Filipino students get a know-how of filmmaking

The Philippine Consulate-General in Dubai launched its first photography and filmmaking workshop for Filipino students on Friday.
The workshop is part of the consulate's Rizal Forum series, named after the Philippine national hero, Dr Jose Rizal.
Twenty-four high school students from United International Private School-Dubai, The Philippine School-Dubai, and Far Eastern Private School-Sharjah are participating in the six-week free workshop organised by Yasmin Cortes, wife of the consul-general and head of the Filipino Ladies of Dubai.
"After an initial two weeks of training, the students will exhibit their works at the consulate's main exhibit gallery. Then the list of 24 will be trimmed to top 10, who will join the 48-hour film project, a platform for independent film makers and budding film makers," Cortes said. Renowned Filipino photographer Eros Goze and Raul Gabat, managing director of Canon Middle East, are supervising the workshop.
Meanwhile, consul-general Paul Raymund Cortes briefed the students on the history of Philippine movies from the 1940s up to its "regrettable decline in the late 1990s".
"Thankfully, the rise of Filipino film makers like Brillante Mendoza and Lav Diaz ... bolstered the roster of great talents in our film industry such as Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal, and Mike de Leon," the Filipino envoy said.
Cortes emphasised that Filipinos have a strong penchant for self-expression in the arts, particularly in music, film, and literature - and they are globally recognised for their talents.
angel@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE