The University of the Philippines Film Institute, also known as the UP Film Institute or UPFI, is a film school located in

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,960,048 people. It was fou ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. It is attached to the UP College of Mass Communication and engages in theater and extension services, academics, and research related to cinema. The UPFI offers degree programs in the bachelor's and master's level. Officially established in March 2003 through a resolution by the UP Board of Regents, the UPFI formally unifies two previously separate constituents of the

University of the Philippines Diliman , image = University of The Philippines seal.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = Official Logo of UP Diliman , motto = Honor and Excellence , established = February 12, 194 ...

: the UP Film Center and the Department of Film and Audio-Visual Communication of the College of Mass Communication. It primarily operates within two venues: the UPFI Media Center where majority of film classes are held, and the UPFI Film Center where exhibitions and theatrical screenings are mainly shown. To date, the UP Film Institute is the only academic institution in the Philippines that is a member of the

International Association of Film and Television Schools The International Association of Film and Television Schools (French: ''Centre international de liaison des écoles de cinéma et de télévision'', CILECT) is the association of the world's major film and television schools.

History

The origins of the UPFI can be traced back to the UP Film Society, a precursor to the academic entity known as the UP Film Center (UPFC). When the UP Film Society developed into the UPFC and became a distinct university unit in 1976 under the UP President's Council on the Arts, the late poet and playwright Virginia R. Moreno became its founding director and the UPFC assumed the role of giving "instruction, research, and community extension work in film as art." On January 1, 1983, the UPFC was officially attached to the UP Institute of Mass Communication (renamed into College of Mass Communication in 1988) upon recommendation by the Committee to Review Academic Programs to attach research and extension centers to appropriate degree-granting university units. In the UPFC's case, the Institute of Mass Communication became its parent unit. The policy was approved by the UP Board of Regents (BOR) and aimed to encourage interaction and close collaboration between the involved constituents in terms of teaching, research, and extension activities. In September 1993, a triad committee was formed to review the status of the UPFC's attachment to the College of Mass Communication (CMC) which apparently had not been effected. Chaired by Professor Merlin Magallona and with Professor Angela Sarile and Professor Efren Abaya as members, the committee was created by former UP President Emil Q. Javier in response to an inquiry by the late Senator

Leticia Ramos-Shahani Leticia Valdez Ramos-Shahani (September 30, 1929 – March 20, 2017) was a Filipina senator, diplomat, and writer. She was the younger sister of Fidel V. Ramos, the 12th president of the Philippines. Early life She was born on September 30 ...

. In March 1994, the recommendation to unify the UPFC and the CMC's Department of Film and Audio-Visual Communication (DFAVC) was put forward by the committee. This was endorsed by President Javier to the BOR during its 1077th meeting on May 27, 1994 and was met with approval. On July 28 or two months later, the BOR reconsidered in its 1079th meeting the implementation of its decision regarding the merger "in view of a proposal to make a 'Film Academy' out of the Film Center." The academy was initially proposed by UPFC's Founding Director Virginia Moreno and was called the Academy of Cinematic Arts and Technology (ACINETEC). Consequently, the discussion on merging the UPFC and DFAVC was postponed indefinitely. From the postponement onwards, there were multiple attempts to lift the BOR's deferment on the case of the UPFC and DFAVC. On August 24, 1994, the CMC Executive Board sent a letter to the BOR stating its position in favor of the merger and against the proposed ACINETEC. On September 22, former Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs Amaryllis Torres assembled a meeting with faculty and staff from both the UPFC and the CMC to discuss the formation of a UP Film Institute. However, further meetings were halted by President Javier on account of the BOR's pending appraisal of the ACINETEC. In January 1996, former Chancellor Roger Posadas put together a Transition Committee made up of former CMC Dean and UPFC Director Luis Teodoro, former DFAVC Chair Ellen Paglinauan, Professor Virginia Dandan of the College of Fine Arts, Professor Anthony Juan of the College of Arts and Letters, and Vice-Chancellor Torres as the chairperson. The committee was assigned to furnish the merger implementing guidelines for presentation to the BOR. However, the guidelines were not deliberated by the BOR until seven years later. Meanwhile, the proposed ACINETEC was also left unassessed since it was last raised in 1994. On its 1169th meeting dated March 27, 2003, the BOR approved with finality its 1994 resolution to unify the UPFC and the DFAVC into one academic unit now recognized as the UP Film Institute. According to the merger proposal addressed to the BOR, the ACINETEC was rendered moot when Virginia Moreno requested on March 14, 2003 to have the UPFC's original autonomy restored under the university's Office of the President. The merger proposal indicates that one of the merits of the formation of the UP Film Institute was that it affirmed university policy, in contrast to Moreno's proposal which called for the BOR to rescind its decision in 1982 on requiring independent centers to be attached to colleges. As a film school, the unrealized ACINETEC shared similarities to the formally established UP Film Institute; it sought in the past to establish a three-year course leading to a Certificate in Cinematic Arts and Technology, a program conceptualized by the UPFC and authorized by the BOR as early as 1979.

