The first official function of Jose “Joey” Javier Reyes as the new chair of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is the “Parangal ng Sining” scheduled on April 19.
Reyes will lead the Parangal, or the FDCP’s annual homage to the women, men and organizations who have shaped the Philippine film industry and cinematic heritage. Gloria Romero and Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo are among the honorees at the ceremony to be held at the Seda Vertis North in Quezon City.
An award-winning director, actor, lyricist, and writer, Reyes was sworn in as FDCP chair last April 8. He will serve the remaining 14 months in the tenure of actor Tirso Cruz III, who resigned in March for “personal reasons.”
The head of the FDCP is appointed by the President every three years.
Earlier, Cruz told CoverStory.ph that he quit the post for financial reasons, and that he wanted to do more acting than take an administrative role. Reyes had served as Cruz’s technical adviser and was influential in the establishment of the council’s programs and projects.
Industry insiders had been expecting Reyes’ appointment to the FDCP’s top post. Cruz himself had described Reyes as the best candidate for the post and the most logical choice, but declined to make his remarks public so as not to preempt the President.
Honor roll
The Parangal is envisioned to bring back the “Golden Age” of Philippine cinema. Those to be honored in the awarding ceremony are:
Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo. Veteran actress and industry leader. Roa-Rodrigo served as president of the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation Inc., or Mowelfund, for 18 years and remains steadfast in upholding its mission to protect and support marginalized workers in the film industry.
Nicanor Tiongson. A film critic, writer, educator and scholar. Tiongson is a founding member of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, which confers the annual Gawad Urian Awards on outstanding Filipino films, and professor emeritus of the University of the Philippines’ Film Institute. He was vice president and artistic director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, chair of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, and cofounder of the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.
His scholarly works on the rich history of Philippine cinema include “The Urian Anthology” and “The Cinema of Manuel Conde.”
Clodualdo “Doy” del Mundo Jr. A filmmaker, screenwriter, and educator, Del Mundo wrote the screenplays of such acclaimed Filipino classics as National Artist for Film Lino Brocka’s “Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag” and Mike De Leon’s “Kisapmata” and “Batch ‘81.” He also directed the films “Pepot Superstar” and “Paglipad ng Anghel.”
He is a founding member and former chair of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino. He serves as the president emeritus of Sofia, or the Society of Filipino Archivists for Film, and is a staunch advocate of film archiving.
Armando “Bing” Lao. An award-winning filmmaker and prolific screenwriter, Lao wrote the screenplays of Jeffrey Jeturian’s “Kubrador” and Brillante Mendoza’s “Kinatay” and “Serbis,” both of which competed at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival
He is well-known for the “Found Story” screenwriting workshops.
Gloria Romero. Known as the “Queen of Philippine Cinema,” Romero is an award-winning actress who starred in Sampaguita Pictures’ iconic films such as “Dalagang Ilocana” and “Cofradia” before venturing into matriarch roles in the acclaimed “Tanging Yaman,” “Magnifico,” and “Rainbow’s Sunset.”
Society of Filipino Archivists for Film. Sofia is composed of individuals from various professional backgrounds whose main mission is preserving Filipino films and educating the public on our rich cinematic history.
ABS-CBN Film Restoration (Sagip Pelikula). Headed by Leo Katigbak, Sagip Pelikula has digitized and restored more than 100 Filipino films, including National Artist for Film Ishmael Bernal’s “Himala,” Peque Gallaga’s “Oro, Plata, Mata,” and Carlos Vander Tolosa’s “Giliw Ko,” which is the first film produced by LVN Pictures.
It has been instrumental in reintroducing well-loved Filipino classics to the public, particularly the youth. It remains committed to its purpose of preserving the country’s cinematic legacy for future generations of Filipinos.
A posthumous award will be conferred on Teddy Co, film curator and archivist, and an honorary distinction on Jaclyn Jose for being the first Southeast Asian actress to win the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for her performance in Brillante Mendoza’s film, “Ma’ Rosa.”
In memoriam
There will also be a ceremony to honor the memory of the following:
• Mario Dumaual, veteran broadcaster and reporter (July 5, 2023).
• Willie Nepomuceno, satirist and impersonator (July 26, 2023).
• Robert Arevalo, veteran actor (Aug. 10, 2023).
• Angie Ferro, veteran actress (Aug. 17, 2023).
• Mike Enriquez, veteran broadcaster (Aug. 29, 2023).
• Ethel Ramos, veteran talent manager and entertainment columnist (Sept. 10, 2023).
• Leo Bukas, entertainment writer and publicist (Nov. 6, 2023).
• Jun Urbano, comedian (“Mr. Shooli”) and director (Dec, 2, 2023).
• Gil Soriano, veteran television director (Dec. 6, 2023).
• Ronaldo Valdez, veteran actor (Dec. 17, 2023).
• Mario Bautista, veteran entertainment journalist (Jan. 13, 2024).
• Tony Tantay, Jr., veteran photographer (Jan. 18, 2024).
• Romy Vitug, cinematographer (Jan. 18, 2024).
• Deo Endrinal, Dreamscape Entertainment head (Feb. 3, 2024).
• Joe Gruta, veteran theater and film actor (March 10, 2024).
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