MANILA, Philippines --- The winners of this year's ''Cine-Phone'' contest by the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) for aspiring and amateur filmmakers will be announced today, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authoritiy (MMDA) said.
Lawyer Alu Dorotan, MMDA spokesperson, said on the agency's weekly radio talk show Sunday that the Cine-Phone winners would be known in a press conference to be graced by the big names in the filmmaking industry as well as the actors involved in this year's MMFF.
Launched as this year's added attraction, the Cine-Phone competition solicited three-to-five-minute long videos-shot entirely using mobile phones-from high school and college students nationwide.
MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the videos must carry the theme ''Restoring Road Courtesy Among Motorists and Pedestrians.'' Tolentino is concurrently the chairman of the MMFF Executive Committee.
Dorotan bared that the Cine-Phone winners will be chosen from 57 finalists.
Three winning entries from high school and another three from college would be announced for the three respective regions: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Each winner will receive a P25,000 prize during the MMFF's Gabi ng Parangal (Awards Night) on December 27.
Free-post production packages, digital cameras, broadband kits, high-end smart phones and apprenticeships with film director Paul Soriano will also be granted to the winners.
Meanwhile, Dorotan said that the public can get an early taste of the MMFF with the screening of its ''New Wave Section'' or its full-featured independent films.
The five indie film entries will be shown from December 18 to 22 at Glorietta Cinemas in Makati City.
