The Opening Night of the first Philippine Cinema Retrospective in Portugal was a roaring success. The sold-out screening of Raya Martin's “Independencia,” which was shown in its original 35mm format, kicked off Day 1 of SINE, Cinema das Filipinas – Nos Cem Anos do Cinema Filipino (Philippine Cinema – In the Hundred Years of Filipino Cinema). The jam-packed event held on November 8 was graced by National Artist for Film Kidlat Tahimik, Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño, and Ambassadors from various Embassies such as Iran, Iraq, Indonesia, and Slovak Republic. Some notable names in the Portuguese film industry like Cinemateca Portuguesa Director José Manuel Costa, Portugese cineastes, and the Filipino community in Lisbon also showed their heartwarming support for the event.

The 13th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) held on November 21 in Brisbane, Australia hailed Max Eigenmann as the Best Actress, yet she ultimately offered her international accolade to fellow Filipinos and even remembered to pay tribute to Philippine Cinema. Eigenmann was awarded for Best Performance by an Actress in the Asia Pacific region for her portrayal in “Verdict” directed by Raymund Ribay Gutierrez, which is a Special Jury Prize winner in the Orizzonti (Horizons) section of the 76th Venice International Film Festival and the Philippine entry to the Academy Awards 2020.

The 37th Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) Luna Awards is an award-giving body like no other in the country. It is a standout in the industry because it is by the peers and for the peers. Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño explained, "It’s really actresses voting for Best Actress, editors voting for the nominees for Best Editing, cinematographers voting for Best Cinematography. It is the counterpart of the Oscars in the U.S." 

A total of 12 entries are in the running for the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) Competition for First Appearance 2019 in the Netherlands, including “Aswang” by Alyx Ayn Arumpac. “Aswang,” a co-production among the Philippines, France, Norway, Qatar, and Germany, will be up against productions and co-productions from Spain, Russia, Qatar, Denmark, Brazil, Poland, China, the UK, Serbia, Croatia, Colombia, and Georgia.

Get ready for this year’s biggest film festival in the country! Ten (10) films have completed the slate for the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP) 2019 as announced by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) during the PPP 2019 Grand Launch last July 11, 2019 at Sequoia Hotel in Diliman, Quezon City.

The 37th Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) Luna Awards, with its Awards Ceremony taking place on November 30, Saturday, is unique in several ways. Firstly, the Luna Awards 2019 is a special edition because it takes place during the year-long celebration of the centenary of Philippine Cinema. The Luna Awards Night will feature a special segment on the One Hundred Years of Philippine Cinema to continue and propagate its commemoration that was mandated in Presidential Proclamation No. 622, Series of 2018, which declared September 12, 2019 to September 11, 2020 as the official celebration of the Philippine Cinema Centennial.

The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) honors the centennial year of Republic of Korea’s March 1 Independence Movement and Korea provisional government with “Remembering the Heroes”, a special film screening happening from April 6 to 7, 2019 at Shangri-la Plaza Cinema 4. This event is made possible in partnership with the Korean Cultural Center (KCC), the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines, and Shangri-la Plaza.

Jun Robles Lana’s latest film “KALEL, 15” will have its World Premiere under the Official Selection programme of the 23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival on November 29, 2019 in Tallinn, Estonia. It is the only Filipino film in the official competition, and it will be up against 20 films from all over the world.

Award-winning filmmaker Adolfo Alix, Jr. expressed his admiration for veteran actress Anita Linda during the “Sandaan: Dunong ng Isang Ina” event organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) to honor the veteran actress' contributions Philippine cinema held last June 16, 2019 at the Cinematheque Centre Manila.

One month since its world premiere at the 24th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), the latest work of Brillante Ma Mendoza has been selected by prestigious film fests in Taiwan, India, Estonia, and Egypt. “Mindanao” is part of the lineups in the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival (TGHFF), Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (TBNFF), and Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), which are all happening in November.