Past events and programs

Before the introduction of a film degree in the UP Institute of Mass Communication, the UPFC pioneered in film training through international exchanges. It opened lectures and workshops that gave students the opportunity to train under invited luminaries of the time, such as

Vilgot Sjöman David Harald Vilgot Sjöman (2 December 1924 – 9 April 2006) was a Swedish writer and film director. His films deal with controversial issues of social class, morality, and sexual taboos, combining the emotionally tortured characters of Ingm ...

, Werner Schroeter, Peter Kern, Kōhei Oguri, Christopher Giercke, Don Pennebaker, Wolfgang Längsfeld,

Dan Wolman Dan Wolman (born October 28, 1941) is an Israeli filmmaker and lecturer in film studies. Biography Dan Wolman was born in Jerusalem, in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine. His father was Moshe Wolman, a pioneering physician. He spen ...

, Alexander Walker, and

Tadao Sato was a Japanese film critic, theorist and historian. His real name was . Overviews Born in Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, He published more than a hundred books on film, and was one of Japan's foremost scholars and historians addressin ...

among others. One of the early outcomes of these exchanges was the Cinéma Direct Workshop facilitated by French filmmakers Alain Martenot and Jean-Loïc Portron, former directors of the

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

-based association

Ateliers Varan Ateliers Varan is an association of filmmakers based in Paris, France, whose primary work is running non-academic hands-on courses in documentary filmmaking both in France and across the world. Founded in 1981 with the spirit and support of Jean ...

. Part of a diplomatic program funded by the

Embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually deno ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, the workshop ran for two months beginning late April 1982 and provided intensive training in Super-8

filmmaking Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, casti ...

. Participants were lent filming equipment and tasked with creating their own individual films. Although the Varan association had been to other parts of the world before it came to the UP Film Center, the Philippines was the first country it visited in Asia to conduct its courses. The UP Film Center was also the Cinéma Direct Workshop's first location, following a series of film programs that would later travel to other regions in the country. Another program during the 1980s was a seminar on the history of German experimental cinema organized in collaboration with the

Goethe-Institut The Goethe-Institut (, GI, en, Goethe Institute) is a non-profit German cultural association operational worldwide with 159 institutes, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and ...

. Initially held in September 1984, the "lively response" encouraged subsequent

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

-sponsored film programs to be arranged, with the latter ones taking place at the Mowelfund Film Institute in the late 1900s. The early 1980s also saw the Film Center organize the Manila Short Film Festival led by Nick Deocampo, an exhibition and later competition for original short films. The first edition of the festival was held in April 1981 in the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater and proceeded with further editions for several years before dissolving. The Manila Short Film Festival focused on independent and experimental works and has been credited for its role in helping establish the alternative movement in Philippine cinema.

Academics

In 1984, the College of Mass Communication, formerly called Institute of Mass Communication (IMC), introduced Film and Audio-Visual Communication as one of its undergraduate program offerings, which became known as the first of its kind in the Philippines. Joel David, a graduate of journalism, enrolled in the program that same year and in 1986 became the first film baccalaureate holder in the country, after graduating as the sole film major in his class. Master's degree programs, on the other hand, were offered in the IMC as early as 1966, but it was not until 2002 that Film would be added as a new area of concentration under its MA Media Studies program alongside concentrations in Broadcast Communication and Journalism. As a degree-granting unit, the UP Film Institute trains and instructs its students in the practice and scholarship of cinema, culminating into individual production- or study-based theses. The coursework for the undergraduate level is designed to encompass all aspects of cinema while the postgraduate level is focused on the study and praxis of cinema with an emphasis on globalization and new media. Among the prominent academics that have taught in the Institute are Grace Javier Alfonso,

Tilman Baumgärtel Tilman Baumgärtel (born 1966, Würzburg, Bavaria, Germany) is a German author, media theorist, curator and journalist. He is currently professor of media theory (department design) at the University of Applied Sciences, Mainz. Life Tilman Ba ...

