By Angelo Lorenzo
Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro’s influential figures commend Cinemagis Film Festival for its legacy in Northern Mindanao’s artistic and cultural scene.
Ten years has become a milestone for the film festival in the region. An initiative of the Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts (XCCA) under the authorship and directorship of Hobart Savior, Cinemagis has become a platform for emerging filmmakers.
“I certainly salute the students and professional filmmakers for painstakingly producing outstanding entries,” CDO Mayor Oscar Moreno stated in his message, which was among the pieces compiled in the brochure distributed during the opening day.
“The city of Cagayan de Oro and the whole of Northern Mindanao definitely take great pride and honor to share your outputs to the filmmaking industry and across the world as we elevate our city and the region to greater heights of progress and success,” Moreno added.
Also granting opportunity for viewers to learn and understand the region through the lenses of the films’ narratives, which were mostly set in Northern Mindanao, Cinemagis has earned admiration from Misamis Oriental Provincial Governor Yevgeny Emano.
“You have given our film viewers the chance to think critically and empathize with people in similar situations,” Emano stated. “The world of cinema opens our eyes wider with scenes that are imparted into our consciousness; we learn to appreciate the messages more.”
But beyond the films’ artistic qualities that awe the audience and reveal the exceptional talents of the filmmakers — both former and current participants — or the allure of the opening and awarding ceremonies, Cinemagis has become a cause for charity.
This year’s entrance requirements include school supplies such as a pad of paper and pencils, as well as a pack of noodles and a bar of soap.
Xavier Ateneo president Fr Roberto C Yap SJ lauded the film festival as a delight. “Capturing the aspirations, stories, and lore of Northern Mindanaoans through a film is specially relevant these past few years,” Yap said.
Emphasizing about the value of cura personalis (care for the whole person), which is one of the university’s thrusts to educate and encourage its community to become "men and women for others," Yap said that films can inspire people to help.
“Equally as basic is the provision of psychosocial, artistic, and cultural interventions,” Yap added. “Caring for the whole person includes touching hearts and spirits through films.”
In its 10th year now, Cinemagis, by celebrating voices, images, and narratives through a film — regardless of their length — has transitioned from a festival where filmmakers take pride in their works to an avenue that spreads awareness throughout the community.∎
