Christmas season in would not be complete without the movies. And by that, I mean the movies being shown at the annual film festival held at this time of year, the Metro Manila Film Festival or MMFF. First launched in 1975, the MMFF was an occasion where local filmmakers get to release films without having to worry about competition from foreign films during the Christmas season, something that has been an object of irritation among some cinephiles who are deprived of seeing some Hollywood film early. (like in the case of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy films which were released here in January instead of the same Christmas…
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Cine Europa 17
The Urban Roamer is not just about places or events. From time to time, it indulges in appreciating art in any form…in this case, the art of cinema. What better way to indulge in such aspects than to check out this annual event that celebrates European cinema: the Cine Europa. Organized by the European Union in the Philippines, Cine Europa is an annual film festival which showcases films produced by some of the EU’s member countries (+ Norway and Switzerland, which are not EU members) for free, thus giving moviegoers an opportunity to be acquainted with the best in contemporary European cinema.
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CinemalayaX at the CCP
It is that time of the year once again when the moribund Philippine cinema manages to come alive for a while. No, I’m not talking about the Metro Manila Film Festival, when the opposite usually happens…but I digress. It is the season of Cinemalaya, the Philippine independent film festival which is now marking its 10th year. For those who are not familiar with this event, Cinemalaya is an annual film festival organized by the Cinemalaya Foundation (headed by Tony Boy Cojuangco) with the support of the Cultural Center of the Philippines that is meant to showcase contemporary, independent Philippine cinema, as well as to give opportunities for new filmmakers and…