, Joel David, Nick Deocampo,

Ingo Petzke Ingo Petzke (born 18 September 1947 in Belm near Osnabrück in Germany) is an internationally acknowledged German film scholar, filmmaker and author. Ingo Petzke grew up in Osnabrück. He attended the Münster and Bochum universities and receiv ...

, Arminda Santiago,

Nicanor Tiongson Nicanor G. Tiongson is a critic, creative writer and academic from the Philippines. He holds a Bachelor of Humanities degree from the Ateneo de Manila University, and M.A. and Ph.D. in Philippine Studies from the University of the Philippines. A ...

, and Roland Tolentino. According to its mission, the UP Film Institute aims to produce graduates who would share in its goal of "contributing to the development of genuinely Filipino national cinema." Its current end is in "increasing professionalization in Philippine film practice and upgrading local film scholarship." Aside from degree programs, the UP Film Institute also regularly holds workshops and seminars on various cinema-related topics for students and non-academics alike.

Degree programs

* Bachelor of Arts in Film * Master of Arts in Media Studies (Film)

Institute directors

Prior to the merger with the Department of Film and Audio-Visual Communication, the UP Film Center had an appointed director since it was founded in 1976. The UP Film Center itself evolved from a smaller organization, the UP Film Society, which saw a burgeoning in the early 1970s amid student unrest during

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

. Eventually, the title "UP Film Center Director" was renamed into "UPFI Director" to reflect the change within the Institute's administration.

Student organizations

There are four student organizations housed in the UP Film Institute. Of the four, the Filmmaker's Guild of UP (FGUP) is believed to be inactive. The organizations are associated with the College of Mass Communication and are academic-based, non-profit, and university-wide. * UP Cineastes' Studio – founded September 24, 1984 * UP Cinema – founded February 25, 2004 * UP Cinema Arts Society (CAST) – founded August 24, 1990 * Filmmakers' Guild of UP (FGUP) – founded 2011 (Inactive)

Publication

The UP Film Institute publishes the journal ''Pelikula'', officially named ''Pelikula: A Journal of Philippine Cinema''. The journal "broadly covers national and regional perspectives on

Philippine cinema The Cinema of the Philippines ( Filipino: ''Pelikulang Pilipino'' or ''Sine Pilipino'') began with the introduction of the first moving pictures to the country on August 31, 1897, at the ''Salón de Pertierra'' in Manila. The following year, local ...

and publishes academic articles, opinion pieces, reviews, interviews, and visual essays." Before the UP Film Institute's establishment, ''Pelikula'' was published by two non-profit organizations, namely the UP College of Mass Communication Foundation, Inc. and the Laurel-Rufino-Prieto Foundation, Inc. and was managed by the Department of Film and Audio-Visual Communication of the UP College of Mass Communication under the editorship of Nicanor G. Tiongson. Though slated to be semiannual, ''Pelikula'''s first volume came out in September 1999 with a single issue. This was followed by a second volume with two issues (March to August 2000 and September 2000 to February 2001), and a third with a single issue (March to August 2001). Since then, no further volumes were published for an extended period of time due to lack of funding. In 2019, the ''Pelikula'' journal was revived by the UP Film Institute, led by Patrick F. Campos, as part of its commemorative event celebrating Philippine cinema's hundredth-year existence. On December 18, 2020, the fourth and fifth volumes of ''Pelikula'' (2019 and 2020, respectively) were made publicly available for download through the journal's own website. They were the first two volumes to appear jointly since ''Pelikula'' was last published 18 years ago.

Facilities

The UP Film Institute's facilities consists of the UPFI Media Center and the UPFI Film Center, two separate buildings located in the northern area of the

campus. Going from one building to the other would take one along establishments such as the Plaridel Hall, the Abelardo Hall, the University Theater, the UP Carillon Tower, and the Washington SyCip Garden of Native Trees. The two Centers are around a five-minute walk away from each other.

