Tag Archives: Active Vista

[Press Release] KWENTO NATIN ‘TO: Catch these events and be inspired in reclaiming the stories of our nation as we near the 2022 elections | ACTIVE VISTA

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#HumanRights #AVFest2021

KWENTO NATIN ‘TO: Catch these events and be inspired in reclaiming the stories of our nation as we near the 2022 elections

With the theme Kwento Natin ‘To: Reclaiming the Stories of our Nation, human rights organization DAKILA jam-packed the Active Vista International Human Rights Festival (AVIHRF) 2021 with events, forums, and film screenings that tell the stories — real and imagined — of our fellow Filipinos. One of the festival’s forums, Press in Distress: Will Independent Journalism Survive in SEA?, also witnessed a historical moment when speaker Maria Ressa, Rappler CEO and president, received the news of her being the first-ever Filipino to win the Nobel Peace Prize live during the forum.

As the national elections draw near — when warring narratives try to fill our consciousness — DAKILA and Active Vista shall continue to bring forward events on the last two days of the festival that will contribute to shaping and reclaiming the narrative of our nation come the 2022 elections.

So as the festival closes on October 10, invite your friends and family members! We’ve got an epic line-up of relevant events to fill your weekend!

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[Event] ‘Press in Distress: Will Independent Journalism Survive In SEA?’ | DAKILA/ACTIVE VISTA

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#HumanRights #PressFreedom

‘Press in Distress: Will Independent Journalism Survive In SEA?’

It’s not just in the Philippines. Cracking down on press freedom is a tactic used by other governments with authoritarian tendencies, including those of our neighbors Indonesia and Malaysia. We can push back—as one. In Press in Distress: Will Independent Journalism Survive in SEA?, media organizations and press freedom advocates from all three countries will come together in a live forum to discuss how we all can work together to overcome local and regional threats to press freedom.

DAKILA, Active Vista, Rappler (Philippines), Aliansi Jurnalis Independen (Indonesia), Centre for Independent Journalism (Malaysia), Freedom Film Network (Malaysia), and Gerakan Media Merdeka (Malaysia) invite you to ‘Press in Distress: Will Independent Journalism Survive In SEA?’, a simultaneous regional forum on the state of the press in Southeast Asia on October 8, 2021, Friday, 4:00 pm.

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[Press Release] Basurero Continues Critically Acclaimed Festival Run at the Active Vista International Human Rights Festival -­‐ Philippines, Sept. 19-­‐27

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Basurero Continues Critically Acclaimed Festival Run at the
Active Vista International Human Rights Festival -­‐ Philippines, Sept. 19-­‐27
Starring Jericho “Echo” Rosales, a Filipino Fisherman Faces Troubled Waters

LOS ANGELES/MANILA — Sept. 23, 2020 — For Immediate Release: Basurero, which made its critically acclaimed world debut in competition at the prestigious Busan International Film Festival in South Korea in 2019—where it was called a “must watch” by Asian Movie Pulse—continues its successful festival run.

Despite the current context of the pandemic and the worsening human rights situation in the Philippines, the8th annual Active Vista International Human Rights Festivalperseveres by holding its 8th edition online Sept. 19-­‐27. With the theme “Walang Pipikit 360” (No One Blinks an Eye), the festival’s mission is to encourage creative resistance against threats to life, livelihood and lifestyle by engaging the public in meaningful discourse on the human rights and democracy issues the Philippines faces today.

Festival program shorts/”Women in the Forefront”:

https://watch.activevista.ph/activevistaph

Starring Filipino film and television leading man Jericho “Echo” Rosales (Alagwa, Baler, Siargao) as “Bong,” the poetic, neo-­‐realist, short film plunges viewers into the complex world of a Filipino fisherman who finds himself embroiled in a dangerous undertaking

Basurero marks the directorial debut of Filipina-­‐American filmmaker Eileen Cabiling, who also penned the original short screenplay. Manila/Los Angeles-­‐based Cabiling is a Screenwriting Fellow graduate of the prestigious American Film Institute who has worked as a writer for Disney and as a story development producer. Born to immigrant Filipino parents in the U.S., Cabiling is drawn to the subject matter by a desire to explore the psychology of her ancestral home. Currently, Cabiling is set to make her feature-­‐length directorial debut with her original screenplay, Manhid, starring and produced by Rosales.

In Basurero … With few fish left in the sea, Bong, an urban Manila fisherman, struggles to survive.Desperate for cash, he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous undertaking. Wracked with guilt and fear, Bong feverishly seeks a way out.

The film is a fictional expose inspired by actual events and a story anonymously related to Al Jazeera by Filipino fishermen, who told of widespread human rights abuses among the nation’s most vulnerable. Rather than serving audiences a high-­‐octane expose of the violence, Cabiling renders a more nuanced portrait, taking viewers inside the psychology of a man trapped by impossible circumstances.

17 Minutes / Tagalog (English Subtitles)
Basurero Trailer: https://vimeo.com/441907938/05b8512943

Basurero has also been an official selection in 2020 of the New York City Asian American International Film Festival, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Tampere Film Festival, Fribourg International Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, Sun Valley Film Festival, Cinemalaya Philippine International Film Festival and Minikino Film Week -­‐ Bali International Short Film Festival.

Says Cabiling, “What attracts me most to Bong’s story is not just the inhumane politics and the vilification and killings of drug users, sellers and the poor in the Philippines, but also how this character’s circumstances are a window into the complex Filipino psyche’s search for value in the world.”

Basurero is in collaboration with Globe Studios with Quark Henares and Jan Pineda as attached Executive Producers. Directed and written by Eileen Cabiling, Director of Photography is Jae-­‐Hyuk Lee (Lighting Director, Okja, Black Panther—Korean unit). Produced by Eileen Cabiling, Darlene Catly Malimas, Philippines (Aparisyon, Lingua Franca), Sascha Brown Rice, U.S. (California State of Mind, Mango Kiss), Jose C. Mangual (How the Garcia Girls Spent their Summer) and Eva Husson (Girls of the Sun, Bang Gang).

A Lucena Films and DCM Autodidact Films production in association with Fire of Life Films, Eclipse Production, Jen Lighting Company, Bullet Manila, Globe Studios, Contagious Inc., G-­‐Ward Production, Wapak Sound and Monoxide Works.

Basurero was shot in the urban fishing port and village of Cavite City and in Metro Manila.

NOTE: Basurero is the film’s all-­‐language title. A translation should not be substituted.

