Out of 76 film pitches from teams all over the country, SILAKBO, a rising Viscan film organization, secured two slots in the top 15 qualifiers for the Oscar M. Lopez (OML) Center’s Mga Kwento ng Klima (MKK) Short Films 2024, the foundation announced on their website, July 29.
SILAKBO will receive PHP60,000 from the OML Center as each qualifying entry gets a production seed grant of PHP30,000 to help the filmmakers cover a range of film production costs–from pre-production to post-production.
The group’s film pitches are titled “Handom sa Natugbong nga Yuta (Memories of the Collapsed Land)” and “Prince of Tides” which are centered around devastating calamities that occurred in Leyte.
SILAKBO and the other qualifiers will be given two months for film production and will vie for a place in the top 10 and receive an additional PHP70,000.
Further, the MKK Short Films aims to highlight how Filipinos experience climate change and the need to address it through mobile phone-produced films.
At the forefront of SILAKBO is senior BS Development Communication student Aveguel Sinangote, who will soon step up as the group’s president and will lead its vision of fostering a vibrant and inclusive filmmaking community in the Visayas State University (VSU) and Baybay City.
“We strive to develop and enhance skills in both writing and producing films while upholding media ethics. Additionally, we provide students with opportunities to showcase their talents through participation in film-related activities and competitions,” Sinangote said in an interview with AMARANTH.
Moreover, Sinangote also shared that SILAKBO will soon participate in more competitions, organize film screenings, create various films, and conduct film workshops to promote media skills among Viscans and local communities in Baybay.
“I affirm to focus on creating an inclusive platform where aspiring filmmakers can fully utilize their talents and strengths within and outside the university; where the advocacy of mirroring what truly happens in our society is showcased as essential stories to tell the world through creative lenses in films,” Sinangote added.
To further engage with communities outside the university, SILAKBO also plans to collaborate with the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) councils and the Baybay Local Government Unit (LGU) in organizing film-related workshops and other opportunities.
“SILAKBO, although based at Visayas State University, actively encourages membership applications from Baybay City’s youth. It is because we aim to move the community by providing inclusive avenues,” Sinangote said.
SILAKBO will officially have their group registered in the university in the coming semester and will cater to interested communities within VSU and even extend to the City of Baybay to share skills in filmmaking and other related areas.