Ang Kulturang Popular sa Telebisyon at Pelikula

Unag Parte Pelikula

History
Origins and early development
On January 1, 1897, the first film shown was Espectaculo Scientifico and followed by
other four movies, namely, Un Homme Au Chapeau (Man with a Hat), Une scène de
danse japonnaise (Scene from a Japanese Dance), Les Boxers (The Boxers), and La
Place de L' Opéra (The Place L' Opéra), were shown via 60 mm Gaumont Chrono-
photograph projector at the Salon de Pertierra at No.12 Escolta in Manila. The venue
was formerly known as the Phonograph Parlor on the ground floor of the Casino
Español at Pérez Street, off Escolta Street.

Antonio Ramos, a Spanish soldier from Aragón, was able to import

a Lumiere Cinematograph from Paris, including 30 film titles, out of his savings and
the financial banking of two Swiss entrepreneurs, Liebman and Peritz.

By August 1897, Liebman and Peritz presented the first movies on the Lumiere
Cinematograph in Manila. The cinema was set up at Escolta Street at the corner of
San Jacinto Street. A test preview was presented to a limited number of guests on
August 28 and the inaugural show was presented to the general public the next day,
August 29, 1897. Documentary films showing recent events as well as natural
calamities in Europe were shown

During the first three weeks, Ramos had a selection of ten different films to show, but
by the fourth week, he was forced to shuffle the 30 films in various combinations to
produce new programs. These were four viewing sessions, every hour on the hour,
from 6:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. After three months, attendance began to slacken for
failure to show any new features. They transferred the viewing hall to a warehouse in
Plaza Goiti and reduced the admission fees. By the end of November, the movie hall
closed down.

The next year, to attract patronage, using the Lumiere as a camera, Ramos locally
filmed Panorama de Manila (Manila landscape), Fiesta de Quiapo (Quiapo
Fiesta), Puente de España (Bridge of Spain), and Escenas Callejeras (Street scenes),
making him the first movie producer in the Philippines. Aside from Ramos, there
were other foreigners who left documentary evidences of their visits to the
Philippines. Burton Holmes, father of the travelogue, who made the first of several
visits in 1899, made the Battle of Baliwag; Kimwood Peters shot the Banawe Rice
Terraces; and, Raymond Ackerman of American
Biography and Mutoscope filmed Filipino Cockfight and the Battle of Mt. Arayat.

American period
Film showing in the Philippines resumed in 1900 when a British entrepreneur named
Walgrah opened the Cine Walgrah at No.60 Calle Santa Rosa in Intramuros. The
second movie house was opened in 1902 by a Spanish entrepreneur, Samuel
Rebarber, who called his building, Gran Cinematógrafo Parisino, located at No. 80
Calle Crespo in Quiapo. In 1903, José Jiménez, a stage backdrop painter, set up the
first Filipino-owned movie theater, the Cinematograpo Rizal in Azcarraga Street (now
C.M. Recto Ave.), in front of the Tutuban Railway Station.In the same year, a movie
market was formally created in the country along with the arrival of silent movies and
American colonialism.The silent films were always accompanied by gramophone,
a piano, or a quartet, or when Caviria was shown at the Manila Grand Opera House, a
200-man choir.

In 1905, Herbert Wyndham, shot scenes at the Manila Fire Department; Albert
Yearsley shot the Rizal Day Celebration in Luneta 1909; in 1910, the Manila
Carnival; in 1911, the Eruption of Mayon Volcano; the first Airplane Flight Over
Manila by Bud Mars and the Fires of Tondo, Pandacan and Paco; and, in 1912,
the Departure of the Igorots to Barcelona and the Typhoon in Cebu. These novelty
films, however, did not capture the hearts of the audience because they were about the
foreigners.

The Philippine Commission recognized early the potential of cinema as a tool of

communication and information, so that in 1909, the Bureau of Science bought a
complete film-making unit and laboratory from Pathé, and sent its chief photographer,
the American, Charles Martin, to France to train for a year. When Martin completed
his training, he resolved to document, in motion pictures, the varied aspects of the
Philippines.

In 1910, the first picture with sound reached Manila, using the Chronophone. A
British film crew also visited the Philippines, and filmed, among other scenes,
the Pagsanjan Falls (Oriental) in 1911 in kinemacolor. In 1912, New York and
Hollywood film companies started to establish their own agencies in Manila to
distribute films. In the same year, two American entrepreneurs made a film about the
execution of Jose Rizal, and aroused a strong curiosity among Filipino moviegoers.
This led to the making of the first Filipino film, La vida de Jose Rizal.