Join the Conversation …
https://www.facebook.com/basurerofilm
http://www.instagram.com/basurerofilm
https://basurerofilm.com/
IG: @basurerofilm @eileencabiling @jerichorosalesofficial
FB: @basurerofilm
IMDB: Basurero

Media Contacts:
U.S. Contact: Sascha Rice — 310.415.5856 — Sascha@SaschaRice.com
U.S./Philippines Contact: Eileen Cabiling — 323.309.0915 — EileenCabiling@gmail.com

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[Press Release] #NeverForget: Human rights and cultural orgs line up events to remind Filipinos of the reality of ML era -ACTIVE VISTA

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#NeverForget: Human rights and cultural orgs line up events to remind Filipinos of the reality of ML era

Quezon City, Philippines – In commemoration of the 48th Martial Law anniversary, artist-activist collective DAKILA-Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism along with partners Bantayog ng mga Bayani, FORUM-Asia, and Cinema as Art Movement, through Active Vista International Human Right Festival (AVIHRF), hold series of events today to remember the realities of our recent dark past.

“The AVIHRF is an annual event that celebrates rights, freedoms, and dignity held on the week of Martial Law Anniversary commemoration. Through narratives of human experiences with the use of film screenings, exhibits, performances, forums, and events, the festival aims to engage the public in discourses and conversations on human rights and democracy,” Active Vista Executive Director and DAKILA Secretary General Leni Velasco explains.

“As our government capitalizes on the ongoing health crisis to cement its authoritarian agenda through repressive measures — such as the signing of Anti-Terrorism Law, shutting down of ABS-CBN, implementing militaristic approach to the pandemic,, and imposing digital de facto martial law, to name a few — it is a crucial time for us not to be silent and to continue speaking truth to power,” she adds. “As we commemorate the Martial Law anniversary today, we unleash the power of storytelling told through films, forums, and other innovative forms to remind the Filipinos of the reality of the Marcos era.”

MARTIALLAW.PH: DIGITAL BANTAYOG

DAKILA and Bantayog ng mga Bayani, with the help of FORUM-Asia, launches today a digital exhibit called “Wall of Remembrance: Digital Bantayog ng mga Bayani” in an effort to bridge gaps in Martial Law education by expanding and extending working spaces for education.

The exhibit, which recreates the Bantayog ng mga Bayani’s iconic memorial center, is now accessible to digital visitors from the regions and abroad — stylized and up-to-date, and interactive to promote and facilitate education on the heroes of the Martial Law era.

“Memories serve as markers so our nation will #NeverAgain fall in the cracks of our past mistakes. The Digital Bantayog pushes and innovates on the objective of the Bantayog ng mga Bayani not only in preserving the memory but aspiring to expand the spaces where memory is preserved,” the exhibit’s curatorial note says.

DEMYSTIFYING DEMAGOGUES AND DICTATORS

Bantayog ng mga Bayani member and Martial Law activist Iting Isberto; Free Legal Assistance Group chairperson Chel Diokno; writer, feminist, and activist Ninotchka Rosca; sociologist Dr. Nicole Curato, and spoken word artist Alfonso Manalastas shall discuss Martial Law and how to cure our nation’s amnesia and apathy so as to #NeverAgain fall under a fascist regime in the face of creeping authoritarianism in Demystifying Demagogues and Dictator forum.

The forum will be broadcasted at 3:00 to 6:00 PM today on DAKILA and Active Vista Facebook pages.

DISSIDENTS

Cinema as Art Movement (CAM) and DAKILA present Dissidents, a screening of short films and talkback reflecting today’s realities surrounding the state-sanctioned violence and killings, decades-long failing war on drugs, systemic oppression, environmental degradation, and social unrest.

Showcasing the short films of Cesar Hernando — a photographer, archivist, film professor, and CAM organizer — the program shall also serve as a tribute to him and his immeasurable contribution to the Filipino cinema, art, and culture.

The program will run from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

THE KINGMAKER

The Kingmaker (2019) by Lauren Greenfield headlines the festival’s film screenings for today.

“Centered on the indomitable character of Imelda Marcos, The Kingmaker examines, with intimate access, the Marcos family’s improbable return to power in the Philippines. The film explores the disturbing legacy of the Marcos regime and chronicles Imelda’s present-day push to help her son, Bongbong, win the vice-presidency. To this end, Imelda confidently rewrites her family’s history of corruption, replacing it with a narrative of a matriarch’s extravagant love for her country. In an age when fake news manipulates elections, Imelda’s comeback story serves as a dark fairy tale,” the film synopsis says.

THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES

DAKILA Communications Director Andrei Venal emphasizes how our current political and societal context indicates another threat of dictatorship. “With the current administration that openly glorifies Marcosian rule while employing its own brand of strongman rule, there is no need for an official declaration of martial law to recognize that we are yet again on the brink of democracy’s collapse,” he says. “As these warning signs of history flash red and hot, let us #NeverForget the realities of the Martial Law era. We call on you to join us and be united in saying #NeverAgain to this madness.”

“The struggle against tyranny did not end in 1986. It still continues today. And it shall continue until the truths about our history is no longer a matter of debate until all architects of tyranny are held to account, and until we as a nation #NeverAgain fall under a fascist regime in the face of creeping authoritarianism.

Through conversations, discussions, storytelling, other forms of discourse, and all fonts of the battle — online or on ground, at home or on the streets — let us stand firm in our roles as vanguards of democracy,” he concludes.

Media Contact:
Precious Marie G. Gunayon
Public Relations Manager, DAKILA
0939 118 2374 | press@dakila.org.ph

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Include your full name, e-mail address, and contact number.

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[Event] WALANG PIPIKIT: Human Rights Festival invites you to view PH in 360° -ACTIVE VISTA

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WALANG PIPIKIT: Human Rights Festival invites you to view PH in 360°

Quezon City, Philippines – In commemoration of the 48th Martial Law anniversary and amid the health and human rights crisis in the country, artist-activist collective DAKILA-Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism, through its human rights education institution Active Vista, launches on September 19, Saturday, the 8th edition of Active Vista International Human Rights Festival (AVIHRF).

The AVIHRF is an annual event that celebrates rights, freedoms, and dignity through stories of human struggles with the use of film screenings, exhibits, performances, forums, and events. These aim to engage the public in discourses and conversations on human rights and democracy. With the theme “Walang Pipikit 360” (No One Blinks an Eye), this year’s edition of AVIHRF invites us to open our eyes, look closely, and pay attention to the worsening human rights situation in our country.

