In recognition of decades of incredible work and service to Philippine Cinema, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) staged Sine Sandaan: Celebrating the Luminaries of Philippine Cinema’s 100 Years to honor the most remarkable and critically-acclaimed Filipino artists and film workers in front of and behind the camera, as well as the oldest living Filipino actors, actresses and professionals as legends of Philippine Cinema.
To close this historic month for the Philippine film industry, let’s celebrate how Sine Sandaan marked the official launch of the year-long celebration of the One Hundred Years of Philippine Cinema last September 12 at the New Frontier Theater in Cubao, Quezon City, a venue which was the biggest cinema in Asia in 1965 and an entertainment hub in the 1960s. The theater was turned into an Art Deco Cinema by Bigbulb Creative Lab, Inc. in honor of the standalone theaters during the cinema’s Golden Age.
The once-in-a-lifetime commemoration marked the one hundred years since Jose Nepomuceno’s “Dalagang Bukid,” considered the first Filipino-produced and directed feature film. This will be observed from September 12, 2019, to September 11, 2020, pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 622, Series of 2018.
The event was attended by almost 2,000 people from the film industry’s past and present which made it the epic event that it was.
Spectacular Performances
Supporting the vision of FDCP Chairperson Liza Diño was a talented creative and technical production team who lent their geniuses to create world-class production numbers. These truly represented the rich history of our cinema and the milestone that led to its flourishing and success so far.
Directed by singer-songwriter Ice Seguerra under his events company, Fire and Ice Production, Sine Sandaan was created to become a tapestry of the milestones of Philippine cinema through a diverse presentation of skits, live score and musical performances, and production numbers. This was a labor of love and commitment Director Seguerra willingly gave as his personal gift to Philippine cinema’s commemoration for its hundred years.
Scriptwriter Adriana Agcaoili created a wonderful thread to seamlessly weave the program from one era to another. The Main Stage, with its strategically placed LEDs and levels to create a 3-dimensional effect, was designed by Ottobots Hernandez, and was illuminated and brought to life by the lighting design of John Batalla, paired with exhilarating LED visuals and video design by GA Fallarme.
The breathtaking performances were guided by the technical direction Dong Calingacion with stage managers Lani Tapia and Ching Danseco. The beautiful dances all throughout were choreographed by Dan Cabrera with the impeccable and impressive musical direction by Ivan Lee Espinosa. TV broadcast direction was managed by Tey Clamor and her team, and overall production management was handled by Rosalinda Santiago.
Sa Likod ng Tabing
Sine Sandaan opened with the musical “Ang Mundo ng Pelikula” with lyrics, music, and arrangement by Vincent A. de Jesus. This represented the world of filmmaking, from production to exhibition, as a tribute to the people behind the camera and the hard work that gets put into making a film. Performers included Isay Alvarez, Sandino Martin, Jojit Lorenzo, Robert Sena, JC Santos, Kayla, Adriana Agcaoili, Teri Onor, and the Dance Royalties ensemble. Choreography was done by Daniel Cabrera.
Para kay Jose Nepomuceno, Ama ng Pelikulang Pilipino
A commemorative stamp from PhilPost to mark the 100 years of Philippine Cinema was presented to the Nepomuceno Family to honor their invaluable contribution to Philippine Cinema. The stamp was received by filmmaker Dik Trofeo, a close family friend of the Nepomuceno family.
To further honor Jose Nepomuceno, the father of Philippine cinema, a heart-warming tribute for the Father of Philippine cinema was shown featuring Jose Nepomuceno’s son, Luis, who shared poignant stories about his father and his love for cinema.
Ang mga Estudyo at mga Sinehan: A Medley of Movie Theme Songs
A medley of the most iconic Filipino movie theme songs was performed by Nar Cabico, Lara Maigue, and Juris to pay homage to the studios and the cinemas that became the pillars of moviemaking in the Philippines.
Mga Bida at Kontrabida
Cinema was personified through a genre standup skit entitled “Cinema” written by Bibet Horteza. Performed by Lance Reblando and Joel Saracho, this skit showcased various film genres, which ranged from action, comedy, drama, horror, to fantasy, and more.
Mga Love Team ng Sentenaryo
Singers and movie stars Bituin Escalante, Sheryl Cruz, Jason, Jay-R, and Love Team of the Century luminaries Marvin Agustin and Jolina Magdangal made the audience swoon with a medley of song and dance numbers to pay tribute to the most popular love teams of Philippine cinema that made moviegoers fall in love over the years.
Movie Fan
Movie Fan” skit written by Edwin Serrano featuring Ate Gay, Giob Rodriguez, Edrei Tan and Kitkat with DJ Onse, Kim Idol, Gladys Guevara and Teri Onor playing the role of Movie Fans gave life to how movie fans became the lifeblood of cinema.
