A virtual Baybayin Learning Party, held last May 30, marked the culmination of the Philippine Embassy in Berlin’s celebration of National Heritage Month this year.

Baybayin was one of the indigenous scripts used in the Philippines prior to the introduction of the Latin alphabet during the Spanish colonial era.

The class included lessons on the history of Baybayin and on reading and writing the script’s 17 characters. Forty-six participants from Germany, other European countries, and the United States (US) were able to write a two-sentence paragraph at the end of the 90-minute class. Lucky participants also won a Baybayin name art courtesy of Tofu Creatives.

In her remarks before the class, Ambassador Maria Theresa Dizon-de Vega expressed appreciation for the organizers’ passion in preserving such an important element of our culture.

US-based artist/singer-song writer Nityalila Saulo and Illustrator Desiree Llanos Dee of Tofu Creatives (www.tofucreatives.com) served as class facilitators.

The class was organized by Tofu Creatives, in collaboration with the Embassy and the University of the Philippines Alumni Association Germany e.V., headed by Ms. Jennifer Lynne Fadrigo-Hankammer.

 

Despite restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Embassy was able to mount a special celebration of Filipino culture and heritage.

Aside from the Baybayin Learning Party, full-length film, “I’m Drunk, I Love You” (courtesy of TBA Studios); a documentary on Baybayin; a news segment on the Filipino people’s Austronesian heritage; and Carlo Vergara’s musical, “Kung Paano ako naging Leading Lady” (courtesy of the Cultural Center of the Philippines) were featured on the Embassy Facebook page (@PHinGermany) as part of the month-long celebration. END

Filipino Director Rafael Manuel’s short narrative film “Filipiniana “won the Silver Bear Jury Prize for short films at the recently concluded 70^th Berlinale. One of the world’s foremost international film festivals, Manuel’s film was honored with one of the coveted three main short film prizes.  The other awards, namely, the Audi Short Film Award went to ‘Genius Loci’ by Adrien Mérigeau and the Golden Bear for Best Short Film went to  ‘T’ by Keisha Rae Witherspoon.

The Berlinale Shorts segment of the festival presents a maximum of 30 international short works premieres to a large global audience. This year’s program was curated by Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck, head of Berlinale Shorts. The Berlinale Shorts Advisory Selection Committee is composed of eight international experts in film theory and practice. The Golden Bear winner of the Berlinale automatically qualifies to participate in the competition for the Academy award short film category.

Throughout the year selected films from the Berlinale Shorts are presented at Spotlight events in other film festivals. END

The Philippine Embassy in Germany with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) held a Philippine Cinema Night on 24 February 2020 to celebrate 100 years of Philippine Cinema and to introduce the Philippine Delegation to the 70^th Berlin International Film Festival better known as the Berlinale.

The Philippine presence at the 2020 Berlinale from 20 February to 1 March is one of the largest in recent years with four Philippine-themed and co-produced films screening at the one of the world’s top festivals.

The Philippine productions are director Raya Martin’s “Death of Nintendo”, Rafael Manuel’s short film “Filipiñiana”, Alex Piperno’s “Chico ventana tambien quisiera tener un submarine” (Window Boy Would Also Like to Have a Submarine”, a Philippine co-production with Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, and the Netherlands, and “Orphea” a rock musical film set in Manila co-directed by Filipino Khavn Dela Cruz and German Alexander Kluge.

The Philippines likewise took part in the Berlinale Co-production market via “Boldstar” a new film written by Rody Vera and to be directed by Antoinette Jadaone and produced by Bianca Balbuena and Dan Villegas. The film was pitched to various potential international partners at the co-production market.

Four other Filipino directors and producers took part in the Berlinale Co-Production Market Visitor Programme – Alemberg Ang, Anne Prado-Magadia, Carlo Valenzona, and Gutierrez Mangasakan II.

At the Berlinale Talents Programme two young Filipinas producer Gale Osorio and filmmaker Celine Marie Donato took part in discussions and networking sessions.

In her message at the Philippine Cinema Night held at the Philippine Embassy in Berlin, FDCP Chair and CEO Liza Diño Seguerra spoke about the exciting visions and voices in Philippine cinema across all genres. She invited the over 150 guests from the international film industry to consider the Philippines newly-launched Film Location Incentive Program (FLIP) and International Co-Production Fund (ICOF). These new programs allow the Philippines to venture into more collaborative projects and to welcome international filmmakers to an exciting filming experience in the Philippines.

Touting the theme of the new programs, “Let’s Create Together” Chair Diño-Seguerra shared that the Philippines offers not only diverse and beautiful filming locations but also a creative community which is vibrant, dynamic, and welcoming.

For her part, Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega assured the Philippine film sector and the FDCP of the Embassy’s continuing support in raising the profile of Philippine cinema in Germany.

Among those who came to Philippine Cinema Night included Korean Film Council Chair Oh Seok-geun, Tokyo International Film Festival Director Takeo Hisamatsu, Festival programmers from the Cannes Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, Berlinale organizers, filmmakers, producers, creatives, talents, and film journalists.

The event lasting for several hours was enlivened by special Philippine cocktails created by Filipino-German mixologist Jane Narag-Kupke and Philippine street food served cocktail style by Filipino-Germany Chef Bulawan Callanta of AYAN Filipino Restaurant in Berlin. END