Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos Wants To Help The Local Indie Film Industry

'ILOCOS NORTE GOV. Imee Marcos is very proud that the indie film she produced, “PintaKasi”, won as best picture in the recent Metro-Manila Filmfest’s new wave category, with its lead, JM de Guzman, bagging the best actor award. It will now have its theatrical run on Feb. 8 in SM Cinemas at Megamall, Mall of Asia, Fairview, Marikina, North EDSA, Cebu and Iloilo and on Feb. 29 in SM Baguio, SM Davao and SM Batangas. We’ve seen the film and it’s certainly offers something very different from the usual local movie fare. A mixture of live action and animation, the original hiphop music and dances will surely appeal to the young crowd, with John Wayne Sace and Erich Gonzales playing the lead roles, along with JM.

Once very active with the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines that produced classics like “Himala” and “Oro Plata Mata”, Imee now wants to help the local independent film industry. “I think we have to have alternate venues like digital theatres for indie films kasi di sila basta ma-distribute sa regular cinemas. It’d also help kung merong festival for all indie films, like yung Sundance sa America. I’m willing to offer Ilocos Norte na may exotic sand dunes so puede nating tawaging Sun-Dunes Filmfest naman.”

She’s financing two new movies, one is “Lam-ang”, based on the Ilokano epic “Biag ni Lam-ang”, and a road trip film showing the beautiful scenic spots of Ilocos directed by Cannes filmfest best director Dante Mendoza. She also set up a location management group that will help film and TV companies that want to shoot in Ilocos. “We’ll give them incentives, like discounts sa hotel accommodations, transportation, catering and use of locations. Gusto ko makatulong not only sa film companies but also sa mga kababayan ko na mabibigyan ng trabaho roon and also give exposure to Ilocos to attract more foreign and domestic tourists.”