Ang mga Batikan
A video presentation featuring the most unforgettable movie lines in Filipino movies was presented to give honor to the most exemplary Filipino actors and actresses of the last hundred years.
Sine Rehiyon
The importance and essential role of regional cinema in the landscape of the industry were highlighted through a performance of Bullet Dumas of “Sa Rehiyon,” an original song composed by Mike Villegas just for the occasion. Some that were given tribute were the proponents of Visayan cinema, the film festivals of the regions, and the new voices of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Taga-Indie
An immersive experimental experience was presented through a mixture of visual, sound, and lights as Diego Mapa, the vocalist of Pedicab and Tarsius music, performed the EDM live score of the experimental short film “ASWANG 1933” directed by Khavn in honor of independent cinema which has truly flourished through the years, bringing to the country the international spotlight with the unique, diverse, and meaningful narratives.
Ang mga Palaban
The rise of the bomba genre with the Martial Law era was part of the reflection of the generation’s defiance and the challenging of societal norms. In honor of the luminaries who transcended expectations in the genre who refused to be objectified and instead worked to be empowered, Valeen Montenegro, Rochelle Pangilinan, and Regine Tolentino performed the Bomba Number “Sit Back and Relax” composed by Teddy Katigbak.
Direk!
The dance performance “Sayaw at Obra” celebrated the creative genius of the visionaries of the Philippine film industry as they enthralled, entertained, and enlightened the audiences. The musical arrangement was done by Ivan Lee Espinosa with performances by the Dance Royalties ensemble and choreography by Daniel Cabrera.
Mga Buhay na Alamat
The living legends who helped shape the local film industry into what it is now was commemorated with the song “Minsan ang Minahal ay Ako” written by Jose Javier Reyes, composed by Ryan Cayabyab, and performed by Ice Seguerra. Their incomparable experience and wisdom have guided the generations of artists and filmmakers after them.
Mga Icon
National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab and writer-director Jose Javier Reyes lent their genius and talents to compose a song specifically made for Philippine cinema titled “Pelikula, Pelikula” performed by Acapellago. The song had its premiere during Sine Sandaan to honor the icons of Philippine cinema, those who were cut above the rest and have become engrained in the very history of cinema as household names, to be remembered for a long time.
During her opening speech, FDCP Chairperson and CEO Mary Liza Diño emphasized the importance of unity in serving the film industry. She said, “I’m very humbled that you are all here, and I hope that we will have more of these kinds of get-together, this kind of gathering, kasi at the end of the day, kahit saan po tayong panig, kahit ano po ang political biases natin, kahit saan po tayong sector, kahit saan po tayong network, iisa lang po ang industriyang pinagsisilbihan natin. Kaya sana po, let us unite for this one industry that we all love because the next one hundred years of Philippine cinema is going to be about that. It’s going to be about unity. It’s going to be about understanding what we need to do together as an industry to further elevate our craft.”
She ended her speech with, “Let’s be more open. Let’s be more giving. Let’s collaborate more. Let’s respect each other’s spaces, but find ways to find commonalities so that we can all work better together.”
The Sine Sandaan Trophy
A commemorative Sine Sandaan trophy will also be given to the honorees during their respective events in the following months as FDCP hosts this year-long celebration. Exhibits, film screenings, installations, a coffee table book, and memorabilia which are in line with the celebration of Philippine cinema’s centenary are in the works.
The design, created by one of FDCP’s partners, Bigbulb Creative Lab, Inc., takes on the dynamic form of film strips flying out of the reel, with each loop starting from the reel’s core representing a decade in the one hundred years of Philippine Cinema.
Sine Sandaan is organized by FDCP and is co-presented by CMB Film Services and ABS-CBN in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and sponsored by Araneta Group and the Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines (FDAP).
Following Sine Sandaan was the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, one of the country’s national film festival where Filipino genre films were exclusively screened in all cinemas nationwide. PPP ran from September 13 and was extended until September 26, 2019. PPP 2019 is co-presented by CMB Film Services and Frontrow International in partnership with the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP) with major sponsors, namely Toronto Film School and Yorkville University, Fire and Ice Productions, ThinkBIT Solutions, and Araneta Group, and other sponsors, including Bicol Isarog Transport System, Inc., PowerMac Center, and Novotel Manila. Media partners are Solar Entertainment Corporation, Sinag Maynila, CNN Philippines, Cinema One, PEP.ph, Inquirer.net, InqPOP!, Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors (SPEEd), Rank Magazine, Peryodiko Filipino, and Adobo Magazine. The corporate partner includes PUBLICITYASIA.
