Philippine Cinema is alive and kicking — just take a look at some of the films slated for release this year. Despite being in the thick of a pandemic, our filmmakers have persevered to give us great films.

Film, as an art form and a product, engages its stakeholders with its dualistic nature; it has both cultural and economic value and effects. It is not a homogenous monolith but a big, multi-faceted entity. While it deals with mainstream cinema, it also has a thriving independent film scene with a robust new breed of young filmmakers. While it is about story development, artistic endeavors, and content, it is also a business enterprise.

The current landscape is quickly evolving but we are all adapting to the new challenges presented by our changing times. For our film industry, the direction is going toward learning and relearning new viable ways to distribute films beyond and in addition to the traditional distribution models. One of them is screening in top film festivals to increase the value and attract distribution deals for your film. In this area, Filipino films are taking great strides.

With the end of the run of the Metro Manila Film Festival this week in cinemas nationwide, much debate and discussion have been held from all stakeholders — theaters, audiences, and producers alike — about Filipino films and its future, especially in the context of our country that is still battling the pandemic and affecting our whole ecosystem.

While many of us welcome the New Year with a list of resolutions, allow me to begin this year with a different kind of list. As we look forward with hope, let us peer through the months ahead and take a quick glance at some of the many things we at the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) are excited about for this 2022.

As the year ends, we can't help but look back at that part of the road we have traveled. It's that time when we ask where we are on the journey. Most of all, it is also a time to celebrate and be grateful for our wins — big and small.

In the Philippines, Christmas is the biggest and most important season. People meet up to bond and fill each other's love tanks which have diminished during the year. And one of the most memorable bonding activities during this season is going to the cinemas.

It is not easy to be a content creator. As an artist myself, I can vouch that behind what audiences are able to see for five minutes can be equivalent to hundreds of hours of hard work, focused study, rigorous training, sleepless nights, emotional stress, and not to mention monetary investments. A work of art does not appear from thin air. An artwork is never free.

In last week's column, we talked about the launch of the annual International Silent Film Festival Manila which is now on its 15th year. It had its opening ceremony last Wednesday at the newly reopened Metropolitan Theater. We noted that instead of presenting one original silent film classic like our partner countries to represent their country, the Philippines will be represented by nine newly-made silent short films.

Most of the time, the sincerest, deepest human emotions can only be said without the nuance of words — perhaps this is the reason, too, why a quiet tear can mean overwhelming joy, or a longing look speaks of a great yearning. Sometimes, silence speaks volumes and conveys the profundity of the most poignant emotions.