By 1914, the US colonial government was already using films as a vehicle for
information, education, propaganda and entertainment. The Bureau of Science tackled
subjects designed to present an accurate picture of the Philippines before the
American public, particularly the US Congress. By 1915, the best European and
American films were shown in Philippine theaters. When World War I (1914–1918)
choked off the production of European studios, Manila theater managers turned to US
for new film products. With the variety they offered, American films quickly
dominated the Philippine film market.

The first film produced by a Filipino is José Nepomuceno's Dalagang Bukid (Country
Maiden) in 1919 based on a highly acclaimed musical play by Hermogenes Ilagan and
León Ignacio.Early filmmakers, even with meager capital, followed some of the
genres provided by Hollywood movies. The main sources of movie themes during this
period were theater pieces from popular dramas or zarzuelas. Another source of
movie themes at that time was Philippine literature.
In 1929, the Syncopation, the first American sound film, was shown in Radio theater
in Plaza Santa Cruz in Manila inciting a competition on who could make the
first talkie among local producers. On December 8, 1932, a film
in Tagalog entitled Ang Aswang (The Aswang), a monster movie inspired
by Philippine folklore, was promoted as the first sound film. Moviegoers who
remembered the film attested that it was not a completely sound film.[14] José
Nepomuceno's Punyal na Guinto (Golden Dagger), which premiered on March 9,
1933, at the Lyric theater, was credited as the first completely sound, all-talking
picture in the country.
Carmen Concha, the first female director in the country, also ventured into
filmmaking, and she directed Magkaisang Landas and Yaman ng Mahirap in 1939
under Parlatone, and Pangarap in 1940 under LVN.
Despite fierce competition with Hollywood movies, the Filipino film industry
survived and flourished. When the 1930s drew to a close, the Filipino film industry
was well established, and local movie stars acquired huge followers.
Some popular movie stars of the pre-WWII era include:
 Carmen Rosales (1917–1991)  Alfonso Carvajal
 Angel Esmeralda (1915–1985)  Elsa Oria (1916–1995)
 Ben Rubio (1917–1980)  Rosario Moreno (1916–1945)
 Fely Vallejo (1917–2013)  Andrés Centenera (1914–1983)
 Exequiel Segovia  Tita Duran (1929–1991)
 Yolanda Marquez (1920–2009)  Fernando Poe (1916–1951)
 Teddy Benavides  Corazon Noble (1918–2001)
 Manuel Barbeyto (1902–1979)  Monang Carvajal (1898–1980)
 Ernesto la Guardia  Mila del Sol (1923–2020)
 Rogelio dela Rosa (1916–1986)  Rosa del Rosario (1917–2006)
 Rudy Concepcion (1915–1940)  Ely Ramos (1911–1972)

World War II and Japanese occupation

During the Japanese Occupation, filmmaking was suddenly put to a halt. As was the
case in Japan's other colonial and occupied film markets, Japanese film companies
took over the local exhibition venues replacing films from the Hollywood and the
region with Japanese films for propaganda. Japanese films had been imported into the
Philippines since the late 1930s but without great success. Japanese-sponsored film
production in the Philippines continued until 1945 but was limited mostly to
newsreels and educational films.
During World War II, almost all actors depended only on stage shows on most major
Manila movie theaters as livelihood. As a consequence, live theater began to thrive
again as movie stars, directors and technicians returned to the stage.

Postwar 1940s and the 1950s: The first golden age

The golden age and contemporary era of Tagalog cinema
After World War II, the Philippine version of a war film emerged as a genre. The
audience were hungry for films with patriotic themes. Films such as Garrison
13 (1946), Dugo ng Bayan (The Country’s Blood) (1946), Walang
Kamatayan (Deathless) (1946), and Guerilyera (1946), narrated the horrors of the war
and the heroism of the soldiers and guerrillas.

The 1950s was labeled as the first golden age of Philippine cinema. Four big
production studios (LVN Pictures, Sampaguita Pictures, Premiere Productions and
Lebran International) were at their peak in filmmaking, employing premier directors
like Gerardo de León, Eddie Romero and César Gallardo while contracting the
biggest stars of that period.