UPFI Media Center

The UPFI Media Center is a two-story building complex situated beside the Plaridel Hall. It consists of classrooms, offices, laboratories, and a 210-square-meter film studio that generally functions as a teaching facility and production space. The studio hosts workshops and events occasionally and serves as an alternative venue to the UPFI Film Center. The broadcast station of DZUP, a campus radio station owned and operated by UP Diliman, is also located in the Media Center. Before the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, the Media Center can be seen to be frequented by visitors who come to the place for film auditions, most of which are mounted by students for their productions. On February 26, 2019, the Media Center served as one of the casting locations for Fan Girl, a romance-thriller film directed by

Antoinette Jadaone Antoinette Hilario Jadaone (born April 3, 1984) is a Filipina filmmaker and podcaster, best known for directing ''That Thing Called Tadhana'' (2014), '' Love You to the Stars and Back'' (2017), ''Never Not Love You'' (2018), '' Alone/Together'' ( ...

UPFI Film Center

The UPFI Film Center or simply known as the Film Center is a 4,000-square-meter building complex that shares the same name as the academic entity that preceded it, the UP Film Center (UPFC). Nowadays, the UPFI Film Center is generally used to refer to the physical venue rather than the disestablished entity. The building complex is recognizable by its predominantly red brick façade and consists of three facilities: the Cine Adarna and its extensions, the Ishmael Bernal Gallery and the Videotheque. Its construction began on April 24, 1976 and was finished by 1984. In 1990, former members of the UPFC came to occupy the building. The UPFI Film Center was designed by Honorato Paloma and has been described as an early example of postmodern architecture.

Cine Adarna

The Cine Adarna is a 1,920-square-meter movie theater with a seating capacity of 800 persons. It comprises the bulk of the UPFI Film Center building complex and was known as the Film Theater or Main Theater before its rename in 2005. The new name takes after the

Ibong Adarna Ibong Adarna is a 16th-century Filipino epic poem. It is about an eponymous magical bird. The longer form of the story's title during the Spanish era was "''Korido at Buhay na Pinagdaanan ng Tatlong Prinsipeng Magkakapatid na anak ni Haring F ...

, a mythical bird in

Philippine folklore Philippine mythology is the body of stories and epics originating from, and part of, the indigenous Philippine folk religions, which include various ethnic faiths distinct from one another. Philippine mythology is incorporated from various ...

. The bird is depicted with plumage of golden film stock in the Cine Adarna's official logo designed by production and graphic designer Cesar Hernando. The logo ultimately became the concomitant image of the UP Film Institute as a whole by expressing its "institutional ideals and at the same time evoking the Filipino spirit." Each year, a diversity of films are lined-up and exhibited daily at the Cine Adarna, with some offering free admission. While most of the titles are local, the Cine Adarna is a lodestone for international

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upon ...

s and programs and showcases

world cinema World cinema is a term in film theory that refers to films made outside of the American motion picture industry, particularly those in opposition to the aesthetics and values of commercial American cinema.Nagib, Lúcia. "Towards a positive de ...

in cooperation with different embassies and cultural organizations. Some of the festivals that have had its leg at the arthouse are Película, the Brazilian Film Festival, QCinema, the Japanese Film Festival (formerly known as Eigasai), the Iranian Film Festival, and DMZ Docs. The Cine Adarna also regularly screens festival winners and nominees, as well as classics,

indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around ...

, retrospectives, student

shorts Shorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they ...

, and

documentaries A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...

among others. While primarily a cinema, other public or private academic and recreational events have also taken place inside the theater such as graduations, performances, and symposia. Besides being equipped with a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound system and a Christie digital

projector A projector or image projector is an optical device that projects an image (or moving images) onto a surface, commonly a projection screen. Most projectors create an image by shining a light through a small transparent lens, but some newer types ...

, the Cine Adarna also operates a functional 16mm and

35mm 35 mm may refer to: * 135 film, a type of still photography format commonly referred to as 35 mm film * 35 mm movie film, a type of motion picture film stock * 35MM 35 mm may refer to: * 135 film, a type of still photography format ...

film projector. This makes the Cine Adarna one of the only two known exhibitors in the Philippines capable of screening movies in traditional film format, together with the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design of the

De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde (Filipino: ''Dalubhasaan ng De La Salle San Benildo;'' French:'' Collège De La Salle de Sainte Benilde''), also known as Benilde and abbreviated DLS–CSB or simply CSB, is a private, Catholic research c ...

