‘It is a long and tedious process …. How did I feel upon learning of my appointment? Exhausted’
By: NOEL D. FERRER
JOSE Javier Reyes, a multi-awarded writer and film director, a well-respected educator and academician, a part-time actor and TV host, judge of many film festivals, talent searches, literary contests, and sometimes even beauty pageants, adds another title to his multi-hyphenated calling card – the newly appointed chair or the chief executive officer of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).
Being the Direk Joey or JJR that we know, he would message us and say, “please don’t call me Chair, because … a chair is still a chair even when there’s no one sitting there.”
Fortunately, on Araw ng Kagitingan, JJR granted Malaya Business Insight his first ever print interview after his appointment. Below are excerpts edited for length and clarity.
In all the years we have known you, you would be a member of a committee in the FDCP but never did you actually work for titles. What was your reaction when you finally got your appointment from Malacañang?
Joey Javier Reyes: “Late last year when Pip (former FDCP Chair Tirso Cruz III) expressed his desire to step down from office, I requested him to hold on as long as he could because of the implications and repercussions of such a decision – one of which was the continuation of the projects he started as Chairman. Moreover, that would mean another major adjustment on the part of the people who worked for the council adapting to a new leadership. That was why he asked me if I could possibly assume the office to finish the more than a year of his original three-year term. The next appointment extends only as far as the original term given to Pip but it would still require a lot of sacrifices including giving up my post in Cinemalaya (as competition director) as well as making movies.
“But I was assured that this would only be over a year and so I agreed. So I knew more or less that Pip will endorse me to the Office of the Executive Secretary as his successor. But that is no sure deal. After Tirso stepped down, other names were floated – some good, some outrageously ridiculous. So we all had to wait for the decision of the Palace whether Tirso’s endorsement will matter.
“As late as last week, we heard that the appointment letter has been signed by the Palace but there is a procedure to follow. Even if the appointment letter was signed, it was still needed to be sent to the FDCP Office and signed by senior plantilla personnel to acknowledge my assumption of office. I found this out on the way home from a press conference of FDCP which required me to immediately proceed to the office to acknowledge the reception of the document from the Palace. Then there is still the oath-taking before I meet with the Board of Trustees.
“It is a long and tedious process – because I am scheduled to do my oath-taking and sign the agreement that I have accepted the post. How did I feel upon learning of my appointment? Exhausted.”
What are your priority objectives and programs in the FDCP – given the situation of the film industry right now?
JJR: “These are the priority areas to be pursued by FDCP:
(a) Sustainability of the industry: encouraging producers to produce world-class quality films without sacrificing the essence of being Filipino: it is time that we think of Philippine cinema beyond the borders of our territories.
(b) Education: Film education on three levels – the next generation of filmmakers, the mentors/teachers who guide the next generation of movie creatives and, most important, the audience.
(c) Appreciation and Patronage: Entice the audiences to go back watching Filipino movies despite the onslaught of global culture. We cannot go global if the very people who are represented by our films do not appreciate or collectively condemn local cinema. We must make the Filipinos fall in love with our movies again.
(d) Professionalization: Also as part of education, to provide training of not only creatives but the technical staff to enrich their knowledge through advanced training and endless opportunities to hone their craft.
(e) Solidifying tradition: Film restoration and archiving shall be a priority in order to create a solid vision of what constitutes our tradition of cinema in the shaping of who is the Filipino.
(f) Film as a Cultural Artefact: Reaching out to film educators and students and the popular audiences about the value of film studies in preserving our national identity amidst the onslaught of globalization.
(g) Film Marketing: opening more opportunities for co-productions with foreign producers, exposing Filipino movies to the world and the Philippines as an Asian hub for cinema.
(h) Global Engagements: opening doors for filmmakers and producers to participate in international film festivals and markets while FDCP provides support and impetus to a variety of possible endeavors.
(i) Talent Development: various skills training in numerous aspects of filmmaking which include workshops in acting, directing, cinematography and even as simple as conceptualizing projects for platforms not only for practicing professionals but for students as well.
(j) Emphasis on Regional Cinema: Bringing all the possible assets from Manila to the provinces to encourage filmmakers to write and produce their stories to help define a collective voice of true Filipino cinema.”
How does the FDCP post complement or affect your work in the academe? Your directing assignments?
JJR: “My FDCP work will not affect my academic commitments. I will continue to teach at De la Salle University. I will step down as chairman of the Film Program of the College of Saint Benilde and may remain as a consultant. I need to be grounded in the academe so that I can gain a greater grasp of the scenario of film education in the country if I were to initiate programs for changes.
“As far as filmmaking is concerned, I will request the Board of Trustees to allow me to finish the two productions that have been in preparatory phases before my appointment so as to fulfill my obligations to the producers. But after that, I will no longer accept film offers in directing. Maybe writing or producing BUT these shall all be disqualified from ANY of the privileges or grants of the FDCP.”
What kind of leadership is needed in our industry right now… with a JJR leadership in the FDCP, what can the stakeholders expect?
JJR: “Definitely more collaboration, more engagements, more conversations. The FDCP cannot dictate solutions if it does not really understand the problem. And to grasp the problem requires engagement with the stakeholders.
“I am very much a hands-on person. I will go to the stakeholders and ask what they want and sift through all their comments and suggestions to see what is the best way to pump life into the industry in the post-pandemic world.
“The FDCP shall be open to everybody as long as requirements are met and the right reasons are there to promote and give value to Filipino movies.”
Now that we are assured there is a good and qualified person on the job, the real work begins. All the best to JJR and the FDCP!