The Filipino film industry was one of the busiest and bustling film communities in
Asia, releasing an average of 350 films a year making Philippines second to Japan in
terms of film productions a year.
The premier directors of the era were (but not limited to):

 Lamberto Avellana (1915–1991)

 Gerardo de León (1913–1981)
 Gregorio Fernández (1904–1973)
 Consuelo Ateng Padilla Osorio (1907–1987)
 César Gallardo
 Armando Garces
 Eddie Romero (1924–2013)
 Cirio Santiago (1936–2008)

The four biggest production studios produced most of the notable films of Philippine
cinema during this era. In 1951, the film Roberta of Sampaguita Pictures which
featured leading child stars broke box office records, becoming the highest grossing
Philippine film at the time. LVN Pictures, under the leadership of the Doña Sisang de
León, not only specialized in super productions, rural comedies and musicals, but also
produced socially-relevant films such as Avellana's Anak Dalita (1956), Tony
Santos's Badjao (1957) and Manuel Silos's Biyaya ng Lupa (1959). Sampaguita
Pictures mainly produced high-gloss, glamorous pictures such as Maalaala Mo
Kaya (1954). On the other hand, Premiere Productions released most of the action
films of the decade, such as Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo (1952), Salabusab (1954)
and Huwag Mo Akong Limutin (1960).

Phlippine Cinema Influence Hollywood

High production values on the motion pictures during this era produced movies that
gained international acclaim. In 1952, Manuel Conde's Genghis Khan became the first
Asian film to be shown at the Venice and Cannes Film Festival, a feat that would not
be repeated until the 1970s. Inspired by Conde's picture, Hollywood remade Genghis
Khan in 1956 as The Conqueror starring John Wayne as Genghis Khan and produced
by RKO Radio Pictures. And also of Columbia Pictures' film "Genghis Khan" in
which Omar Sharif portrayed in the title role in 1965.
International Awards for Fipino Films
In 1956, Anak Dalita won the Golden Harvest Award (Best Picture) of the
prestigious Asia-Pacific Film Festival. Actress Lilia Dizon, was presented with the
Best Actress Award by the prince of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk, for the
film Kandelerong Pilak in the 1954 Asia-Pacific Film Festival. Leroy Salvador was
also recognized in his performance as Best Supporting Actor for the film Huk sa
Bagong Pamumuhay (1953) in the same film festival.

Award Giving Bodies of Philippine Cinema

During this era, the first award-giving body was also established in 1950. The Maria
Clara Awards of the Manila Times Publishing Corp., was composed of film publicists
and writers who voted for the exemplary achievements of Filipino motion pictures in
a calendar year. In 1953, the María Clara folded up to give way to the establishment
of the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS), the Philippines'
equivalent to the United States' Academy Awards in prestige.
During this period, Filipinos saw Hollywood's first full-length picture in
living Technicolor. Soon after, Filipino local producers started presenting full-length
pictures in color despite some technical deficiency, one of which was Prinsipe
Amante (Prince Amante).

1960s
This era is characterized by rampant commercialism with James
Bond and Western knock offs, and in the later 1960s, the so-called bomba (soft porn)
pictures. It was also the era of musical films produced mostly by Sampaguita Pictures
and their discovered talents.

Bomba Films
Bomba emerged as a genre of film in the Philippines in the late 1960s. Bomba films
featured nudity, albeit not full-frontal nudity, as well as simulated sex scenes that
were often tangential to the plot. Films in the genre include a mix of soft-
core and hard-core pornography, with new bomba films becoming more sexually
explicit over time.[2] Despite their sexual content, bomba films were a mainstream
phenomenon in the Philippines, and actresses associated with the genre, referred to as
"bomba stars", appeared frequently in mainstream media.

The studio systems came under siege from the growing labor movement, which
resulted in labor-management conflicts. The first studio to close was Lebran followed
by Premiere Productions then LVN. Those production studios were replaced by new
and independent producers like Regal Films, which was established by Lily
Monteverde in 1962.

Studio system
wherein studios produced films primarily on their own filmmaking lots with creative
personnel under often long-term contract, and dominated exhibition through vertical
integration, i.e., the ownership or effective control of distributors and exhibition,
guaranteeing additional sales of films through manipulative booking techniques such
as block booking.