“This year, we witness our nation battle two pandemics. We are facing a COVID-19 crisis that rendered thousands of our countrymen jobless — dying because of hunger and the virus. And, we are also combating social ills seen in the blatant erasure and alteration of truth in more than 27,000 victims of state-sponsored killings, in the denial of our sovereignty, in the hailing and rebranding of a murderous and thieving dictator as a hero, and in the continuous sabotage of our struggles as a people,” shares DAKILA Communications Director Andrei Venal.

“In a time when our focus becomes blurry as a plethora of societal and political chaos surmount us, now more.than ever must our roles as witnesses and storytellers of truth and resistance remain,” he says.

Meanwhile, Active Vista Executive Director and DAKILA Secretary General Leni Velasco notes that despite how the government tries to suppress our freedom of expression and assembly in the guise of the pandemic, the annual festival perseveres.

“We have remained in a lockdown far too long – confined in our homes not only by the virus but also by the relentless attacks on our rights and freedoms. But despite the current context of the pandemic and the worsening human rights situation in the Philippines, the festival perseveres to pursue its mission by holding its 8th edition online this September 19-27 on virtual screening platforms, on social media, in meeting rooms, and in spaces where communities gather to foster deepened connections, cultivate creative action, and nurture transformative ideas to make meaningful change happen.”


VIEWPOINTS (FESTIVAL FORUMS)

AVIHRF features Viewpoints, a series of premium forums and dialogues that give a 360° perspective of our nation. It facilitates deeper conversations and forwards courses of action on important social issues: the country’s state of terror, the rise of demagogues and dictators, the persistent systems of disinformation and deception, and the empowerment of today’s youth.

A State of Terror forum officially opens the festival on September 19. Human Rights Watch researcher Carlos Conde, Senator Kiko Pangilinan, photojournalist Raffy Lerma, and sociologist Ash Presto will share their insights on the culture of fear and impunity blanketing the country today.

Demagogues, Despots, and Dictators shall commemorate the Martial Law declaration anniversary on September 21. Bantayog ng Mga Bayani member Iting Isberto; Free Legal Assistance Group chairperson Chel Diokno; writer, feminist, and activist Ninotchka Rosca; and other guests shall discuss Martial Law and how to cure our nation’s amnesia and apathy so as to #NeverAgain fall under a fascist regime in the face of creeping authoritarianism .

In partnership with Friedrich Naumann Foundation is Disinformation and Deception. Happening on September 25, the forum will dissect the DNA of disinformation here in the country. Sharing their insights are Meeko Camba from VERA Files, John Nery from Philippine Daily Inquirer, Mikael Co from the Liberal Party, and guests from student publications around the country.

Lastly, the Youth at the Forefront: Shaping the Narrative of a Nation forum will feature discussions and special performances to empower the youth to be the frontliners of building the future of the country.

20/20 (FILM SCREENINGS)

In 20/20, AVIHRF brings focus to narratives of different colors and stories at the margins of our sight to see the world in 20/20 — with an awareness of those in the peripherals, with sharpness and clarity of vision, with a depth of perception, and hopefully, through the lens of humanity.

This year’s screening includes 20 full-length films and 20 short films. Frontlining the film screenings are Lauren Greenfield’s The Kingmaker, James Jones, and Olivier Sabil’s On the President’s Orders, Alexander A. Mora’s The Nightcrawlers, Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck’s The Cleaners, and Lav Diaz’s Ang Panahon ng Halimaw.

PANORAMA (FESTIVAL EVENTS)

As a platform for for citizen-led actions towards bringing people together to reclaim public spaces online or offline, AVIHRF partnered with various organizations in Panorama to showcase a range of human rights-themed performances, exhibits, talks, and series of events to present an extensive and wide-angle view of creative pursuits and interventions as transformative tools to promote the human rights cause.

Partners include AKTOR PH – League of Filipino Actors, Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP), Cinema as Art Movement, Green Papaya, Ibon Foundation, North Luzon Cinema Guild Inc., Binisaya Film Festival, Lost Frames, punk community, and other independent artists.

The festival will also hold another forum in partnership with the United Nations in celebration of the latter’s 75th anniversary here in the Philippines.

WALANG PIPIKIT 360

As our nation navigates towards the crossroads of new normals, the festival highlights the importance of new ways of seeing.

It calls on Filipinos to “[open] up new viewpoints of looking at human rights; to [zoom] into various narratives; to [weave] different lenses in discourses on human conditions; to [map] out panoramas of resistance; and to [bridge] visions of hope.”

“We invite you to go outside the frames, after the last pages of the news, and beyond the end credits of the films. We invite you to go beyond 240 characters, virtual meeting rooms, and daily feeds. We invite you to open your eyes a little wider, to focus a little bit sharper, to put on the lenses less taken, and revel in the bigger picture of our lives. We invite you to gaze full circle, to look at the world in 360°,” the festival statement concludes.

 

#WalangPipikit

###

Media Contact:

Precious Marie G. Gunayon

Public Relations Manager, DAKILA

0939 118 2374 | press@dakila.org.ph

DAKILA – Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism is an organization of artists, cultural and development activists, students, young professionals, and individuals creatively building a movement of heroism towards social transformation.

Active Vista Center is an institution established by DAKILA. It facilitates the learning process of empowering citizens to become agents of social change.

Submit your contribution online through HRonlinePH@gmail.com
Include your full name, e-mail address, and contact number.

All submissions are republished and redistributed in the same way that it was originally published online and sent to us. We may edit submission in a way that does not alter or change the original material.

Human Rights Online Philippines does not hold copyright over these materials. Author/s and original source/s of information are retained including the URL contained within the tagline and byline of the articles, news information, photos, etc

[Press Release] Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival challenges Acts of Erasures on Victims of Martial Law and the Drug War

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Photo by Active Vista

Quezon City, Philippines – Premiering on the eve of the 47th anniversary of the Martial Law declaration, the 7th edition of Active Vista International Human Rights Film Festival presented last Sept 20, 2019 to around 1,000 invited audiences at the Cine Adarna of the University of the Philippines Film Center the much-awaited screening of the first-ever full-length documentary film highlighting the current administration’s campaign against illegal drugs in the Philippines. ‘On the President’s Orders’, a documentary film by Emmy Award winning filmmakers James Jones and Olivier Sarbil, is the searing story of President Duterte’s bloody campaign against drug dealers and addicts in the Philippines, told with unprecedented and intimate access to both sides of the war.