Ishmael Bernal Gallery and Videotheque

The Ishmael Bernal Gallery is an 80-square-meter alternative space primarily used for art exhibits and installations, cocktails, receptions, and workshops. Named in honor of the late Filipino filmmaker and

National Artist National Artist is an honorary title issued by some states as a highest recognition of artists for their significant contributions to the cultural heritage of the nation. An equivalent title, People's Artist, has been known in countries of the f ...

Ishmael Bernal Ishmael Bernal (30 September 1938 – 2 June 1996) was a Filipino filmmaker, stage and television director, actor and screenwriter. Noted for his melodramas, particularly with feminist and moral issues, he directed many landmark Filipino films s ...

, the Gallery houses a

collection Collection or Collections may refer to: * Cash collection, the function of an accounts receivable department * Collection (church), money donated by the congregation during a church service * Collection agency, agency to collect cash * Collectio ...

of film-related

paraphernalia Paraphernalia most commonly refers to a group of apparatus, equipment, or furnishing used for a particular activity. For example, an avid sports fan may cover their walls with football and/or basketball paraphernalia. Historical legal term In l ...

such as antiquated film and animation equipment and has been home to objects such as Bernal's National Artist medallion, archival posters, and photographs. Located on the Gallery's second floor is the Videotheque, a 55-square-meter theater with a seating capacity of 60 persons. Aside from film screenings, the Videotheque functions as a venue for lectures and forums.

Film Screenings

The UP Film Institute is one of two public institutions in the country, the other being the

Cultural Center of the Philippines The Cultural Center of the Philippines ( fil, Sentrong Pangkultura ng Pilipinas, or CCP) is a government-owned and controlled corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and culture in the Philippines.Presidential Decree No. ...

, whose cinemas are recognized as exempt from state

censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...

by virtue of their respective

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

and cultural mandates. This has allowed the UPFI to exhibit films in their original, uncut versions which have otherwise been deemed unsuitable for public viewing by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), a

government agency A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administrati ...

serving as the

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

censorship body in the Philippines. Some of the MTRCB-sanctioned films that have been screened by the UPFI are '' The Last Temptation of Christ'', '' Orapronobis'', ''Death in the Land of Encantos'', ''Imburnal'', ''Aurora'' (2009), ''Sagwan'', ''Strictly Confidential: Confessions of Men'', and ''

Bliss BLISS is a system programming language developed at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) by W. A. Wulf, D. B. Russell, and A. N. Habermann around 1970. It was perhaps the best known system language until C debuted a few years later. Since then, C b ...

''.

COVID-19

On March 10, 2020, the UP Film Institute announced the indefinite postponement of all its film screenings and other forthcoming events in compliance with COVID-19 health protocols. No shows have since been held physically at the Cine Adarna nor in any of UPFI's facilities, with all affiliated events taking place in virtual channels instead. Two years later on May 21, 2022, the UPFI reopened the Cine Adarna, albeit to an outdoor screening of

Pier Paolo Pasolini Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer and intellectual who also distinguished himself as a journalist, novelist, translator, playwright, visual artist and actor. He is considered one of ...

Accattone ''Accattone'' is a 1961 Italian drama film written and directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. Despite an original screenplay, the film is often perceived as a cinematic rendition of Pasolini's earlier novels, particularly '' Ragazzi di vita'' (''The R ...

, in celebration of the Italian director's centennial. The special screening was helmed in partnership with the Embassy of Italy in the Philippines and was free and open to the public. It took place with limited seats at the portico of the Cine Adarna.

Controversies

Screening of gay-oriented films

In early 2009, a number of Filipino gay-oriented films being screened at the UPFI caught the attention of the tabloid press. On February 9, 2009, the UPFI became the subject of a piece that appeared in a local tabloid called ''Philippine Journal''. Written by Mario E. Bautista, the column was entitled "UP NO PLACE FOR GAY PORNO" and opined that the UPFI is "fast getting the reputation of being a haven for pornographic films" due to the perceived prurience of the uncut films being shown there at the time. About a week following the column's publication, the UPFI received word that its film screenings will be monitored by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) and if they are found to be pornographic, MTRCB will file complaints in court. In defense of UPFI, Professor Marichu Lambino of the College of Mass Communication stated in an online post that it is the UPFI's jurisdiction not the MTRCB's to decide on the film programming of the Institute since it is tied to its objectives of providing higher education and raising film literacy, academic matters over which the MTRCB "cannot in any official capacity be made to believe that they can exercise their monitoring function" ic Professor Lambino also challenged the MTRCB's standards in deeming a film pornographic and invited scrutiny over the social and artistic merits of the gay-oriented films being screened at the UPFI.

