MANILA, PHILIPPINES—In its continuous efforts to enrich and champion film education in the country, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) will hold the first-ever Film Education Convention (FilmEC) on September 17-18 at De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde in Manila.

FilmEC is a two-day convention, bringing together film creatives from the academe and in the industry. This activity-filled event features screenings of exemplary student short films, panel discussions, plenary talks, film book sales, and networking opportunities for film students and educators. 

“The FDCP has put together the Film Education Convention, to gather both teachers and students of film to converge, get to know one another and engage in conversations that will break barriers of language or institutional representation,”  FDCP Chairman and CEO Jose Javier Reyes said in a statement. 

To further support the event, the Academic Film Society (AFS) created a committee comprising nine (9) members from various AFS-registered schools, universities, and colleges that will assist in the ideation and promotion of the convention.

The FDCP will also host a series of pocket events leading up to the convention. It includes student film screenings, talkback sessions, and film workshops in universities and in Cinematheque Centres nationwide.

Student film screenings & talkback sessions

AFS presents a curated selection of student short films followed by talkback sessions with the filmmakers at Cinematheque Centre Manila on July 19 and University of Makati on August 27, with more locations to be announced.

FDCP-FSG Regional Screenwriting Workshop

FDCP and the Filipino Screenwriters Guild (FSG) continue their regional screenwriting workshop for beginners. Five slots per region are open to AFS members in Iloilo, Negros, and Davao, aged 18+ with no professional screenwriting experience.

“We're here to learn, immerse, and understand film education in the Philippines, exposing newcomers to real-world filmmaking,” says Chairman Reyes.

Follow FilmEC and FDCP on social media for updates.