Smart backs the country’s 1st CinePhone Film Festival

Wireless services leader Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) joined the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and director Paul Soriano in going around several campuses to encourage students to submit their entries to the country’s 1st CinePhone Film Festival.

Cinephone – a program of the 38th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) which is administered by the MMDA – is a competition open to all high school and college students who can make 1 to 3 minute-long movies that are completely shot using mobile phones. These movies must adhere to the theme “Restoring Road Courtesy among Motorists and Pedestrians,” and should depict values such as courtesy, discipline, and respect.

Interested students have until September 17 to join the contest, a brainchild of MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino. Participants simply need to submit a one-page synopsis of their story. The download link for all required forms as well as the complete mechanics are posted on www.facebook.com/metromanilafilmfest

The schools included in the caravan were: Adamson University, Ateneo de Davao, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, De La Salle University, Miriam College, University of the East, University of the Philippines Diliman, and University of San Carlos in Cebu.

“Students are the future of the cinema,” Tolentino said. “We believe in the potential of the youth. These are our new wave of artists and the future of the Philippine film industry. The MMDA and MMFF will be here to guide and support them to be great artists someday.”

For his part, festival director Soriano said during the UP Diliman visit: “We encourage the youth to showcase their originality and creativity. For aspiring filmmakers, now’s their chance to shine.”

Soriano also thanked Smart for its support to the project. “We greatly appreciate Smart’s contribution to CinePhone. We really chose to partner with Smart because it’s the best and biggest network in the country.”

Soriano will head the screening committee which will choose the 60 best stories (20 from Luzon, 20 from Visayas, and 20 from Mindanao) among all the entries. He will also mentor the 60 finalists prior to the shooting of the videos.

Six winners will be selected from the finalists. Each of them will receive P25,000, Smart broadband kits, Smart cellphones, a host of other gadgets, and will be awarded during the 38th MMFF Awards Night on December 27, 2012.

They will also get paid apprenticeships with VIVA under Soriano, and film studies scholarship from MOWELFUND.

Smart mobile subscribers will also have a say in selecting the next ‘rockstar’ of the independent movie scene, because part of the CinePhone competition is the People’s Choice Award to be determined via web and text message polling.

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