Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte recently met with key leaders of the Philippine film industry to discuss collaborative initiatives aimed at further strengthening the local film sector and reinforcing the city’s status as a UNESCO Creative City of Film.
Among those present were Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairperson and CEO Jose Javier Reyes and Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) spokesperson Noel Ferrer.
The meeting explored possible partnerships between the FDCP, MMFF, and the Quezon City Film Commission (QCFC) to support filmmakers, develop industry linkages, and expand training and welfare programs for film workers.
Belmonte welcomed the potential partnership, highlighting its importance to the city’s creative goals.
“I am so thrilled and ecstatic that the FDCP is going to be our partner towards developing the film industry, promoting the rights and welfare of the workers and training new filmmakers to be the best that they can be in a field that I believe the country should be excelling in in the global stage,” the mayor said.
QCFC Executive Director Liza Diño also expressed optimism over the collaboration in an online statement.
“Excited for the collaboration between Quezon City and FDCP, especially with UNESCO’s designation of QC as the country’s Creative City of Film. This partnership can really help strengthen and grow QC’s film ecosystem with the support of the Film Development Council of the Philippines.”
Also attending the meeting were Quezon City Tourism Department Officer-in-Charge Giana Barata and QCinema Artistic Director Ed Lejano, underscoring the local government’s commitment to building sustainable platforms and programs for the creative industry.
Through these initiatives, Quezon City aims to further position itself as a leading hub for cinematic innovation and excellence in the country.