Msgr. Agustin Ancajas welcomes youths to a training workshop that will preapre them for a short film festival in the 2016 International Eucharistic Congress to be held in Cebu City. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
To encourage the making of films that highlight the presence of God in people’s lives, about 100 aspiring young actors, directors, and film makers are being trained for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress’ (IEC) Short Film Festival.
The festival will be an avenue for youths to enhance their skills and reflect Christian values in the films they will make.
“As you see in the Internet, there are films produced that don’t portray Christian values at all,” said Msgr. Agustin Ancajas, chairman of the archdiocesan commission on social communication.
“So we are training our young people, not just the technical aspect of producing films, but also about values. We’re hoping that they will become responsible film makers in the future,” he added.
Participants, who were sent by different parishes in Cebu, were divided into groups.
Each group will produce a short film of five to 10 minutes. They will be given a production budget by the Cebu City government.
The best entry from Cebu will be evaluated with winners from other parts of the country.
The winning films will be screened in different cinemas during the IEC on Jan. 24 to 31, 2016 in Cebu City which has as its theme “Christ in Us, Our Hope of Glory.”
One big challenge is to present the Eucharist – the actual presence of God in the appearance of bread and wine –- in an interesting manner.
To Catholics, the Eucharist is the “source and summit” of Christian life.
“There can be interesting interpretations like the impact of the Holy Mass on people at the Carbon Market, in jails, and in cemeteries,” said Ancajas who is also the chairman of the 2016 IEC Committee on Special Events.
Sessions were held yesterday on acting, digital cinematography and production design.
Resource speakers were festival director Marlon Douglas Hofer, Ligaya Rabago of the University of the Philippines-College Cebu, Chloe Veloso of St. Theresa’s College and Ronald Tan, chairman of the Sinulog film Festival.
The workshops will resume today at the Seminario Mayor de San Carlos.