cebu cinema: the making and the unmaking

Cebu Cinema

The Making and Unmaking

History of

Cebuano Cinema

Pre-War

“The Rise”

Pre-War Theaters

• Teatro Junquera– Cebu’s oldest theater having been established in

1895, was renamed Cine Oriente– Founded by Gen. Inocencio Junquera(1893-1895),

a civil and political governor of Cebu, Philippines– located at the junction of Colon and Osmeña

Blvd. – had staged dulaang binisaya, “Gugma sa Yutang

Natawhan” by Vicente Sotto( January 2, 19020

Pre-War Theaters

• Cine Royo– built by Pedro Royo from a former cockpit– cheapest theater in its time(5 centavos while

others charged 20 centavos per ticket)– Standing close to the corner of Colon and

Osmeña Blvd.– seats were uncomfortable because there were no

back support

Pre-War Theaters

• Vision Theater– established by Agustin Jereza– the only pre-war building now standing in Colon– 1938, first Cebuano talking motion picture,

Bertoldo-Balodoy was premiered here– hailed its status as the “Reyna sa mga Sinihan sa

Kabisayan ug Mindanao”

Golden Age ofCebuano Cinema(Years before the World War

2)

El Hijo Disobediente(1922)

• produced and directed by Florentino Borromeo

• a black and white silent picture that was one of the earliest noted films from the Southern Philippines

• The Disobedient Son in English

Bertoldo Ug Balodoy(1938)

• written by Piux Kabahar• Visayan Film Industry’s first "talkie“• starred Ben Zubiri, Iyo Karpo himself

Other Films Produced

• Gugmang Talagsaon(Rare Love), 1940 by Virgilio Gonzales

• Mini (Fake), 1940• Bulak sa Lunangan by Estudio Americano-

Filipino • Tanso sa Ginto

The War

As World War II broke out in Cebu in 1942, fleeing Americans bombed several parts of

the city. Fires razed buildings in Colon to the ground.

Post-War

“The First Resurrection”

2n d Golden Age of

Cebuano Cinema( 1 9 4 8 - 1 9 5 8 )

Theaters

Cebu TheaterKing TheaterLane Theater

Majestic TheaterStar Theater

Venus TheaterPremiere

Victor

PresidentEden

CinemaSuperamaCinerama

Ultra VistaramaSeven Arts

Films• Lapu-Lapu Pictures– Timbu Mata, 1948, starring Eva de Villa and Lino

Ramas– Damgo Ni Adan (Adan's Dream), produced by Rudy

Robles• Mactan Films– Tahas(Mission), 1950, starring Luz Celeste– Dakay; Mat Ranillo was in this film

• Barba Productions– San Tilmo; 1953

Films• Independent Picture– Balud(Wave), 1950 which starred Luz Celeste and Mat

Ranillo– Sa Kabukiran (In The Fields), 1948– Mapait Ang Balaod, 1953 (Arturo Blanco)– Bugas Mais (Corn Rice), 1953 (Arturo Blanco)– Pit Senor(Hail Senor)– Ang Siloy, 1953 (with Nora Hermosa and Rebecca Torres)– Huni sa Gugma (Where is Love), 1953– Dadansoy, 1953– Inahan (Mother), 1954.

Films• Azucena Productions(1951, Arong Familiy —owners of

Rene and Liberty Theaters)– Princesa Tirana (Princess Tirana), 1951 with Mat Ranillo

and Gloria Sevilla (her first feature title role after she was discovered through a declamation contest at the University of the Visayas) as lead players. Their first feature together made such a box office success in the Visayas and Mindanao that other features immediately followed;

– Leonora, 1951– Pailub Lang (Be Forebearing)1951– Utlanan (Border), 1952– Handumanan (Memoir), 1953

Films– Inahan (Mother), 1952, starring Mat Ranillo and Caridad

Sanchez– Antigan, 1952 with Virgie Postigo and Arise Roa– Carmen 1 and 2 (from the famous radio drama in Cebu),

1953– Paabuta Lang Ako (Wait for Me), 1953– Gloria Kong Anak (Gloria My Child), 1953– Gihigugma Kong Ikaw (I Love You), 1954; Mat and Gloria

then became synonymous to Visayan picutures, and since then were called as the King and Queen of Visayan Movies.

Films

• Cebu Stars Production (owned by the Tojong Family)– Dimakaling, 1952– Mga Anak Intawon (Oh, Poor Children), 1953– Kapintas Sa Kinabuhi (Hard Life), 1953, (Cebu

Stars Productions with Esterlina and Rebecca Torres)

– Sangang Nangabali (Broken Branches), 1953 broke box-office records in the mid-1950s

1950sFilm production went full-swing, which are usually reflective of Visayan life, culture and history like:

• Dumagsa• Prinsesa • Tirana• Heneral Leon Kilat• Sumatra• Paradista

• Kompas Lang• Siong; Mutya Sa

Saging Tindok

“The theaters were the lifeblood of Cebu City in

the past because entertainment alone

before is only in theaters. Wa gyu’y laen.”

