Term paper for the class Professional Ethics This document discusses the present state of Filipino cinema and focuses more on the emergence of indie movies. Please don't reuse my article, just read it for educational basis only. thanks

1. Darylle G. Mon-alon
PROFETH
4/13/11
Philippine indie films make headway
While independent films are largely ignored by ordinary movie-goers in the Philippines, the
genre has become the „in thing‟ in the country as indie movies gain international acclaim and
generate worldwide interest.
Industry experts noted that indie filmmakers produce more movies now than mainstream
studios, which have been saddled by huge losses due to piracy, high taxes and stiff foreign
competition.
Brillante „Dante‟ Mendoza, director of Serbis, said indie filmmakers have taken the lead role in
reviving the Philippine film industry as budding directors turn to the genre because they would
need less money to produce. „It‟s very accessible. You just go out, write your script and shoot
the film,‟ said Mendoza, who has directed and produced a total of seven indie films since 2005,
most of which have won several awards abroad. „You don‟t need a production team,‟ he added.
„You don‟t even need actors, just as long as you have your camera.‟
But while the indie industry is flourishing, the main problem is getting the audience, Mendoza
noted, lamenting that Filipino movie-goers are so used to big-production movies that showcase
their favorite stars. „Realistically speaking, indie films don‟t have commercial value because we
don‟t have the famous stars, we don‟t have the formula story and we don‟t have the money to
promote the film,‟ he said.
The 47-year-old director said he has been going to Philippine schools to prod students to
patronize Filipino films, especially local indie productions.
„What we are doing is going straight to schools and talking to the students and showing our films
to the students,‟ he said. „We want to raise their awareness on indie films.‟ Industry leaders say
the Philippine film business is the most overtaxed in the world, pushing up the prices of
watching movies in theatres. While the country still has the highest level of theatre admission in
South-East Asia, it registered the steepest drop in movie-goers, from 131 million in 1996 to 63
million in 2004.
Mendoza said the country‟s movie industry, including the indie genre, needs the support not
only of the Filipino moviegoers but also of the government.
„We need major support of the government,‟ he said. „If the government can support athletes
and spend millions on their training, why not give a bit of attention to filmmakers?‟

2. Reaction:
The Current State of Philippine Cinema
In the present, the Philippine cinema industry is now struggling against the continuous success
and top-billed foreign films. Back in the days the Philippine Cinema reached its peak in the [1]
1950‟s to 70‟s as they call it the Golden Age of Philippine Cinema were it is considered a time
of “rebuilding and growth”.[1]
Genres that have been present for the past few decades are being recycled over and over again
with the same stories, it is a cliché, it seems like directors and writers ran out of ideas and
stories to tell that they have to keep repeating and imitation similar plots of what was done
before. The films cater to the shallow tastes of the masses who they consider as the general
public. The quality of a film is now irrelevant to most of the Filipino viewers, because the
tendency of watching a film is to support and watch-out for your favorite celebrity and as soon
as they saw that celebrity any recollection of the quality or even the story wears out. Even if
your acting quality is very poor as long as you are a celebrity or what they call a “star” you can
be in a movie, which also lead to the deterioration of Philippine cinema. [3] In December,
organizers of the annual Metro Manila Film Festival it was once envisioned as a showcase for
Filipino artistry and originality, but entries are now selected on the basis of commercial
appeal proudly announced that the film fest had grossed half a billion pesos. [3]
The Factors that lead to the Decline of Philippine Film Industry
Emergence of Foreign films. The continuous showing of foreign movies contributed to lower
standards of Philippine Cinema. Knowing that we Filipinos have a concept of Colonial mentality
wherein we prefer US made products or films for this matter than those that we have here. We
are far behind opposed to the state of technology that Westerners have thus our films are being
compared to them especially when the matter at hand is about Special and Visual effects.
Piracy. In this scenario even foreign films are at stake, and we Filipinos is not an exclusion. The
rise of Piracy in the 2000‟s era led to many changes first would be affordability and efficiency for
movie goers to just have the leisure of watching a film at home paying only less than a hundred
compared to how much one would pay when going to theaters. In the second hand the
Philippine industry earn less and even lost its royalties. Still even in the streets of the Philippines
with Piracy in the way, buyers still favor foreign films over local ones.
The Independent Film industry
[2]While independent films are largely ignored by ordinary movie-goers in the Philippines, the
genre has become the „in thing‟ in the country as indie movies gain international acclaim and
generate worldwide interest. [2] At first indie films failed to grab the attention of the viewers due
to the fact that in most indie films there are none or few known artists and celebrities in the cast,
almost everyone in the cast are regular people such as bystanders and small-time or rising
artists.
Genres that most indie films tackle are more in the lines of intensely explore social, political,
religious, and psychological landscapes. It is a way that independent films avoid narrow focus
________________________________________________________________________
[1] http://filipinocultured.blogspot.com/2008/02/philippine-cinema-in-our-grandparents.html
[2] http://www.onscreenasia.com/article-4992-philippineindiefilmsmakeheadway-onscreenasia.html
[3]
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=670098&publicationSubCategoryId=86

