The Festival de Cannes inaugurates “Tous les Cinemas du Monde” in 2005. It is a new programme dedicated to the presentation by selected countries on a varied showcase of their cinematographic creation. Gilles Jacob, President of the Festival de Cannes, and Michel Vauzelle, President of the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region, today signed the convention which brings the support of the Regional council to this new project of the Festival.

The event will take place in a new theatre that is to be designed and installed in the heart of the Village International by the architect Patrick Bouchain. Equipped with excellent technical capabilities, the theatre will provide the very best conditions for film professionals and host delegations.

Conceived to be used by all Festival de Cannes film professionals and enthusiasts, “Tous les Cinemas du Monde” intends to encourage the growth of cinema d’auteur by illustrating the richness and diversity of world cinema and the strength of young creative talent.

Each of the countries invited will present a selection of films which reflect its cultural identity and the uniqueness of its expression.

Serge Sobczynski, a Festival Representative who works alongside Veronique Cayla, General Manager of the Festival de Cannes, heads up this new initiative.

taken from the web site of Festival de Cannes

Further gaining grounds in our efforts to gain a foothold in prestigious film festivals abroad, four Filipino films will be shown in the New Cinema of the World Section of the Cannes Film Festival this coming May.

The Films are Bagong Buwan (2001), directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Dekada’70 (2002), directed by Chito Rono, Milan (2004), directed by Olivia Lamasan, and Panaghoy sa Suba (2004), directed by Cesar Montano. The first three films were produced by Star Cinema of ABS-CBN Entertainment. Panaghoy was produced by CM Films and was shown during the last Metro Manila Film Festival Philippines.

Mr. Serge Sobczynski, an official of the New Cinema of the World Section, has informed Ms. Laurice Guillen, chairman of the Film Development Commission, that he has already scheduled the exhibition of the four Filipino films in a single day. He reported that two short Filipino films will also be shown during the Philippines day of the section.

Sobczynski released the schedule for Philippines day as follows: Panaghoy sa Suba, 11 am to 1 pm, Dekada’70, 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm, Bagong Buwan with the short film Liyab (directed by Sockie Fernandez), 4 pm to 6 pm, and Milan with the short film Batang Trapo (directed by Mes de Guzman), 8 pm to 10 pm.

He said that he was “very impressed by the quality and the originality of the films.” Bagong Buwan stars Cesar Montano, Jericho Rosales and Amy Austria while Dekada’70 stars Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon, Piolo Pascual, Marvin Agustin and a stellar cast. Piolo Pascual and Claudine Barretto are the lead stars of Milan. Panaghoy sa Suba has Cesar Montano and Juliana Palermo as the leading stars.

The New Cinema of the World program aims to provide a venue for the exhibition of the most dynamic film productions of a country. And this might include even vintage films which has a strong influence on new generation of filmmakers, as well as recent feature films which do not have to be necessarily unexhibited though these films must not have been overly seen by Cannes-based filmgoers.

taken from the web site of the Film Academy of the Philippines

Copyright © 2004 - Eric A. Nadurata  Manila, Philippines