Malacanang recently issued a statement criticizing the foreign documentary as another attempt at black propaganda and disinformation. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo called out the film as “overly dramatized” and “falsely portrays a dangerous Philippines and a murderous government.” The film is set to for a wide broadcast through PBS in the United States next month. It has made rounds in various international film festivals. The screening in UP was the first time the film was screened to Filipino audiences.

In her statement at the festival opening, Active Vista Executive Director Leni Velasco said, “Active Vista believes it is important to screen this film to Filipino audiences to help our nation process the social ruptures that has fragmented and traumatized our country and make sense of how we have arrived to this point that a range of 7,000 to 27,000 of our countrymen have been killed by the state’s war against drugs. This film festival provokes this essential discourse to mend the tears in the fabric of our understanding and forge solidarity amongst our people to find meaningful ways and strategic actions that shall enable us to rise as a nation against our deplorable human rights situation.”

The Philippine premiere of the film coincides with the on-going session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. In its last session, the UNHRC passed a resolution that asked UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet to write a comprehensive report on the drug war killings and urged the Philippine government to cooperate with UN offices and mechanisms by facilitating country visits and refraining from ‘all acts of intimidation or retaliation’. In a statement made by I-DEFEND, a broad alliance for the defense of human rights and dignity, it said that, “The brutal, bloody war on mostly poor drug suspects has placed the Philippines under a preliminary examination by the International Criminal Court and an investigation by the UN Human Rights Council. But the Duterte regime is barefacedly barring the entry of UN officials by erroneously asserting its independence and its “immunity” from investigation.”

Last September 19, the Philippine Human Rights Information Center (PhilRights) published its report, “The Killing State: An Unrelenting War Against Human Rights in the Philippines,” a study that explores the demographics of victims of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs), the modalities and patterns of the killings, as well as other gross human rights violations associated with the Duterte government’s ‘war on drugs.’ The report concludes that the systemic effects of violations have created a climate of fear, resulting in social paralysis. This has paved the way for the unimpeded adoption of more anti-human rights and anti-democratic policies. According to PhilRights Executive Director Dr. Nymia Simbulan, “Duterte’s drug war is a war against human rights. The systemic, coordinated, sequential, and comprehensive nature of human rights violations resulting from this campaign has brought out immense suffering for the victim’s families and their communities,”

The 7th edition of the Active Vista International Human Rights Festival is organized by DAKILA, a group building a movement of heroism through its Active Vista Center for human rights education. I-DEFEND and PhilRights together with the UP Film Institute, Cinema Centenario, Amnesty International, the Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking (CYAN), and the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) are co-presenting the festival.

DAKILA Executive Director Micheline Rama emphasized the timeliness of the screening of ‘On the President’s Orders’, “We believe that it is very timely that we show films where audiences are challenged to look through different lenses in order to see how the current administration’s campaign against illegal drugs looks like in the eyes of a policeman, a child, and even a family member of an Oplan Tokhang victim. From there, we hope that conversations will spark, and support on pressing human rights issues will broaden.” In the recent statement published by the artist-activist collective DAKILA, Rama said, “Déjà vu is too weak a term to describe the familiar horrors that bookend the 47-year gap between the Martial Law of the Marcos dictatorship and the violence of the Duterte administration. The recurring nightmares of gross human rights violations, trampling of the rule of law, state-sponsored killings, and a pervasive atmosphere of violence can only be described as our national ‘bangungot’. As these nightmares continue to haunt us, we shake off the oppression of our collective ‘bangungot’ through the power of narratives that shed light on these dark times.”

With this year’s theme of the film festival, “Rupture,” audiences were challenged to think beyond what they see and to finally step out of their comfort zones towards collective resistance against repression and tyranny. The festival shall screen a menu of films tackling various human rights issues such as the new Lav Diaz masterpiece, ‘Ang Hupa (The Halt)’, a futuristic look at the Philippines in 15 years but audaciously a statement on the present-day state of the nation. The festival also premieres ‘Last Exit to Kai Tak’ a documentary on the defenders of human rights and democracy of the Hong Kong Umbrella Revolution.

‘On the President’s Orders’ premiered to a full-packed cinema of around a thousand audiences last September 20. The criticism from Malacanang drew attention to the film. During the program, the organizers set several guidelines to ensure that the screening is a safe space for everyone considering the risks of screening the film. A talkback was held after with Atty. Chel Diokno, Chairperson of the Free Legal Assistance Group; Carlos Conde of Human Rights Watch; Dr. Nymia Pimentel-Simbulan of Philrights; and Ma. Inez Feria of NoBox Transitions Foundation.

Active Vista Executive Director Leni Velasco called on audiences to continue talking about the issues presented by the film. “Let us not allow the injustice of erasing our historical memory as a nation that this government has done to the thousands of victims of Martial Rule to be done as well to thousands of victims of the drug war. Let us resist the acts of erasures of their stories being written out of our history and memory. We need to remind ourselves the bluntness and force of this trauma from all the killings and the grave human rights violations are shattering our already fragile sense of nationhood. And the horror we are experiencing is more intimate, more personal. It has opened up a tear in our social and moral fabric and challenged our very humanity.”

“In times when the truth on the increasing number of extra-judicial killings is suppressed, it is important that we see different counter-narratives done in creative forms. The narratives we heard and saw on the documentary film tells us that the campaign against illegal drugs holds this inhumane and oppressive system inspired by the words and commands by the President. We, as a nation of heroes, must uphold and protect each other’s human rights,” Velasco added on how the documentary film serves as a tool to combat the current administration’s portrayal of its on-going ‘war on drugs’.

In ending, Velasco said, “Thanks to the courageous efforts of those who speak truth to power, many eyes are now open to the nightmare of Philippine society. But it is not enough to be aware yet unmoving. Filipinos everywhere must shake off the oppression of our collective “bangungot”. We must open our minds so we #NeverForget and open our arms to join together so that the nightmares will #NeverAgain happen in our nation. We call on everyone to join us in opening our minds so that we may #NeverForget, and opening our arms to join together so that the nightmares will #NeverAgain happen to our nation. We call on everyone to be one with us in remembering what happened almost five decades ago and in condemning the impending authoritarianism in the country”.