3. On trivial escapism is by a very curious and questioning fascination of how we Filipinos and the
human beings in general relate to each other and to the world. Whether they are about social
commentary, political statement, psychological study, or keen insights into human relationships,
all of these topics represent controversial subjects that are catered specifically to niche
audiences and markets.
Unlike commercial movies or the mainstream movies, the purpose of the movie itself is
monetarily such as for profitability. In the independent stream the purpose of the films are
mainly for art, culture and advocacy means as opposed to worrying about whether the movie
will make money or not.
Independent films are now seen as art movements as evident in its cinematographic styles,
storylines and contents. They present sensitive issues which studios cannot invest on as they
don‟t see profitability in it especially that the mass market is looking for forms of escape from
poverty and politics. Viewers from the academe would spend more on independent films due to
a certain intellectual hunger that needs to be fed. Then, the development of more lucrative
market is seen alongside.
[4]
Filipino pictures have been described as “cinematography filled with energy and audacity” by
the organizers of the 2008 Paris Cinema International Film Festival, which honored the
Philippine film industry and its new generation of directors showcasing 40 of country‟s most
remarkable titles. [4]
Advantages and Disadvantages of indie films
The main cost of producing an average independent film is lower than commercial films for the
reasons of having no famous celebrity in the cast, few people in the crew the most would be 20
and the least 3 including the director, video man and sound man which they could share
workload to fill out the missing positions. As an art form indie film is a great tool to express
advocacies to their viewers for public awareness. Another advantage would be film juries
abroad favor independent films because of more interesting topics and substance.
Disadvantages would be less profit as to there is a niche market and only few cinemas allow
screening of independent movies. There is negativity when independent movies are mentioned,
there are still doubts coming from Filipino themselves as to most topics are in the lines of
homosexuality, prostitution and poverty.
Having a small market here in the Philippines leads to indie directors making films for foreign
festival juries like Cannes and Sundance festival. It is both sad and happy to see fellow Filipinos
winning awards on foreign festivals wherein there their work are much appreciated than we their
fellow “kababayans” who do not patronize their work. Given that the state of Philippine
technology in term of Film is poor, we still stick to film projectors wherein Commercial movies
are made from unlike indie films which are only made using digital technology or with the use of
digital cameras thus resulting to indie films not being shown in big cinemas because projectors
in cinemas not compatible with digital technology. It is difficult to penetrate the common market
of moviegoers without rampant visibility everywhere, so independent filmmakers have to devise
strategies that are very different from the existing, good thing there is internet where they are
free to promote their work.
________________________________________________________________________
[4]
http://www.onscreenasia.com/article-4992-philippineindiefilmsmakeheadway-onscreenasia.html

4. As a conclusion, here is what Patronilo BN. Daroy had to say about the Philippine film industry:
[5]
Philippine cinema, in short, appears to have reached full circle: it is at the stage of refining
and formulating its own conventions and, in the process, getting in close contact with the
ferment in the other arts and at the same time, the serious critical attention and concern of
people with a broader interest in culture. This is inevitable; as an art form the cinema in the
Philippines can no longer remain isolated from the main current of sensibilities and ideas that
shape other artistic forms, such as literature, painting, the theater, etc. Neither can it fly from the
actuality of social life which, after all, is the source of all artistic expression. I foresee, therefore,
a hand towards more serious cinema; the muckrakers will continue, but they will be exposed for
what they are and will no longer be definitive of the quality of Filipino films. [5]
I propose that the government should provide aid to these independent film workers as they are
one of the factors that the Philippines are being known internationally in terms of film and art.
Every individual has their own taste and preference; indie films may not cater to the general
public but given that there always those people who see past what is commercial and ordinary.
What is apparent is that the works of Filipino independent filmmakers is steadily growing and is
likely to continue to do so by virtue of its facility for innovation, diversity and originality. There
always rooms for improvement and in time we will be able to appreciate these movies. The indie
films also have part and function in society like commercial movies. In my opinion if you want to
watch something that could entertain you, make you cry or make you laugh then try the
commercial movies but if you have an intellectual hunger that needs to be fed like me I will
suggest that you watch independent films as to there is actual substance in the film.
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[5]
http://www.aenet.org/family/filmhistory.html