Lockdowns and quarantines did not deter 16 filmmakers from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and the National Capital Region from chronicling their struggles and triumphs during the Covid-19 pandemic in the way they know best – through film.
ECQ: Eksena Cinema Quarantine (COVID-19 Filmmakers’ Diaries), a project under the National Commission for Culture and the Arts – National Committee on Cinema (NCCA-NCC), in cooperation with University of St. La Salle- Artists’ Hub, features 16 filmmakers – Adjani Arumpac, Hiyas Baldemor Bagabaldo, Arbi Barbarona, Glenn Barit, Carlo Enciso Catu, Zurich Chan,Arden Rod Condez, Kristian Sendon Cordero, Khavn, Keith Deligero, Kyle Fermindoza, Bagane Fiola, Mark L. Garcia, Julienne Ilagan, Pam Miras, and Guillermo Ocampo.
Sixteen short films made into two Omnibus Films – Eksena Part 1of 2 and Eksena Part 2 of 2 – gives us a glimpse as well as insights from these filmmakers on how they navigated and managed their lives during the lockdown, a press release from project manager Tanya Lopez said.
They will have their worldwide virtual launch 6 p.m. Friday , January 22, and will run for a week until January 28, she said.
National Committee on Cinema (NCC) chair Rolando Tolentino said “It is important to continue the filmmaking process especially in this time (COVID-19 pandemic) when it is very challenging to do films and art for that matter.”
“If we do not sustain art and culture, we would not have the testament that the pandemic indeed happened.
These films will become testaments that we lived this way (now) – just like Noli Me Tangere – which gave us a glimpse on what happened during the Spanish colonialism because Jose Rizal wrote Noli Me Tangere. That becomes a powerful testament over time even after centuries,” Tolentino added.
The two Omnibus Films may be accessed online after registering for a free account at vimeo.com or through the vimeo mobile app, the press release said.
The films maybe accessed as video on demand until 11:59 p.m. January 28, for free via the promo code NCCACinema.
Four webinars are also set January 25-28, with clustered filmmakers who will share their filmmaking process in producing their short films and thresh out detailed insights into their personal struggles and successes in doing the film.
For more details one can visit https://bit.ly/EksenaCQ or join https://bit.ly/EKSENACinemaQuarantineLaunch for updates, the press release said.*