Active Vista screenings continue at the UP Film Center on September 23-24 and at the Cinema Centenario from September 21-29. Cinema Centenario screenings marries the Active Vista Human Rights Festival with the Never Forget Film Festival which focuses on films about the Martial Law. Schedules are posted at the Active Vista’s official Facebook page, UP Film Institute – Cine Adarna, and Cinema Centenario. Interested audiences may reserve their tickets through bit.ly/AVTix2019 or activevista@dakila.org.ph.

Media Contact:
Christine Anne A. Alvarez
dakila.media@gmail.com, 0915-583-3364

DAKILA – Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism is a group of artists, students, and individuals working together to creatively spark social consciousness formation towards social change. Learn more at dakila.org.ph and facebook.com/Dakila.Philippines

ACTIVE VISTA is a human rights education platform to empower audiences in bringing about relevant social change. By showing and creating films that address core human rights messages, it aims to stir critical thinking among its audience as a step towards their education as citizens. Learn more at facebook.com/ActiveVista

All submissions are republished and redistributed in the same way that it was originally published online and sent to us. We may edit submission in a way that does not alter or change the original material.

Human Rights Online Philippines does not hold copyright over these materials. Author/s and original source/s of information are retained including the URL contained within the tagline and byline of the articles, news information, photos, etc.

[Event] MOTHERLAND (Bayang Ina Mo) by Ramona Diaz returns to Philippine cinema at the Cine Adarna of the UP Film Center on March 8 -Active Vista

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From Active Vista FB page

On International Women’s Day, MOTHERLAND (Bayang Ina Mo) by Ramona Diaz returns to Philippine cinema at the Cine Adarna of the UP Film Center on March 8, Thursday, 7pm.

This is only the 3rd time this multi-awarded documentary film shall be screened in the Philippines. The screening is organized by DAKILA through its Active Vista Center in partnership with the UP Film Institute and Grrrl Gang Manila.

MOTHERLAND won the Commanding Vision Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival, Viktor Award at the Munich International Documentary Festival, and was featured at the Berlin International Film Festival 2017. It premiered in the Philippines last November 2017.

https://www.facebook.com/events/156198238424965/

SYNOPSIS:

Motherland takes us into the heart of the planet’s busiest maternity hospital in one of the world’s poorest and most populous countries: the Philippines. The film’s viewer, like an unseen outsider dropped unobtrusively into the hospital’s stream of activity, passes through hallways, enters rooms and listens in on conversations. At first, the surrounding people are strangers. But as the film continues, it’s absorbingly intimate, rendering the women at the heart of the story increasingly familiar. Three women—Lea, Aira and Lerma—emerge to share their stories with other mothers, their families, doctors and social workers. While each of them faces daunting odds at home, their optimism, honesty and humor suggest a strength that they will certainly have to summon in the years ahead.

Tickets to the screening is at Php 150 only. For ticket inquiries, email activevista@dakila.org.ph or contact 0998-485-8646. Reserve your tickets now at http://bit.ly/MotherlandSS

Follow ACTIVE VISTA @
Website: http://www.activevista.ph
Facebook: @activevista
Email: activevista@dakila.org.ph

Submit your contribution online through HRonlinePH@gmail.com
Include your full name, e-mail address and contact number.

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[Event] Alab ng Puso: A free concert to celebrate Human Rights and Dignity -Active Vista

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Alab ng Puso: A free concert to celebrate Human Rights and Dignity -Active Vista

Join us at the Alab ng Puso: A free concert to celebrate Human Rights and Dignity of the Active Vista Human Rights Festival this Dec. 9, Saturday, 4pm at the Times Square Food Park, Araneta Center. Stand up for Human Rights. See you at the concert!

Alab ng Puso
A Free Concert to Celebrate Human Rights and Human Dignity
December 9 | Saturday | 4:00 PM
Times Square Food Park, Araneta Center, Quezon City

Featuring performances by local artists, HR fair, and a 12-hour bike ride culminating in Quezon City in celebration of the International Human Rights day.

#ActiveVista2017 #TruthAwakening

https://web.facebook.com/events/155769801711490/

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[Press Release] 300 Youth Leaders Converged for a New Revolution Amidst Calls for a Revolutionary Government -ACTIVE Vista

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300 Youth Leaders Converged for a New Revolution
Amidst Calls for a Revolutionary Government

On the 154th anniversary of the birth of the great revolutionary leader, Andres Bonifacio, 300 youth leaders gathered to pledge to continue his unfinished revolution. Dubbed as the Heroes Hub: Youth Empowerment Summit, the activity aims to empower the youth towards the realization of upholding, protecting and promoting human rights and dignity.

Leni Velasco, Executive Director of Active Vista shared, “Our age sees a plethora of societal and political storms that mostly hit the underprivileged sectors of our society. Too many acts of injustice are being committed by the State itself, and human rights advocates are being silenced, persecuted, and threatened. These circumstances inflict national trauma and cause discord among Filipinos. But it is also when these injustices become so rampant that it stirs the youths’ consciousness, which eventually gives them ardor to call for social transformation. Our history as a nation gave birth to heroes like Andres Bonifacio because of a social awakening from hundreds of years of oppression and injustice.”

Heroes Hub is part of the on-going Active Vista Human Rights Festival, which features human rights themed film screenings, art exhibit, theater play, workshops and a concert in time for International Human Rights Day. The Heroes Hub Youth Summit was launched on Bonifacio Day to pay tribute to the heroism of the great revolutionary, Andres Bonifacio.

“The Heroes Hub: Youth Empowerment Summit in time of Bonifacio’s birth date signifies that in times of inequality, oppression, and injustice, it is constantly the youth that steps up to be in the frontline of the battles for the rights of the people. It signifies that there is no act more patriotic than to do acts of heroism. And perhaps there is no act more heroic than giving voice for the silenced, than defending the helpless,” adds Ms. Rash Caritativo, DAKILA’s OIC Executive Director.

The summit gave the participants a journey through time through discussions and conversations about how our heroes battled with the nation’s past struggles. Participants were guided to identify the existing challenges and atrocities our nation is currently confronted with and to determine how the lessons of the past may help inspire fortitude and nobility among the youth to consequently build a nation anchored in culture of heroism.

In the speech delivered by Active Vista Executive Director Leni Velaso, she said, “This is a call for the youth to respond to the call of the times. Those who stand in the penumbra of history shall never see the light. It is time for the youth to reclaim heroism, to reclaim humanity amidst the attacks on human rights and dignity. We do not need a revolutionary government; we need a revolution in the minds and hearts of our people. This tempestuous awakening of our youth is a process of birthing towards the genuine social change we all aspire.”

