to hold school tours, where they will be screening Cebuano films in different schools here in Cebu. He also talked about the 48-hour shootout, a film competition wherein aspiring filmmakers are given 48 hours to complete a short film. He also added that there would be a Block Party, where different artists from Cebu showcase their talents — from local music, live art shows and performances, local Cebuano merchandise and fun booths. “Our goal is not just to promote Cebuano cinema, but also the overall Cebuano culture,” added Gamboa.
For this year’s online promotion and logo design, Binisaya partnered with infamous Cebuano meme page “01kek”. Gamboa says they chose to partner with the page because not only is it famous for their memes, but the way in which they present their memes promotes the culture of Cebu, adding, “We decided to get them because what they do is in line with what we aim to achieve.” In a brief video presentation from the admins of the meme page, with faces covered with black cloth, they say that they are “shitposting for a cause” and aim to make “memes with substance”. According to Wiktionary, the term “shitposting” is internet slang for a worthless post on a messageboard, newsgroup, or other online discussion platforms.
Binisaya Film Festival will start screening the films from Aug. 1, 2018 to Aug
31, 2018. In line with this, Binisaya urges the Cebuano community to promote, support and help their cause in any way possible in order for the movement to flourish.
