During the 1960s, the Philippine Entertainment industry was characterized by rampant commercialism and Hollywood knockoffs and James Bond movies. The popularity of musicals and bomba pictures skyrocketed and a number of local talents were discovered and groomed into successful actors and actresses. Unfortunately, labor-management conflicts also impacted the industry. First to shut down were production studios Lebran and Premiere Productions. After these companies, the independent producers LVN and Regal Films went out of business.
Viva Films
After a rocky start, Viva Films returned with a bang, co-producing movies with Star Cinema and GMA. The company also started producing its own films. But the success of these films was not enough. It still had to work with new players to remain competitive. Here are five reasons why Viva is the best entertainment company in the country today. Read on to learn more about the company’s evolution.
Viva Films is one of the leading film production companies in the country. It was established in 1981 by Vicente del Rosario, Jr. and is currently broadcasted by PBO. The company also produces cable TV specials called PBO Telecines. Viva Concert is also available on selected cable TV stations nationwide. And Viva Films’ movies are gaining a worldwide audience.
Viva Films’ popularity grew significantly after the 1991 partnership with Pinoy Tambayan. The rebranded show became a Thursday night staple, and Viva Films movie releases were aired on the new network. This partnership was controversial at first, with ABS-CBN filing an injunction to block the partnership, which affected airing of a box office hit in 1991. The injunction was eventually lifted and Viva Films shifted to the new network.
Viva Films’ new streaming app has been a hit among fans, resulting in a billion-peso investment to produce 34 movies. Its movies have been featured in international film festivals and are suitable for 18+ audiences. Vivamax has also launched a film festival, Summer to the Max, with an impressive line-up that includes drama, comedy, Korean drama adaptations, and suspense-thrillers. With more than two dozen movies, Summer to the Max will surely give everyone something to watch.
Cinema One Global is owned by ABS-CBN. It will be distributing Viva Films’ productions to international markets. In 2015, Viva Films partnered with TV5 to produce content for the network. Later, TV5 dissolved the entertainment department in order to focus on blocktimers. It was reportedly Viva’s biggest content contributor. Sadly, the partnership ended between July and August 2016. After this, Vicente “Chot” Reyes took over as president and CEO of TV5.
National Film Archives of the Philippines
The Philippine Film Archives was established in October 2011 by the Film Development Council. The archives are known for their awards ceremonies, the Luna Awards, which honor Filipino films for their artistic quality, and the Gawad Urian Awards, which are renowned for their unbiased selections. Philippine cinema had its formative years in the 1930s, when scripts and characterisations were adapted from popular theatre and familiar local literature. The films’ themes were often nationalistic, and were considered subversive.
In 1912, a Spanish soldier named Antonio Ramos smuggled in a Lumiere Cinematograph from Paris. He imported thirty films with him and received financial support from two Swiss businessmen. The Philippines was soon to recognize the potential of cinema as a means of communication and bought a complete film-making unit from Pathe. A year later, he sent the filmmaker Charles Martin to France to train for one year. Martin vowed to document different aspects of the country in motion pictures.
A permanent film archive in the Philippines would be a big undertaking, requiring significant resources and political will. The government also needs full budgetary and legislative support for the project. As part of the project, movie producers would have to deposit copies of their films. Moreover, the Council has proposed an executive order for film producers to turn over copies of their films. The film industry must be fully involved in the project, as this will be critical to the success of the film archive in its mission.
The Philippine film industry is rich in history, and Viva Films began its emergence as a production company in 1981. The Philippine Film Academy (FPA) was established on February 27, 1970. This body oversees the welfare of various guilds in the country’s movie industry, and awards artistic and technical excellence. In 1951, the Philippines saw its first full-length picture in living Technicolor. A decade later, local producers began presenting full-length pictures in color.
Despite the rich film history, the Philippines lacks a national film archive. Only 3,000 Filipino films are preserved, and the rest have been irretrievably lost. In 2008, the UPFI Film Center transferred their collection to the Philippine Film Archives. It also completed inventory work on the collection. This was a huge undertaking, which involved rewinding and inventorying of the collection. The UPFI Film Center also donated a portion of its collection, primarily Class A and B elements, to the National Film Archives.