The decade also saw the emergence of the youth subculture best represented by the
Beatles and rock and roll. As a result, certain movie genres were made to cater to this
trend. Fan movies and teen love team-ups emerged, showing Nora Aunor and Vilma
Santos, along with Tirso Cruz III and Edgar Mortiz as their respective screen
sweethearts. In addition, movie genres showing disaffection to the status quo during
the era were also popular. Action movies with Pinoy cowboys and secret agents as the
movers of the plots depicted a "society ravaged by criminality and
corruption". Another kind of youth revolt, implying rejection of adult corruption,
came in the form of movies featuring child stars. Near the end of this decade,
another movie genre that embodied a different form of revolt took center stage. Soft
porn movies, more popularly known as bomba films, increasingly became popular,
and these films were described as a direct challenge to the conventions, norms and
conduct of the society.
Even in the period of decline, several Philippine films that stood out. These include
the following films by Gerardo de Leon:

 Huwag Mo Akong Limutin (Never Forget Me) in 1960;

 Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) in 1961;
 El Filibusterismo (Subversion) in 1962

1970s to early 1980s: Second Golden Age

Touted as the second golden age of Philippine cinema, this was the period of
the avant-garde filmmakers. At the turn of the 70s, local producers and filmmakers
ceased to produce pictures in black and white.
In 1972, the Philippines was placed under martial law, and films were used
as propaganda vehicles. President Ferdinand Marcos and his technocrats sought to
regulate filmmaking through the creation of the Board of Censors for Motion
Pictures (BCMP). Prior to the start of filming, a finished script was required to be
submitted to the Board and incorporate the "ideology" of the New Society
Movement such as, a new sense of discipline, uprightness and love of country. Annual
festivals were revived, and the Bomba films as well as political movies critical of the
Marcos administration were banned.
Maharlika was a 1971 film banned by then-first lady Imelda Marcos because it
starred actress Dovie Beams, who was allegedly Ferdinand Marcos' mistress. The
producer of the film was Luis Nepomuceno, son of Filipino filmmaker Jose
Nepomuceno. The company that produced the film went bankrupt, as the banned
screening prevented them from recouping production costs. In pity, Imelda Marcos
offered loans to the company through government banks. However, the bank would
then go on to foreclose the film company.
The film portrayed the story of Ferdinand Marcos' life in the Philippine Military.
There have been allegations that the film was propaganda intended to portray Marcos
as a war hero who fought against the Japanese in World War II. Although the film
was banned, it was allowed to make its cinematic debut in 1987, after the EDSA
Revolution.
In spite of the censorship, the exploitation of sex and violence onscreen continued to
assert itself. Under martial law, action films usually append an epilogue like claims
that social realities depicted had been wiped out with the establishment of the New
Society. The notorious genre of sex or bomba films still existed but in a milder, less
overt way like female stars swimming in their underwear or taking a bath in
their chemise, labeled as the "wet look". An example of the trend was the 1974 hit
movie Ang Pinakamagandang Hayop sa Balat ng Lupa (The Most Beautiful Animal
on the Face of the Earth) which featured former Miss Universe Gloria Díaz and
filmed in the famed Sicogon Island in Carles, Iloilo.

 Ishmael Bernal (1938–1996)  Celso Ad. Castillo (1943–2012)

o Pagdating sa Dulo (1971) o Burlesk Queen (1977)

o Nunal sa Tubig (1975) o Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-itim ng Tagak (1
o Salawahan (1979)
o Manila by Night/City After Dark (1980)  Mike de León (b. 1947)
o Relasyon (1982)
o Himala (1982) o Itim (1976)
o Hinugot sa Langit (1985) o Kakabakaba Ka Ba? (1980)
o Kisapmata (1981)
 Lino Brocka (1939–1991) o Batch '81 (1982)
o Sister Stella L. (1984)
o Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang (1974)
o Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag (1975)  Peque Gallaga (1943–2020)
o Insiang (1976)
o Ang Tatay Kong Nanay (1978) o Oro, Plata, Mata (1982)
o Bona (1980) o Scorpio Nights (1985)
o Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim (1984)
o Orapronobis (1989)  Mario O'Hara (1946–2012)

o Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos (1976)

o Babae sa Breakwater (2003)
In spite of the presence of censorship, this period paved way to the ascendancy of a
new breed of directors. Some of the notable films made by these new crop of
In 1981, as mandated by Executive Order No. 640-A, the Film Academy of the
Philippines was enacted, serving as the umbrella organization that oversees the
welfare of various guilds of the movie industry and gave recognition to the artistic and
technical excellence of the performances of its workers and artists.The same
year, Viva Films was established and began its rise as a production company.