The summit presented talks talks from the country’s millennial idols and online influencers. Historian Xiao Chua kicked off the discussion with Hapdi x Kirot: Pinoy POP (Pains of the Past), a look at the history of human rights struggles in our country. Pop culture icon Lourd de Veyra talked about “WASAK!” as the state of the nation. Musician and Human Rights lawyer Pochoy Labog talked about Pursuing Justice and Understanding the Rule of Law. Award-winning photojournalist Raffy Lerma showed Moving Pictures as a witness on the War on Drugs. Spoken word artist Juan Miguel Severo talked about “Words that Speak” in marrying art and advocacy. Indie musician BP Valenzuela shared about Rights and Rhythm in her talk about equality. Actress Chai Fonacier discussed about “Dealing with Diversity” and fashion designer and women’s rights advocate Mich Dulce talked about “Fashion and Passion in Advocating for Women’s Rights.”

In ending, Velasco said, “All heroes are born from great struggles. Bonifacio’s revolution remains unfinished until our nation fails to learn from the lessons of our own history and realize that genuine national development is built on the recognition and realization of freedom, human rights and human dignity. We are in the eye of a social storm. Do not let the pretense of the seeming calmness that surround us deceive us from the perils of destruction this may bring to our country. We urge the youth to resist the culture of apathy and violence perpetuated and to stand up for human rights, for humanity.”

The Active Vista Human Rights Festival will run until December 10, 2017. On December 1, it shall screen the remastered version of Batch ’81 by Mike de Leon at the UP Film Center. Screenings shall continue at the newly opened Cinema Centenario in Maginha Street, UP Village from December 2-8. The festival shall culminate with the Alab ng Puso Concert on December 9 at the Araneta Center to usher in the celebration of International Human Rights Day.

For more information about other Active Vista Human Rights Festival Activities, visit http://www.activevista.ph or http://facebook.com/activevista

Website: http://www.activevista.ph/

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[Statement] Who’s Afraid of Bonifacio? -DAKILA

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Who’s Afraid of Bonifacio?
STATEMENT ON THE TOPPLING DOWN OF BONIFACIO STATUE TO PAVE WAY FOR A ROAD PROJECT

The artist-activist group DAKILA criticized the toppling down of the Bonifacio statue in Taguig to give way for a road project linking the business districts of Taguig and Ortigas . According to news reports, the Department of Public Works and Highways did not have a consultation or approval from the National Historical Council of the Philippines before taking down the statue.

Inaugurated in 1997 as a state memorial for the centennial death anniversary of the father of Philippine Revolution, the statue was erected near the Philippine Army Camp’s original Gate 1 to pay tribute to Andres Bonifacio to whom the camp was named after. Andres Bonifacio was the founder of the Kataastaasan Kagalanggalangan Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK or Katipunan) where he was later on elected as the Supremo and led the revolution against Spanish colonial rule.

According to DAKILA Communications Director Cha Roque, “We, at DAKILA, recognize the importance of these markers as not merely decorations but also a reminder of the sacrifices and martyrdom of heroes who fought for our country’s freedom. This is why we keep on striving to remind the public especially the youth, of the importance of learning about our history and our heroes. Our heroes’ stories are not fables or fiction but are living examples of how to live our lives especially at these times of social unrest and repression.”

In reaction, historian Xiao Chua also said, “A people who demolishes its heroes is a people that will be demolished by the future. How would national development matter if it will demolish the memory of those who created the Nation itself?”

The toppling down of the statue happened a few days before the nation is set to commemorate Bonifacio’s 154th birth anniversary on November 30. DAKILA’s Active Vista Human Rights Festival coincides with Bonifacio Day on November 30. The festival is set to open on November 22 and culminate on International Human Rights Day.

Active Vista Executive Director Leni Velasco said, “The toppling down of Bonifacio’s monument is quite telling of how our government honors our heroes who fought for freedom. The photo captured by the Inquirer of the Bonifacio statue tied to a flagpole reeks of too much symbolism on how freedom fighters are regarded by this government. Not only does this incident shows blatant disregard of laws and guidelines but it also demonstrates our government’s non-respect for national symbols of courage, heroism and freedom.

Is this a sign of our times? Have we as a nation forgotten the pains of our past struggles for the sake of another promise of change? We buried a false hero at Libingin ng mga Bayani while we demolished the statue of a genuine revolutionary leader. We are slowly erasing the innate Filipino values of love for country (bayan) and community (kapwa) in our national consciousness. If utter disregard and non-respect of human rights and dignity continue as a result of the state’s war against drugs then sooner or later what we will lose in our humanity as a people. “

DAKILA’s Active Vista Human Rights Festival was designed as a platform for the public to learn more about the importance of freedom and human rights through film screenings, art exhibit, theater, creative workshops, talks and a concert to celebrate International Human Rights Day. On November 30, DAKILA shall convene 300 youth leaders in a Youth Empowerment Summit dubbed as Heroes Hub to enlighten Millennials on human rights and social concerns, and to empower them to be active agents of social change.

In ending, Cha Roque said, “A nation’s history shapes its future. If we allow now the desecration of the value of our heroes to our national consciousness then we have surrendered our country to a bleak state where freedom, rights and genuine development remain an elusive dream.”

To know more about the Active Vista Human Rights Festival, visit activevista.ph.

——

DAKILA is a group of artists, students, and individuals committed to working together to creatively spark social consciousness formation towards social change. Learn more at dakila.org.ph

MEDIA CONTACT
Cha Roque
cha@dakila.org.ph
09955259281

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[Press Release] Active Vista Film Festival: “Use Imagination As A Weapon Against Forgetting Truth” -DAKILA

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Active Vista Film Festival: “Use Imagination As A Weapon Against Forgetting Truth”

active vista 2Dakila explores how People Power is remembered to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the People Power Revolution, as the Active Vista International Human Rights Film Festival opens in 5 key regional cities nationwide from February 24-27, 2016 in Manila, Iloilo, Davao, Dumaguete and Cebu.

According to Dakila Executive Director, Leni Velasco, “The greatest enemy of history is time. Thirty years ago, the Filipinos through collective action succeeded in getting rid of a fascist dictator, marking the end of a dark era known for its grave abuses and human rights violations. Thirty years ago, that was the narrative. Is it still the same one told today?”

