FDCP and NHCP Launch SineSaysay: Documentary Film Lab and Showcase

With its continuous aim to educate and empower filmmakers in the country, Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) launched its latest program, this time on the documentary film format, with SineSaysay: Documentary Film Lab and Showcase. The first year of the program will take place in 2018 in partnership with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).

“Documentary filmmaking is a powerful medium that tells the real stories of our past and current generations,” said FDCP Chair and CEO Liza Dino during the SineSaysay Conference last December 5. “We are proud to partner with NHCP for next year to shine a light on significant movements and events in our history that helped shape our country to what it is today,” she added.

Present in the Press Conference were NHCP Chief History Researcher Alvin R. Alcid and Deputy Executive Director for Programs and Projects, Architect Veronica Dado who joined Chair Dino in the announcement of the program and the historical topics for the documentary films.

SineSaysay will be divided into two categories: The Bagong Sibol Documentary Lab and the Feature Documentary Showcase. Bagong Sibol is open for emerging filmmakers working on their first or second documentary full feature films. Six (6) projects and its fellows will undergo a series of workshops and consultations in developing their short documentary films. Of these, two (2) projects will be awarded a P 700,000 grant to develop the full feature versions of their project.

For the Feature Documentary Showcase, interested filmmakers who have worked on at least two documentary full feature films will submit a 5-10 pitch trailer of the given topics. Four filmmakers will be given a co-production grant of P 1 Million to produce a documentary full feature project aligned with the themes of the program.

Application for SineSaysay opens this December and ends on February 2018.

For more information and a full list of topics, please check out the FDCP social media accounts or send your questions to info@fdcp.ph.