On September 27, 1972, Marcos issued Letter of Instructions No. 13, which he
claimed would "uphold morality in the youth". However, the ban was instead used to
stifle dissent and to maintain the propaganda of the government at the time. Among
the films banned were Hubad na Bayani (1977), Manila By Night (1980), Bayan Ko:
Kapit sa Patalim (1984), among many others. The letter stated 7 kinds of films that
were not to be exhibited in any local theater:

1. Films which tend to incite subversion, insurrection or rebellion against the

State;
2. Films which tend to undermine the faith and confidence of the people in their
government and/or duly constituted authorities;
3. Films which glorify criminals or condone crimes;
4. Films which serve no other purpose but to satisfy the market for violence or
pornography;
5. Films which offend any race or religion;
6. Films which tend to abet the traffic in and use of prohibited drugs;
7. Films contrary to law, public order, morals, good customs, established
policies, lawful orders, decrees or edicts; and any or all films which in the
judgment of the Board are similarly objectionable and contrary to the letter
and spirit of Proclamation No. 1081.

Also in 1981, first lady Imelda Marcos organized the first Manila International Film
Festival (MIFF). The objective was to promote Filipino films for them to be
distributed worldwide.
. The spy comedy spoof For Your Height Only (1981) turned Ernesto dela Cruz, better
known as Weng Weng, in a short lived international star and gave him the notoriety to
become a unique figure in cinema being a short person who performs death defying
stunts.At the event, For Your Height Only outsold every other films on foreign sales,
while dela Cruz was the mediatic center of attention and the breakthrough celebrity.
Marcos' daughter Imee said dela Cruz's success shocked and shattered everyone's
artistic aspirations. Filipino film historians Teddy Co and Ed Lejano said that in the
film industry the Weng Weng image was uncomfortable since at the time they had no
other international figures. The film became Philippines' highest exported film, and
within their acting community dela Cruz's international reach hasn't been topped.

During the closing years of martial rule, a number of films defiant of the
Marcos dictatorship were made. Films such as Marilou Diaz-
Abaya’s Karnal implicitly depicted this defiance in the film's plot,
wherein patricide ended a tyrannical father's domination. In the same year, Mike de
Leon's Sister Stella L., a movie about oppression and tyranny was shown on the big
screen. In 1985, Lino Brocka's This Is My Country depicted images
of torture, incarceration, struggles and oppression.During this period, the Philippines
ranked among the top 10 film-producing countries in the world, with an annual output
of more than 300 movies.

The Philippines' most political filmmaker was Lino Brocka (1939–1991). His works
such as Manila in the Claws of Light (1975) and Fight for Us (1989) were considered
the opening and the end of the golden age of film in the country. Brocka's works were
committed to an anti-Marcos, anti-authoritarian type of politics and highly valued the
freedom of artistic expression. He contributed in the building of a post-Marcos
Philippines and was able to help topple the Marcos dictatorship through his active
participation in cultural and social activities. His films told the story of the underclass'
struggle, the dark side of a sprawling metropolis and featured poverty-stricken
locations which were able to make a statement with regards to the Marcos' autocratic
rule and human rights violations. He was also notably part of the group of filmmakers,
artists and cultural workers that formed the Free Artist Movement which eventually
became the Concerned Artists of the Philippines. This group challenged the
censorship practice that the Marcoses imposed on all artistic media.

Late 1980s to 1990s

Come to think of it, it's been 90 years, they say, since the first film
was shown on these shores, but it seems that the most popular
medium of the century has failed to explore the various facets of
our lives.