Red-tagging

On October 4, 2018, the UPFI released an official statement denouncing allegations by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that the University of the Philippines, among other schools, were recruiting students to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CCP) through screenings of films critical of

. The allegations came from BGen. Antonio Parlade Jr., Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the AFP, who said in a report by

CNN Philippines CNN Philippines (abbreviated as CNN PH) is a commercial broadcast, cable and satellite television network in the Philippines. It is owned and operated by Nine Media Corporation, together with Radio Philippines Network (RPN) as the main content ...

, "What's new is that they (CPP) are inciting students to rebel because of the issues on extrajudicial killings, that's why they have film showings." In a statement, the UPFI called on AFP to rectify BGen. Parlade's claims and deplored how the allegations not only undermined the UPFI's institutional standing but also "the very ideals of truth, justice, and honor."

Notable alumni (selection)

* Giancarlo Abrahan – film director, educator, screenwriter * Ronald Arguelles – film producer * Adjani Arumpac – documentary filmmaker, film educator, art writer * Bianca Balbuena – film producer * Glenn Barit – film director *

Ramon Bautista Ramon Victor Agas Bautista is a Filipino former actor, comedian, television host, film producer, writer, commercial model, and educator. He is a self-proclaimed "Internet Action Star". Bautista graduated from the University of the Philippines Di ...

– film educator, actor, comedian, television host *

Joyce Bernal Joyce E. Bernal (born May 6, 1968) is a Filipina film and television director in the Philippines who started as a film editor for Viva Films Viva Films is a Philippine film production company established under Viva Communications. It was f ...

– film director, producer * Richard Bolisay – film critic, educator, writer * Armi Rae Cacanindin – film producer * Patrick F. Campos – film educator, researcher, writer * Libay Cantor – media practitioner, educator, artist, writer * Tey Clamor – cinematographer * Sari Dalena – film director, educator * Joel David – film critic, educator, researcher, writer * Pepe Diokno – film director *

Hannah Espia Hannah Espia (born 15 May 1987) is a Filipina director best known for writing and directing the 2013 independent drama film ''Transit''. She married film editor Andrej Farba in 2017, and has directed three episodes (2020, 2023) of the series ''Al ...

– film director * Martika Ramirez Escobar - film director, cinematographer * Sol Garcia – cinematographer *

Cathy Garcia-Molina Catherine Rosales Garcia-Molina (born November 28, 1971) is a Filipino film and television director best known for directing romantic comedy and family drama films produced and distributed by Star Cinema. She has also directed a few TV series, w ...

– film director * JP Habac – film director *

– film director *

Raya Martin Raya Martin (born 1984) is a Filipino filmmaker. His works include '' Independencia''Abrams, Simon"Independencia" '' Slant Magazine'', 4 October 2009. Retrieved on 8 January 2015. and ''Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the Ci ...

– film director *

Carlo Francisco Manatad Carlo Francisco Manatad (born October 4, 1987) is a Filipino filmmaker and editor. He is one of the most prolific editors in the Philippines and has edited the film''Ruined Heart''(2014), '' A Gentle Night'' (2017), ''Balangiga'' (2017) and ''W ...

– film director, editor * Jewel Maranan – documentary filmmaker * Lyle Sacris – film and music video director, cinematographer *

Petersen Vargas Petersen Vargas is a Filipino filmmaker. He is best known for directing the Cinema One Originals Best Picture winner ''2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten'' (2016) and the web series ''Hello Stranger'' (2020). Early life and education Vargas was born and rais ...

– film director

Notes

References

External links

* official website * * * * official website {{University of the Philippines Film schools University of the Philippines Diliman Film schools by country Film schools in the Philippines Schools in Quezon City Education in Quezon City Art schools in the Philippines Educational institutions established in 2003 Theaters and concert halls in Metro Manila Metro Manila-related lists