The Bangsamoro Short Film Festival (BSFF) is an opportunity for young Moro artists within and outside Bangsamoro region to hone their talent in short visual storytelling and showcase their skills in directing, cinematography, video editing, and acting. The aim is to promote awareness on the Bangsamoro stories and illustrate the society’s challenges and small victories especially amid the CoViD-19 pandemic. This year, the program– including the film showing and awarding will be completely online.
The first BSFF will carry the slogan #HeritageWithoutBorders, which aims to discover new moro talents and strengthen their Bangsamoro heritage wherever they may be. The program is envisioned to be an avenue for Bangsamoro people to unite and take pride in the creative artistry of their fellow moro, all while entertaining diverse audiences online in the time of pandemic.
According to the executive producer of BSFF and Bangsamoro Transition Authority Member of Parliament, Atty. Maisara C. Dandamun-Latiph: “This (program) will promote awareness of the Bangsamoro stories that illustrate our rich heritage and unique identity as a Bangsamoro that needs to be shared to the whole world. Our aim is to discover aspiring young moro filmmakers who can contribute in building a just and inclusive society and communities. Through this Festival, we hope to provide the platform for our aspiring artists to show their talents and skills in short film-making.”
The film festival will also serve as a psychosocial intervention on the ‘new normal’ by giving an opportunity for the talented young generation to unearth their talents in filmmaking and to echo their voices.
Leading BSFF’s creative program is its Festival Director, Moro filmmaker Rhadem Musawah: “When we talk about Moros or Bangsamoro art, we are typically boxed as traditional craftmakers. I believe that the Moros can go beyond that and I want to change that by helping give them the platform to kick-off and showcase their creative storytelling through short films,”
- Entries should be one (1) to five (5) minutes running time (RT), which already includes the credits. Participants can use their professional camera or smartphone as long as it is in High Definition quality 1080p.
- Entries may be submitted through the official BSFF email address: bangsamoroshortfilmfestival@gmail.com or drop their final copies at our satellite office at The Office of MP Maisara C. Dandamun-Latiph, 2nd floor, IPDM Building, Mindanao State University (MSU), Marawi City, Lanao del Sur province.
- The filmmaker should be self-identified as moro or at least one of the members of the production team should have rooted in the Bangsamoro.
- The deadline for submission of entries is 11:59 PM of July 25, 2020.
There will be a series of filmmaking webinars where the general public can tune in for inspiration and additional knowledge on which genre they should choose, their importance, and how to professionally edit their raw footage. Blockbuster director Marlon Rivera will be speaking about fiction film, Award-winning documentary filmmaker Babyruth Villarama of Sunday Beauty Queen to talk about non-fiction film and TOMCATS Chief Officer Jude Van Caoili will facilitate the video editing workshop among others.
The screening and the awarding ceremony will be held online through Facebook and Youtube Live Streaming:
- August 5-12 2020: online screening
- August 15, 2020: awarding ceremony
The winners will receive cash prizes, freebies, a chance to screen their works internationally, and to physically re-exhibit their works at the Philippine’s biggest independent art festival, FRINGE MNL in 2021.
This event is in partnership with the Czech Embassy in Manila, Department of Foreign Affairs, British Council Philippines, FRINGE MNL, Para Sa Sining, Save The Children, and Bureau of Cultural Heritage-BARMM and Asia Pacific Film Institute.
For more information, visit the BSFF social media accounts:
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CALL FOR SUBMISSION!
WHAT: THE BANGSAMORO SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2020
WHEN: June 30, 2020 – July 25, 2020 (11:59pm)
WHERE:…Posted by Bangsamoro Short Film Festival on Monday, June 29, 2020