—JC Nigado, writing for the Manila Standard in July 1987

By the time the People Power Revolution deposed Ferdinand Marcos from the
presidency, most Filipino films were mass-produced with quality sacrificed for
commercial success. Storylines were unimaginative and predictable, comedy
was slapstick, and the acting was either mediocre or overly dramatic. Producers
resorted to formulas that worked well in the past that cater to the standards and tastes
of the masses, and story ideas were often copied from Hollywood and Hong Kong
films that were successful in local cinemas.Romantic dramas, broad comedy films and
soft pornographic pictures composed the majority of the genre produced, while the
action genre became especially prevalent during this period; in 1992, critic Justino
Dormiendo observed that "the action flick itself remains as the most abused genre in
our time." In reviewing the acclaimed American drama film Stand by Me, JC Nigado
of the Manila Standard stated that he was disturbed while viewing the film because "I
was hard put trying to figure out what local movie could have approximated it. And it
bothered me that I couldn't think of any."
Copying is Philippine cinema's biggest crime even back then. In
truth, it already became an art form here. When the Chinese' kung
fu became trendy here, we became more kung fu and more Chinese
than them. When the cowboy of Americans and Italians became
trendy here, we became more Jesse James and Django than them.
When Sylvester Stallone's Rocky was released, our Rocky
Tulog and Totoy Bato sprung up. For Rambo, our carbon copy
is Rambo Tango.

—Lav Diaz, writing for the Manila Standard in May 1988

With the imposition of a high amusement tax, the number of films annually produced
by the industry declined throughout the 1980s,although the number was still more
than 200 films a year. Majority of them were pito-pito films, shot in seven to ten days
and aimed at quickly recouping their minimal costs. Attendance in theaters rose and
several productions became huge successes. New laws were also introduced that gave
more rights to women, causing several female directors to launch careers.
Aside from competition with Hollywood films, the Asian Financial Crisis, escalating
cost of film production, exorbitant taxes, arbitrary and too much film censorship,
high-tech film piracy,and rise of cable television further contributed for the trimming
down of production costs of film outfits that resulted to falling box-office receipts of
domestic films, and the eventual precarious state of the local film industry.
In 1993, a media conglomerate, ABS-CBN Corporation, ventured into film
production when their newly established subsidiary Star Cinema produced Ronquillo:
Tubong Cavite, Laking Tondo in cooperation with Regal Films. Five years later,
another television station, GMA Network, started producing films. GMA
Films released the critically acclaimed Sa Pusod ng Dagat , Jose Rizal, and Muro-
Ami, which attained commercial success.

In 1997, the country produced its first ever full-length theatrical animated
film, Adarna: The Mythical Bird, directed by Geirry A. Garccia.

2000s: Decline of commercial films and emergence of independent films

An economic slump experienced by the film industry in the 2000s led to the near
extinction of local action films.In December 2009, a House Bill authored by Buhay
Party-List Representative Irwin Tieng reducing the amusement tax imposed on local
films from 30% to 10% was signed into law as Republic Act 9640, culminating more
than two decades of attempts to lower the film tax.

2010s: Box office resurgence

2011 is the most fruitful year in Philippine Cinema history as 3 films produced within
the year (all from Star Cinema) landed in the top 3 of the highest grossing Filipino
films of all time.Wenn Deramas' The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin grossed
₱331.6 million in box office and became the highest grossing local film in the
Philippines.No Other Woman grossed ₱278.39 million while 2011 Metro Manila Film
Festival ("MMFF") entry Enteng Ng Ina Mo, has a gross income of ₱237.89 million
(as of January 7, 2012) and considered the highest-grossing MMFF entry of all
time. However, Sisterakas , a Kris Aquino-Ai Ai delas Alas-Vice Ganda movie,
replaced the title of Enteng ng Ina Mo and the Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin as it
became the highest grossing Filipino film and highest grossing MMFF entry of all
time.

2020’s

2023 Rewind by Ding Bong Dantes and Marian Rivera the Highest Grossing Filipino
Film in History with a box office of 902 Million Pesos

Movie and Television Review and Classification Board

On October 5, 1985, Executive Order No. 876-A was created to reformat the Board of
Review for Motion Pictures, leading to the creation of the Movie and Television
Review and Classification Board. The board was created only for the purpose of
classifying cinematic films and television shows. The board holds 30 members at any
given time, with the first chairman after the Executive Order being Manuel
"Manoling" Morato, who took office in 1986.
The board classifies movies into 6 categories, listed below:
Description
G Viewers of all ages are admitted.
Viewers below 13 years old must be accompanied by a parent or supervising
PG
adult.
R-
Only viewers who are 13 years old and above can be admitted.
13
R-
Only viewers who are 16 years old and above can be admitted.
16
R-
Only viewers who are 18 years old and above can be admitted.
18
X "X-rated" films are not suitable for public exhibition.

Notable directors
Although foreign films were shown in the Philippines since the Spanish period,
interest in the creation of local films was not given much attention by the Filipinos.
However, the advent of Hollywood films during the American period sparked the
interest of Filipinos and eventually led to the boom of filmmakers in the country.

