MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 26, 2012) – The National Youth Commission has partnered with the Metro Manila Development Authority for the 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival.
The NYC said it is set to give the Youth Choice Award to a chosen mainstream film entry which highlights values, promotion of character, advancement of youth rights, emphasis on the Filipino cultures and traditions that are worthy of emulation by the young Filipinos in today’s society.
NYC Chairman Leon Flores III underscores the importance of coming up with ‘youth-friendly’ films.
“Movies play a very important role in the Filipino youth’s psyche. There are numerous youth issues and youth rights that we need to mainstream and be made to surface. This year marks our first effort to incentivize films which bring such consciousness to young people.”
“We hope the filmmakers and writers will be conscious in championing youth issues and rights, embed these in their films, and come up with more youth-friendly films in the future,” Flores said in a statement to the Mindanao Examiner.
In highlighting the role of youth in the process of promoting the important contributions of the film industry in nation-building, Saavedra, who also sits as Member of the Appeals Committee of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), elaborated that media are considered as the youth’s way of connecting to the world.
“In a modern era such as today, we see young people who are very much involved in expressing themselves, airing their opinions and emphasizing their participation through the radio, television, social media sites, including films that get to impact other people’s perceptions and ideology. This is the way youth participation is seen nowadays,” he said.
The Youth Choice Award shall have corresponding criteria in selecting the best film fit for to garner the distinction. As part of the over-all tabulation of the winning entry, the film entries will also be posted on the Facebook page of the NYC and those with more number of “Likes” shall win the Youth Choice Award.
“In the make-over phase of MMFF, we see new categories offering opportunities for independent films and student short films to be showcased and seen by movie enthusiasts and the public. Most of those behind these masterpieces are the youth. Therefore, we should celebrate their talents and recognize their best efforts in ways we can. This is the founding inspiration of the Youth Choice Award which we are very excited to bestow for the very first time during the film festival,” Saavedra said.
The selected film will receive a cash prize of P 20,000 and a plaque bearing the new logo of the National Youth Commission as the Voice and Advocate of the Youth. The new image was designed by the Team Manila. The awards night shall take place on December 27, 2012 at the Meralco Theatres.
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