The film festival opened with the film EDSA XXX by renowned avant-garde filmmaker, KHAVN, last February 24, Wednesday, 6pm at the Cinema 4 of Shang Cineplex, Shangri-La Mall, Mandaluyong City. It was attended by prominent human rights defenders like Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chairperson Chito Gascon, Secretary Ging Deles of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP); members of the different United Nation agencies led by United Nation Resident Coordinator in the Philippines, Mr. Ola Almgren; members of the diplomatic community, led by the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mr. Jaco Beerends; artists, filmmakers and celebrities like Jun “Bayaw” Sabayton, Ronnie Lazaro, Lourd de Veyra, and Aljur Abrenica, star of the new historical epic, Hermano Puli.

According to its Festival Director Leni Velasco, “There is nothing more timely than opening this festival on the eve of the 30th Anniversary of the People Power Revolution in this month of love. EDSA, after all, was born out of love – love for freedom, for liberty, for country, for every fellow countrymen. We hope to spark and rekindle that same love again among the Filipino public especially among the youth by presenting these films that will disturb or inspire them to explore social truths.”

The opening film, EDSA XXX, took the audience forward to 2030, the year of the 30th EDSA revolution to post the question, “Have you ever wondered why nothing changes despite countless presidents?”  The answer was given in the form of an absurdist cross between low-budget science-fiction musical and crazy political satire.

“Cinema is not there to be pleasant. It is there to stir, disturb, provoke, to punch the status quo instead of one’s time card, to stop the hiding behind sterilized, anesthetized, spineless art and calling it a fearless struggle for change. Cinema is a rupture and a revolt — a daily, hourly, minutely questioning of what’s right and wrong, good and bad, beautiful and ugly, until the profane becomes the sacred. The profane is the sacred”, Khavn, the director, in a statement said.  Most recently, Khavn made headlines by performing a 13-hour live piano film scoring. He set the record for the longest film concert as he unveiled his 13-hour autobiographical film “SIMULACRUM TREMENDUM” at the 45th International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Active Vista Festival Director, Leni Velasco, explained, “Who else can pull off 13 hours of live piano film scoring? No one else but Khavn, bringing the unimaginable to reality as always. EDSA XXX is the most fitting opening film for Active Vista not only because of the obvious but also more importantly because we want to shake the audience with a film that is both absurd and true. The power of cinema lies on its ability to mirror and hammer society and tap into our consciousness. And sometimes, it is in encountering the imaginary that social truths become amplified—this is ‘Truth X Imagination’. “

The Festival Opening marked the start of the yearlong program, which brings human rights themed films to schools and communities nationwide. Active Vista utilizes cinema first, as an educational platform to discuss and shed light on the importance of knowing and asserting human rights; and second, as a tool for empowerment and bringing about relevant social change.

For the second screening, Active Vista presented Jun Lana’s Barber’s Tales in partnership with the National Youth Commission, represented in the screening by Commissioner Dingdong Dantes. In a statement, Comm. Dingdong Dantes said, “This generation – our generation should learn from the patriotic sacrifice of each and every Filipino during that era, and embed the lessons of the People Power Revolution with our everyday lives. Because by doing so, we will be able to value, protect and be responsible of the democratic rights that we cherish today. Today, the responsibility of keeping the faith and fire alive is upon us, the responsibility of building our nation from the winds of change the EDSA Revolution lent us. We are often charged that we are entitled, convenience-seekers and unconcerned. If only to prove them wrong, today presents to us an occasion to hold on to the promises of the bright future because of EDSA.”

Festival Director Leni Velasco further added, “Active Vista deems that films like Barber’s Tales are essential viewing especially for the youth of today who only get an idea of Martial Law through dusty history books and documentaries—and now, more than ever, through social media. Amidst those who blur, twist, and rewrite history in favor of the oppressors, it is high time the youth are engaged into an enlightening discussion on the essence of human rights and the dangers of having them taken away. The freedoms and rights enjoyed today can only be truly appreciated if there is a full understanding of how they were fought for. It is through this that history will not be forgotten in time.”

The Active Vista shall screen Pepe Diokno’s Kapatiran tonight, February 26, at Shang Cineplex in partnership with the UN initiative, Re:PubliKo and on the 27th, Ara Chawdhury’s Miss Bulalacao, in Cebu. Pepe Diokno’s, Engkwentro, in Iloilo, and Chuck Gutierrez’s Iisa in Davao. Three internationally acclaimed foreign films, The Missing Picture by Rithy Panh, Citizenfour by Laura Poitras, and Margarita with a Straw by Shonali Bose, shall also be shown on February 27 at the UP Film Center.

“Street artist, JR, once said, ‘What we see changes who we are’. This Active Vista seeks to remind the public especially the younger generation who may not fully understand yet the importance of the EDSA Revolution that truth is both in the obvious and the obscure. The problem is that we, as a nation, have become afraid of the truth because it is a reflection of who we are and the society we built”, Velasco explained.  “But truth, no matter how ugly, no matter how difficult, needs to be seen. Because it is only in acknowledging truth that we are liberated and are empowered to transform it. This Active Vista hopes to be that undertaking – a platform to exorcise historical amnesia and usher this new generation into an understanding of the true essence of EDSA. The power of art is its ability to change perception, to change how people view the world. Active Vista inspires to do so through cinema, one viewer, at a time”, ended Velasco.

The festival also welcomed the solidarity of its international guests, Anna Har, Festival Director of the Freedom Film Festival in Malaysia, and celebrated New York-based literary writer, feminist and human rights activist, Ninotchka Rosca. In ending, Velasco said, “Active Vista call on all Filipinos – young and old, the passionate and the disheartened, the dreamers and the realists, – to make imagination your weapon against forgetting truth.”

Active Vista invites audiences to experience “truth X imagination” at the Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival this February 24-27, 2016. For screening schedules, check out http://www.activevista.ph

Press Contact: Kai 09151780240
activevista@dakila.org.ph

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[Event] Active Vista 2016 -Dakila

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Active VistaThe Active Vista is a human rights education program to empower audiences in bringing about relevant social change. Its festival component, the Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival, is a mobile cinema platform that allows audiences opportunity to debate, discuss, and spark conversations on human rights that can shape society. Its Advocacy Filmmaking Workshops empower a new generation of filmmakers in finding their own voices as they create films that ask questions and dare to spark change into their audiences.

Read full article @facebook.com/ActiveVista

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[Event] Alab Short Films at the Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival -Dakila

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10 stories. 10 issues.
10 Alab Short Films at the Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival.

15 November, 1:30PM, FEU Auditorium

See you there!

