FILMS ENABLING THE NATION SCREENED IN CEBU
Active Vista Film Festival Celebrates National Deaf Awareness Week

The Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival commemorated the National Deaf Awareness Week with the screening of 4 short films that deal with issues of the deaf at the Cebu Public Library last March 14.

In partnership with the Gualandi Volunteer Services Program and the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines in Cebu, Dakila presented the short films Feeling the Faith by Paul Halili and Alan Obenza, Kubli by Dr. Liza Martinez, Abot Kamay by Victor Villanueva and River of Dreams by Mike Dagnalan.

According to Danielle Aballe of the Dakila Artists Collective in Cebu, “We hope that by showing films that give respect, empowerment and understanding to the disabled, every Filipino, despite impairments, be able to fulfill their social responsibilities towards a fully-abled nation.”
The screening was also the premiere of two short films that won production grants from the festival’s Hasik Advocacy Filmmaking Program and are now in competition with 10 other advocacy films for the ALAB awards of the Festival. Kubli, made by Dra. Liza Martinez, is a story of a deaf rape victim, Bel, who is raped by her father and struggles to prove him guilty in a court with no sign language interpreters. Abot Kamay by Cebuano filmmaker, Victor Villanueva, is a story of a deaf girl who wants to become an actress despite her disability.

Dr. Liza Martinez is one of the most prominent advocates and staunch defenders of PWD rights in the Philippines while Victor Villanueva is a filmmaker more known for his romantic-comedy films such as the independent film hit, “My Paranormal Romance”. “Kubli” is Dr. Liza’s first attempt in filmmaking while “Abot Kamay” is Victor’s first engagement in advocacy filmmaking.

Aballe further said, “These two films produced by Active Vista best exemplifies the marriage of art and advocacy, that when blended well can be a powerful tool to shape consciousness of the Filipino audience and inspire them to if not effect change, then, at the very least, change the way they look at things with hope that someday our society will be more accepting and understanding of the plight of persons with disabilities.”

DAKILA – Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism
Unit 3A, VS1 Bldg., 34 Kalayaan Avenue, Quezon City
Cellular: (0905) 4292539
Tel. No.:(02) 4354309
E-mail: mabuhay@dakila.org.ph

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