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FAMAS Short Film Festival launched
The 1st FAMAS Short Film Festival, organized by the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences and presented by REMS Entertainment, was officially launched on Monday by festival director Gabby Ramos and FAMAS president Francia Conrado.
Ramos and Conrado met with select entertainment press in Quezon City to discuss the objective, requirements, and awards ceremony, stating that there is “no theme” and that anyone can submit entries about any narrative.
While there is no set theme, Ramos hopes to highlight diversity, creativity, artistic expression, and socially significant topics.
“Student filmmakers, established, and emerging short filmmakers must submit a finished product. We've already received about 100 entries, and more are expected following this announcement,” said Ramos, who also guaranteed that finalists will get their due scheduled screenings.
“May VS Cinema (located on the 8th floor of the Victoria Sports Tower in Quezon City) po tayo kung saan puwedeng ipalabas ang finalists. Pero may mga kinakausap na rin kami,” he added.
When asked why they created the short film festival, Ramos, who also won Best Short Film at FAMAS 2024 for "Huling Sayaw Ni Erlinda," replied that short films are often overlooked by viewers and deserve more respect.
“I personally believe that short filmmakers will be the next generation of filmmakers of Philippine cinema,” he expressed.
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FAMAS president Francia Conrado and festival director Gabby Ramos speak in front of entertainment press to promote the short film festival. Photo by Josh Mercado
FAMAS fiasco
During the launch, Conrado also spoke out months after the Eva Darren controversy, emphasizing, "I cannot even call it a 'fiasco,’ e. They say, ‘FAMAS fiasco.’ It’s not!”
“It’s just a small incident lalo na kapag nagla-live ka. They were saying na, ‘Ang bobo niyo naman. Puwede niyo namang i-page si Eva Darren kung nandiyan pa siya or wala.’ My God. Ano ‘to, circus? Kapag nawawala, ipe-page dahil mag-i-start na? We had to do it very, very fast,” Conrado shared with ABS-CBN News.
Conrado, who has been in office for v10 years, also stated that no matter what challenges they face, they must always deliver and move on.
“Hindi naman ‘yun isang kahindik-hindik (incident) na sinasabi nilang ‘Justice for Eva Darren.’ May pinatay ba? Kailangan ng hustiya? Those are really exaggerated. Sa atin, sa showbiz, nauunawaan natin ‘yan. We always have to manage and deliver kung hindi man maganda sa patingin ng iba,” she pointed out.
“I choose to be kind. We have to be kind. People are so unkind naman talaga,” she added.
Conrado promoted their first FAMAS short film festival while also highlighting the organization's resilience and tradition of recognizing artists, film workers, and the impact it has on culture.
“Ang legacy ng FAMAS ay ‘yung resiliency. Wala namang taon yata na hindi kami naba-bash. Andiyan pa rin kami. Tao lang kami na nasasaktan. Kailangang nandito pa rin kami despite all the issues,” she told ABS-CBN News.
The short film festival has five categories: short film, student film, regional film, advocacy film, and documentary. The film must be under 20 minutes (including credits), and must be in the original language, with English subtitles. The director must be a Philippine citizen. Production must take place in the Philippines (co-productions are acceptable). Films must not have previously been submitted to FAMAS. Student films require educational approval. Regional films should tell local stories. Advocacy and documentary films must tackle social issues.
Entry submissions are presently open, with the deadline set for March 25, 2025. The official picks will be announced in the first week of April 2025, with cinema showing scheduled from May 3 to 9, 2025. The Awards Night will take place on May 10.
“This inaugural festival aims to celebrate Filipino filmmakers' creativity and storytelling, offering a distinguished platform for short-form films," the FAMAS president ended.