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[Event] ACTIVE VISTA human rights film festival travels to 20 cities nationwide to project truth in social realities

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Screening of This Is Not A Film

ACTIVE VISTA HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
TRAVELS TO 20 CITIES NATIONWIDE TO PROJECT TRUTH IN SOCIAL REALITIES

Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival travels to 20 different cities nationwide to bring a plethora of films that project truth in social realities. The festival kicked off last July 11 at the Robinsons Galleria Movieworld with the screening of “This Is Not A Film” by Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb.

The clandestine documentary, shot partially on an iPhone and smuggled into France in a cake for a last-minute submission to Cannes, depicts the day-to-day life of acclaimed director Jafar Panahi during his house arrest in his Tehran apartment. While appealing his sentence – six years in prison and a 20 year ban from filmmaking – Panahi is seen talking to his family and lawyer on the phone, discussing his plight with Mirtahmasb and reflecting on the meaning of the art of filmmaking.

Dakila President Lourd de Veyra & Sam Chittick of AusAID

Lourd de Veyra, President of the Dakila Artists Collective, in his statement, mentioned, “This Is Not A Film is an effort by the artist to document his personal struggle as well as a powerful political statement. While the film’s courageous gesture is exemplary, it also opens up a myriad of discourses on what makes cinema and consequently, art. Active Vista aspires to bring to the table this meditation on art and advocacy that successfully treads the thin line between the two.”

Since July, Active Vista has been traveling to schools and communities to screen various human rights themed films. It also held an advocacy filmmaking seminar last May 2012 and awarded production grants to 13 aspiring filmmakers for their human rights themed short films. The 13 films will be in competition for the ALAB Short Films and will be awarded on December 2012 during the Festival closing.

Leni Velasco, Active Vista Film Festival Director and Executive Director of Dakila, said “This 2012, Active Vista celebrates our ability to think, to react, and to respond to truths in projections of human realities. We hope to spark discussion on human rights issues and concerns. Active Vista believes that no film is totally neutral. Every film makes a statement by its choice of subject, by what its say and what it omits. “

Active Vista Film Festival Director Leni Velasco

“Because discourses on human conditions do not go well with popcorn and soda, Active Vista is more than just a film festival. It is cinema that grabs you by the collar and shakes you out of your apathy. “ Velasco further added.

Bringing along with them filmmakers, cast members, representatives from Government, NGOs, Media and the Academe, Active Vista engages its audiences in a discussion after every screening. It has in its roster of films indie blockbuster hits such as Zombadings and Ang Babae sa Septic Tank; film classics such as Kisapmata and Orapronobis; avant garde films such as Maynila sa Pangil ng Dilim and Ex Press; Lav Diaz’s 6 hour masterpiece Century of Birthing; Ditsi Carolino’s acclaimed documentary films such as Bunso; Cinemalaya winners Jay, Brutus and Tribu; crowd pleasers like Senior Year and Last Supper No. 3; Brillante Mendoza’s Cannes Film Festival award winning film Kinatay; and controversial documentary film Give Up Tomorrow.

Lourd de Veyra, further explained, “”The worst load of bull ever said about cinema is that it can change society. Active Vista does not have any illusion that it will change society but it does hope to, at the very least, make a dent by challenging its audiences to change the way they look at things.”

Active Vista is organized by Dakila – Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism through the support of AusAID, Movies that Matter (Netherlands) and the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

For screening schedules, visit http://www.activevista.com.

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
Website: http://www.dakila.org.ph
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dakila.philippines
Follow us on Twitter: dakila_ph

Here are more photos of ACTIVE VISTA taken by Benjie “Burncool” Cruz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Event] Ang Damgo ni Eluteria by Remton Zuasola -ACTIVE VISTA Cebu

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For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/ActiveVista

Media Advisory
23 August 2012

Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival Screens ‘Ang Damgo ni Eluteria’
to Help the Fight Against Human Trafficking

Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival will screen “Ang Damgo ni Eluteria” by Cebuano filmmaker Remton Zuasola on August 24, Friday, 6pm at the Cebu Cultural Center.

Shot only in a single take, the perfectly choreographed film follows Eluteria’s journey as she embarks on her dream to go abroad and get out of poverty as a mail-order bride. The film has won four Gawad Urian awards, including Best Director and Best Picture. It also won the Jury Prize Award at Cinema One Originals and the Special jury Award at the Jeonju International Film Festival in South Korea.

The screening brings together various organizations such as Visayan Forum, the Movement of Anti-Trafficking Advocates (MATA), MTV Exit, the UP Student Council, Student Council Alliance of the Philippines Cebu and the artist collective Dakila who are all involved in the advocacy against human trafficking. The film screening aims to raise awareness on the issue and inspire Cebuanos to join the movement to end human trafficking and modern day slavery.

Expected to grace the screening are Honorable Knut-Are Okstad, counselor of the Royale Norwegian Embassy, who will give a message of support on the advocacy as well as various government representatives, NGOs, youth groups and guest filmmakers and celebrities from Manila who have arrived in Cebu to grace the Active Vista Film Screenings at the University of San Carlos.

Other screenings of the Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival are as follows:

August 23, Thursday
University of San Carlos, Downtown Campus, Buttenbruch Hall
10:00 AM Bunso by Ditsi Carolino
01:00 PM Senior Year by Jerrold Tarog
04:00 PM Kinatay by Brillante Mendoza

August 24, Firday
University of San Carlos, Talamban Campus, CAFA Theater
10:00 AM Zaombadings by Jade Castro
01:00 PM Kisapmata by Mike de Leon
04:00 PM Kano by Monster Jimenez and Mario Cornejo

Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival is a traveling film festival that aims to educate its audience on different human rights issues through cinema. Active Vista is organized by Dakila-Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism in partnership with Australian AID, Movies that Matter Netherlands, and the Royal Norwegian Embassy. Cebu City is the 6th leg of the 20-city tour of the festival.

The Cebu screening is made possible through the support of the Cebu Provincial Government, the City Government of Cebu and the SK Federation of Cebu.

For more information, you may reach Dakila at 09178822176. Members of the media are invited to watch the screenings.

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
Website: http://www.dakila.org.ph
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dakila.philippines
Follow us on Twitter: dakila_ph

[Event] ACTIVE VISTA presents Butterflies Have No Memories by Lav Diaz -DAKILA

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Film screening in Central Philippine University on August 1! Watch Butterflies Have No Memories by Lav Diaz, 4pm at CPU Rose Memorial Auditorium. See you there!

Note: Ticket price has been changed to 75 pesos.

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