The Philippines had a proud and robust movie industry during the 70s and 80s. Some of the biggest stars and celebrities today were born in that era, considered the golden age of Philippine movies. But along the way something gave in – the Filipino movie-going audience. All of a sudden nobody wanted to watch locally-produced movies in the theaters anymore. Production houses were forced to shut down due to bankruptcy, and the biggest talents in Philippine show business went their separate ways. The golden age of Philippine cinema was over.

The industry kept quiet during the early 90s, afraid to take risks by making movies very few people would watch anyway. Big budget Hollywood movies were the trend, and there was no way Philippine cinema could compete.

But in 1993, the country’s biggest TV network station, ABS-CBN, decided to bite the bullet and produced two films under Star Cinema – Laking Tondo and Ronquillo: Tubong Cavite. It stirred the waters a bit. Filipino movie producers saw an opportunity to make a comeback. So in 1998 GMA Network, another local TV station, began funding big budget movies – Muro Ami, Jose Rizal, and Sa Pusod ng Dagat. The movies received both critical and commercial success, marking the end of the drought for the Philippine’s movie industry.

It became clear the movie-going audience was beginning to get fed up with Hollywood’s larger-than-life movie plots and characters. The Filipino audience wanted a change of pace, and in 2002 Filipino filmmaker Gil Portes hit the nail on the head when he directed Mga Munting Tinig, a simple film about following one’s dreams despite the hardships of Filipino life. It was followed by Crying Ladies from director Mark Meily, and then Maryo J. de los Reyes’ Magnifico. All three films attained critical and commercial success and featured stories about hope, Filipino values, and social transformation.

Then Filipino filmmakers began experimenting with digital movies and indie films. Speaking of indie films, you can’t help but think about Brilliante Mendoza, perhaps the country’s most famous Filipino indie film director. He rose in popularity with the movies Serbis and Kinatay, movies that depict the grit of the Filipino underground culture and violence. Mendoza knew his stuff and he knew it well, and it translated seamlessly on the screen. His popularity is well-earned.

Other Filipino indie films received critical acclaim in international film festivals, including Jim Librian’s Tribu (2007), Jade Castro’s Endo (2007), John Torres’ Todo Todo Teros (2006), Jeffrey Jeturian’s Kubrador (2006), and Auraeus Solito’s Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (2005). In fact Filipino filmmakers are some of the highly-regarded filmmakers in the world.

What’s in store for the Philippine movie industry? The Philippine government looks to support the industry by passing laws that reduced taxes and fees incurred during on-site filming. During Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s term, only a few city mayors observed this new law. But times are changing, and hopefully the change is moving in the right direction. Under the new administration, the future of Philippine cinema looks bright for both makers of indie and commercial Filipino films.

Author Bio: Do you have a passion for Pinoy movies? Want to check out the latest releases and trivia about the local Pinoy showbiz scene? Come and visit the website Pinoy Movies for more information about classic and modern Filipino films.

Category: Entertainment
Keywords: pinoy movies, philippine cinema