This year's Cinema One Originals, a film festival aimed at giving aspiring directors a platform, has been postponed due to COVID-19. Last year's edition saw the team of "Sila-Sila," led by director Giancarlo Abrahan, win best film. Michael Bagtas, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The next Cinema One (C1) Originals film festival won’t be until 2021.
This, after organizers made the decision this Tuesday to postpone what would have been its 16th edition, scheduled usually during November, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
A statement from Cinema One, a division of ABS-CBN Films, said that holding off this year’s edition would allow more time for filmmakers to “craft fresh and fascinating narratives intended for the big screen,” announcing that it will be extending its deadline for its entries until June 1.
“After careful deliberation, we have decided to postpone this year’s C1 Originals given the detrimental COVID-19 pandemic we are facing,” said festival director Ronald Arguelles.
“The health and safety of our filmmakers, artists and production teams is our priority.”
It remains unclear when exactly will the festival resume in 2021.
The Cinema One Originals is one of the biggest film festivals in the country, aimed particularly at aspiring filmmakers. It grants a P3-million production budget to its selected finalists.
Last year, “Metamorphosis,” a film about intersex people, and “Sila-Sila,” about gay men finding “love after love,” were its most awarded entries.
As of Tuesday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country stand at 2,084, with 88 deaths. The situation continues to put on halt the showbiz industry, with musicals, concerts, and productions for both cinema and TV put on hold.