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PTVPhilippines
  • 10/2/2023
Sine Kabataan Short Film Festival, silipin!
Transcript
00:00 After the 6th edition of the Sine Kabataan Short Film Festival,
00:04 the new generation of Filipino filmmakers
00:08 showcased their talent, creativity, and excellence in making films.
00:12 And one of the people who contributed to this
00:16 is Mark Felix Ebreo.
00:18 He was nominated as the Best Director for the short film Congratulations DX.
00:24 We're with him now.
00:26 Good morning and welcome to Rising Shine Philippines, Mark.
00:29 Good morning, Mark.
00:31 Good morning.
00:33 Mark, this is Chie. I'm here with Fee.
00:37 What was your reaction when you were announced as the Best Director
00:41 for the 6th edition of the Sine Kabataan Short Film Festival?
00:45 Actually, I was so happy at that time.
00:51 Because coming in for the premiere and awarding,
00:56 I was so excited and proud of what we did.
00:59 So the award was a bonus for us.
01:02 And when we finished editing it,
01:06 we were so fulfilled with the film's release.
01:10 Because it was so good and beautiful for us.
01:14 And we were able to deliver the message we wanted to convey.
01:19 Alright. Mark, the short film you directed
01:22 and your entry in the Sine Kabataan is Congratulations DX.
01:26 Can you tell us more about your short film?
01:29 Congratulations DX is about Dexter.
01:34 He received his undetectable status as a person living with HIV.
01:41 Then he wants to celebrate it by reconnecting to his friends
01:47 that he diagnosed after his diagnosis.
01:50 The film is a celebration of friendship, life, and queer.
01:58 Because we need to give representation and space
02:03 to every LGBTQIA+ member.
02:06 - Yes, that's right. - So, yeah.
02:08 Mark, it's not easy to make a short film.
02:12 What challenges did you face to complete Congratulations DX?
02:17 During production,
02:25 it was raining. It was the rainy season.
02:28 We were always adjusting to the weather.
02:35 We had to reschedule.
02:37 We only shot for one day.
02:41 Because of budget compromises,
02:43 the budget was very limited.
02:47 Because of the 100K grant from Sine Kabataan,
02:51 we had to utilize all our resources.
02:55 It wasn't that hard.
02:59 We were surrounded by passionate people
03:04 who gave their full effort to finish the film
03:09 and give color to Dexter's life.
03:14 - That's amazing. - No wonder why the film is so good.
03:16 How did you get into this industry?
03:19 Is this something you always wanted to do, direct Mark?
03:24 Actually, when I started college,
03:29 I wasn't pursuing film.
03:32 I started as an engineering student.
03:35 Then, I realized I was in the wrong room.
03:39 So, I told my parents that I wasn't fulfilled with my course.
03:48 Thankfully, Mapua University offered me a film course.
03:53 So, I grabbed it.
03:55 From then, I developed and grew until I graduated.
04:01 I had a lot of opportunities and film festivals.
04:07 Luckily, I won.
04:09 My passion to tell stories got bigger.
04:13 Especially, the stories of gay people.
04:17 I wanted to show them to the world.
04:21 It's good that you found your passion and changed your career path.
04:25 Cine Kabataan is for the new generation of filmmakers.
04:29 How important is it to have a new generation of filmmakers in the Philippines?
04:33 It is very important to have more aspiring and young filmmakers.
04:43 I consider myself young because we are the ones who see the changes
04:52 and the progress of society.
04:57 It is important to us to give a new lens
05:04 and to open up and continue the discussions that affect our society.
05:13 It is very important to have a voice and a space for young people
05:20 to show their feelings whether it is a film or a different genre of cinema.
05:26 Thank you, Director Mark, for your continuous work of making beautiful and interesting films.
05:33 Thank you.
05:34 Thank you for inspiring young filmmakers.
05:42 We salute you.