-A Cebuano Journalist

Award Winning Films

Salingsing sa Kasakit(1955)

Directed by: Natalio BacalsoStarring:

Undo Juizan

nominated in the annual FAMAS Awards in Manila for Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Director

won the Best Child Actor Award

Badlis sa Kinabuhi(1969)

Directed by: Leroy SalvadorStarring:

Gloria SevillaMat Ranillo Jr.Frankie Navaja

won the Best Black and White Film Award in the 16th Asian Film Festival in Jakarta and was entered in the Berlin Film Festival

Promising Names

• Gloria Sevilla– FAMAS Best Actress Award for the 1974 film

Gimingaw Ako– Queen of Visayan Films

Promising Names

• Suzette Ranillo– Best Supporting Actress Award for the 1974 film

Gimingaw Ako

The Resuscitation 1966 to 1979

• The Cebu United Artists Production– Gihandum Ko Ikaw Sa Kanunay directed by

Frankie Postrero (director), starring Gloria Sevilla, Mat Ranillo II, Tony Cruz, Caridad Sanchez, Elsa Corazon, and introducing Robert Villegas

• Bulawan sa Lapok• Ay Takya, ay Takya,• Ulan Udtong Tutok

The Scarcity

• Because of the scarcity in Cebuano films in the 1967, movies shown in theaters in were the likes of

– Tarzan Film Festival at Ideal Theater– Arrivederci, Baby and The Triple Cross at Majestic Theater– Double Man and The Cool Ones at Cine Oriente– Heroes of Dien Bien Phu and Tarzan and the Valley of Gold at

Victor Theater– Doctor in Cover and Reluctant Astronaut in Vision Theater– Alex Big Shot and Max Diamond at New Lane Theater– I'll See You in September and Valiente Brothers at Vitina

Theater– Operation Discotheque at Omega Theater

.

Ave Maria(1969)

– the first Cebuano film in color– produced by Don Manuel Enriquez de la Calzada

under the Enriquez Pictures– to raise funds for the construction of the San

Nicolas de Tolentino Church altar– the story was a trilogy about the three children

of a rig driver– Done in 16mm, the film featured Carmen Torres,

Julie Ann Fortich, Bernard Puntillas, and other new names that time in local filmdom.

Ang Manok ni San Pedro (1977)

• critically-acclaimed Cebuano film by the brothers Narciso and Domingo Arong.

• starring Tessie Diez, Stevan Escudero, Pacing Torrevila, Riel Ylaya

• was shot in 16mm film and converted to 35mm

Visayan Film Festival

In 1974 the Visayan Movie Producer's association led by then Governor Osmundo

Rama held the first film festival

The Decline

1980

• The local movie scene petered out and due to financial difficulties, film makers shifted to television.

• To make matters worse, Cebuano actors were lured to Manila where the film industry gave hefty salaries and national exposure.

• This diaspora included other film industry players like Chanda Romero, looking for better opportunities.

• Without a source of funding, effective marketing and distribution strategy; making films in Cebu became a non-sustainable industry.

• Local historians would mark this year as the death of the Cebuano film industry.

Cebuano Films Revived

• In 1990– Matud Nila– Ang Dili Kaniadto, Mahimo na Karon– Mama Maliya– Kalis

• In 2004– Panaghoy sa Suba, the award winning film,

although shot in Bohol, was recognized by some as a Cebuano film.

Award Winning Cebuano

Films of Today

Confessional(2007)

–7 awards in the Cinema One Digital film festival– 5 awards in the PMPC Awards in Manila–Best Feature Film award in the 2008

Cinefan Film Festival in New Delhi, India

Queen Raquela

– a film partly made in Cebu by an Icelandic production with a largely Cebuano cast and crew

– won Teddy Award in Berlin– won Lino Brocka Award in the Cinemalaya Film

Festival in 2008

Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria(2010)

– directed by Remton Siega Zuasola– based on a story written by Maria Victoria Beltran– starring Donna Gemino, Jeffrey Ogario, Eloise Danot

and Greg Teczon– won a grant from Cinema One Originals– won the Jury Prize at the CinemaOne Originals Film

Festival– won at the Junjeu Film Festival in Korea– won Best Picture, Director, Cinematography and

Music at the Gawad Urian Awards.

My Paranormal Romance(2011)

– directed by Victor Villanueva– starring Phoebe Kaye Fernandez, Van Roxas,

Publio Briones III, Paul Jake Castillo– won Best Production Design, Best Editing, Special

Citation for Directing in 2011 Cinema One Film Festival

Dili Ingon Nato(2012)

– directed by Brandon Relucio and Ivan Zaldarriaga– starring Mercedes Cabral and Rez Cortez– a CinemaOne Originals film which bagged the

Best Picture award during Macabre International Film Festival 2012 in Mexico City

– Official Selection of the Fantaspoa International Film Festival in Porto Alegre, Brazil

– Official Selection of the Rojo Sangre Film Festival 2012 in Buenos Ares.

Efforts

• A number of short films were produced by the Sinegang Collective, Sine Buano, Oddfield Productions, Dragon Productions and Panumduman Productions.

• Local universities started to offer film making subjects.

• Organization in Cebu have organized their film festivals. An inter-school film festival has also become part of the local film scene.

Binisaya Film Festival 2012

• a flagship project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Sub-Committee on Film and organized by Bisdak Pride, Inc. and Binisaya Movement, in partnership with J Centre Mall Cinema (Mandaue City, Cebu),screens the best of Binisaya Films every National Arts Month celebration.

The Sinulog 2012 Short Film Festival

• organized by the Sinulog Foundation Inc. in cooperation with Cebu City Governmentand Cebu Film Society

• a documentary and short film contest

Fortunately, there are some filmmakers, who strongly

believe that another resurrection is now

inevitable

Thank you!