Pelikulaya 2023 promotes acceptance over tolerance of LGBTQIA+

The community has to be recognized,” said film and TV director Jose Javier Reyes on Wednesday, when the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) launched the weeklong event called “Pelikulaya,” a special showcase of LGBTQIA+-themed films that delve into the realities and stories of members of the community.

The films included in the lineup of Pelikulaya 2023, which will run from June 23 to 30, will be screened in Cinematheque Centres in Manila, Davao, Iloilo, Nabunturan (Davao de Oro) and Negros, as well as in select cinemas in Metro Manila including Cinema ’76 and UP Film Institute’s Cine Adarna/Videotheque.

“This is not because we want to ride the world trend and that we’re obsessed with the proper use of pronouns… it goes beyond that,” said Reyes, who also functions as FDCP technical adviser.

“First is that I don’t think the LGBTQIA+ community is what you would call marginalized because it’s very much visible, but its members have yet to be recognized. The recognition comes not only in how we treat them in real life, but also in the various expressions of art in which they are represented.

“Secondly, the old LGBTQIA+ process is maturing and evolving, and we need to capture that. Lastly, this is merely a personal opinion: In our country, LGBTQIA+ is tolerated—and there is a big difference between tolerance and acceptance. We have to learn to eventually move to acceptance,” Reyes explained.

Jose Javier Reyes, FDCP technical adviser

“That is why all the films (in the Pelikulaya lineup) are about representation. The LGBTQIA+ character has to evolve much more than being the village idiot or clown. He has to be seen as a human being capable of emotion and utter seriousness. For example, If it’s a Roderick Paulate character, we would all be in stitches when we see him onscreen. However, the moment the character becomes serious, like when he starts to show sadness or pain, we would get irritated. We have to understand these aspects of their lives, rather than merely look at them for amusement,” said Reyes, who is also a film professor.

\Wong Kar Wai’s “Happy Together” opened the festival with a screening on June 23 at the Shangri-La Plaza.

The festival carries the theme “Mga Kuwentong Mapagpalaya.”

Raising awareness

“This event aims to raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ issues. We believe that by using the power of film, we can do our part in showcasing films that celebrate LGBTQIA+ stories. Hoping to create understanding of the lives, perspectives and advocacies shown in each film,” FDCP chair and CEO Tirso Cruz III said in a statement.

The following films are currently screening at Cinematheque Centres nationwide: Wong Kar-wai’s “Happy Together,” Lukas Dhont’s “Girl,” Celine Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” Vesela Kazako and Mina Mileva’s “Women Do Cry,” Samantha Lee’s “Billie and Emma,” Rod Singh’s “Mamu, and a Mother Too,” JE Tiglao’s “Metamorphosis,” Dolly Dulu’s “The Boy Foretold by the Stars,” and Ishmael Bernal’s “Manila By Night” (free screening).Some of the titles will also be available for streaming on JuanFlix via www.juanflix.com.ph starting June 30. For the complete film lineup and ticket prices, visit the FDCP website. INQ

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