From intimate settings to diverse movie choices, alternative theaters leave the curtains open for local indie films.
It seems like the Philippine independent film scene has become the gift that just keeps on giving. Last December’s Metro Manila Film Festival took more measures to value artistry over commercial viability. More independent films made the cut, bagged awards, and reached newfound viewers. Similarly, indie movies like Baka Bukas (2016) and 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten (2016) have jumped from the festival circuit to theaters nationwide. Even I’m Drunk, I Love You (2017) has had enough recall to spawn memes, and the noise made about it emphasizes both story and star power.
But among the indie flicks that hit the big screen, those with lackluster ticket sales are soon inched out by Hollywood blockbusters. Cue the hashtags about saving this or that film and, at most, a slightly extended run to appease angry film buffs. That is, if the filmmakers are even lucky enough to have their work screened in the first place.
Thankfully, such movies can live on through alternative theaters. Since their inception, Cine Adarna, Cinematheque Center Manila, and Cinema ‘76 have connected audiences to otherwise forgotten films even after the festival and box-office hype have ended.
The heart of the competition
Located in Ermita, Cinematheque Center Manila is part of the National Cinema program by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP). It was inaugurated in December 2015, and aims to “bring Filipino films to Filipinos.” The cinema features films that, according to FDCP Chair Briccio Santos in an article by the Inquirer, “serve and enrich the film-going public by screening classic and contemporary Filipino films, as well as the best of foreign cinema.”
In the northern part of Metro Manila, the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) Cine Adarna is a public theater formerly known as the University Film Center. Its founding director is Virginia Moreno, a Filipino poet and a playwright, who is now affiliated with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization or UNESCO. According to Cine Adarna Film Programmer Noy Lauzon, the cinema “was aimed to be both a shrine and sanctuary for the cinematic arts with a variety of showcases for the crème de la crème of the field, and the artists who keep cinema going and much alive.”
Cinema ‘76, on the other hand, is the youngest among the three. It was opened in February 2016, just after the success of Heneral Luna (2015). The film’s production company started Cinema ‘76, a small theater built on its founders’ belief that what “[local] filmmakers need are distribution platforms [for their craft].” Cinema ‘76’s co-founder, Ting Nebrida, believes that “if others follow the trend [of opening up theaters like this], then it can only help everyone.” True enough, these theaters have helped local filmmakers screen their movies for more viewers to appreciate Filipino films.
Although these theaters thrive independently, competition with conventional cinemas, such as those in malls, is still expected. However, these alternative theaters do not believe that there is a competition at all. “It’s a different niche altogether. [For] one, we’re showing films that were moved over—films that were already kicked out of the commercial mall cinemas,” says Nebrida. Lauzon shares the same sentiment, saying that Cine Adarna does not compete with mall cinemas and what their cinema can give “the industry and viewing audiences is precisely what commercial cinemas, with their ‘bottom line,’ cannot.”
A closer view
Aside from the cheaper ticket prices, these theaters also provide an intimate viewing experience for moviegoers. Cinema ‘76, for example, creates a cozy atmosphere with couches that can sit about 60 people. Part of the theater is a dining area where moviegoers can bring their own snacks and drinks. Cinematheque’s 101-seater theater has a relaxed vibe, with its classroom-sized space and use of projector screening.
In the case of Cinema ‘76, Nebrida believes that audiences seek a sense of regularity, meaning that their cinema has “to have ‘round the clock showtimes and then have changes every week.”
“Kung monthly ‘yan, it’s not going to have the same kind of response. Ang hinahanap ng tao is weekly change, and the feel of something that’s like a cinema,” he explains.
The intimacy offered by these cinemas is not only felt through ambiance and location. Cinema ‘76 and Cine Adarna also organize exclusive meet-and-greets or Q&A sessions with the actors and directors of their films. The result is a highly interactive experience for the audience. “[We] take pride that we have fostered a healthy sense of community among the young people,” says Nebrida.
The three cinemas offer more than just movie screenings. To advocate the artistry of independent films, they assure that the audience becomes involved in learning about the industry. Cine Adarna, for example, holds workshops on basic screenwriting and digital photography, among other topics. Cinema ‘76 has Cinetropa, an online platform dedicated to streaming Filipino indie films on a pay-per-view basis. Cinematheque has the Museo ng Pelikulang Pilipino, which, according to Santos, aims to “not only honor our film masters, but also introduce the young generation to its rich Filipino film heritage.”
Fresh eyes, full house
Indeed, these theaters have engaged the youth. Lauzon notes that Cine Adarna’s audience is mainly “the university crowd we nurture and nourish.” And it’s not just the student discount that entices viewers. For Gabby Endona, a UPD student who frequents Cine Adarna, the curated lineup is what really counts.
“Hindi siya katulad ng mainstream movies na halatang commercialized (The films aren’t like mainstream movies that are blatantly commercialized),” says Endona. “After the show, laging may Q&A session. So we make an effort to watch the movie [at Cine Adarna].”
Cinema ‘76 likewise gears its roster towards millennials. “But they’re good films,” adds Nebrida. “It’s not about numbers alone. We have a certain level of integrity.” If the packed screenings from day to night are any indication, the quality of choices has kept audiences coming back for more.
“We’re so busy that by the time we post the program for the coming week, it’s Thursday already. Yet people still make it,” says Nebrida. “One time, for Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa, people flew here from Mindoro. They were latecomers for the night screening, and they even asked if we could show at 2 AM.”
It helps that Cinema ‘76 speaks the language of its patrons. “Marami pang tickets, bes,” one Facebook post reads. Nebrida credits his young staff for the brand’s personality. In the same way, Lauzon cites social media “as the most effective means” of promoting Cine Adarna, especially to this tech-savvy generation.
But whether it’s the ambiance or marketing that first draws the crowd in, the bottom line is exposure for the indie scene. “Independent films [at Cine Adarna] are treated with dignity, properly hallmarked, and given their rightful place in the cinematic scheme of things,” Lauzon says. And so the alternative theater becomes a platform of discovery: both for the Filipino filmmaker to get his work out there and for audiences to learn from the show.