 Jose Nepomuceno is known as the Father of Philippine Movies, and is considered

one of the pioneers of Filipino cinema. His first movie entitled Dalagang
Bukid (1919), a stage play turned movie, is the first movie produced by a Filipino
filmmaker. Along with his brother Jesus, they founded the film company Malayan
Movies which later produced over a hundred movies. Some of the titles include La
Venganza de Don Silvestre (1920), La Mariposa Negra (1920), and El Capullo
Marchito (1921) among others.
 Lino Brocka was a prominent Filipino director who received fame in the 1970s.
Growing up, he gained interest in American film which led him to pursue a career
in the film industry. Most of Brocka's films revolve around the issues faced by the
common Filipino such as poverty, discrimination, and politics. He is also known
to be anti-Marcos and created films to protest against Martial Law. Some of his
films include Ora Pro Nobis (1989) and Gumapang Ka Sa Lusak (1990) among
others. He is a recipient of five Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences
(FAMAS) best director in 1970, 1974, 1975, 1979, and 1990.
 Marilou Diaz-Abaya was a multi-awarded film and TV producer and director who
gained fame for her film Jose Rizal (1998). This film also earned her a Best
Director Award from the Metro Manila Film Festival. Diaz-Abaya claimed that
she used her films and shows as a way to promote social issues in the Philippines,
such as the state of the country's democracy. Some of these films include Brutal,
Karnal, and Ipaglaban Mo.
Film Associations and Organizations
Notable local film associations and groups include:

 Metro Manila Film Festival

The Metro Manila Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Metro Manila,
Philippines. The festival takes place from Christmas Day (December 25) and
concludes at the first weekend in January of the following year.[92] The MMFF has
taken place every year since its inception in 1975. The 2016 event was the 42nd
festival in its history. Throughout the festival, only Filipino Films, which are
approved by the jurors of the MMFF, are shown in cinemas. No foreign films are
shown in Metro Manila cinemas during the festival (except IMAX, 4DX, and select
3D cinemas). This has been a tradition ever since the establishment of the festival's
precursor, “Manila Film Festival” in 1966 by former Manila Mayor Antonio Villegas.
[93] The festival is accompanied with an awards ceremony. Over the years, films such
as Yamashita: The Tiger's Treasure,[94] One More Try,[95] Walang Forever,
[96] and Sunday Beauty Queen[97] have received the Best Picture Award.

 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino

The Pista ng Pelikulang Filipino (or PPP) is a film festival held in theaters
nationwide. Its inaugural season was held on August 16–22, 2017, coinciding with the
Buwan ng Wika. Similar to the Metro Manila Film Festival, foreign movies will not
be shown in theaters (except IMAX, 4DX, VIP (starting from 2nd edition), and large
format 3D theaters) and films approved by the jury will be shown. It is organized by
the Film Development Council of the Philippines in association with theaters
nationwide.[98]
The inaugural awardees in the competition include: Mikhail Red's Birdshot (Critic's
Choice), Victor Villanueva's Patay na si Hesus (Jury's Choice) and Jason Paul
Laxamana's 100 Tula Para Kay Stella (Audience Choice).[99]

 Film Academy of the Philippines

The Film Academy of the Philippines was established in 1981 and is considered the
Philippine counterpart of the United States' Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences. It serves as the general organization of the various film-related guilds in the
country that help in the organizing and supervising of film activities.

 Filipino Society of Cinematographers

Established on February 27, 1970, it serves as an "educational, cultural and
professional organization of cinematographers".

 Film Development Council of the Philippines

Formed on June 7, 2002, the Film Development Council of the Philippines can be
found under the Office of the President. It ensures that the economic, cultural and
educational aspects of film are represented locally and internationally.

 National Film Archives of the Philippines

The National Film Archives of the Philippines houses the history of Philippine
Cinema and protects the country's cultural legacy in film through the preservation,
retrieval, and restoration of film negatives, prints and other film related material and
promotes these to provide a wider appreciation of the cinema history by making them
available to the public.

 Movie Workers Welfare Foundation Inc.

The Movie Workers Welfare Foundation Inc. or MOWELFUND was organized and
established in 1974 by former President Joseph E. Estrada who was then president of
the Philippine Motion Picture Producers Association (PMPPA). Its primary purpose is
to provide aid to movie workers such as medical, livelihood and housing benefits.