10 December 2015 - To celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Bolivia, the first ever Filipino film festival was inaugurated on December 03 at the Cinemateca Boliviana in La Paz, Bolivia.
The film festival held from December 03 to 05 showed the films Batad: Sa Paang Palay, Red Shoes, Nono, Donsol and Emir. An initiative of Philippine Honorary Consul General in La Paz Juan Carlos Valdivia, the festival was made possible through the collaboration of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, which provided films to be shown during the festival, and the Cinemateca Boliviana, which provided the venue for the film showing.
The film festival was inaugurated with remarks by Cinemateca Boliviana Foundation President Javier Zarate and Philippine Non-Resident Ambassador to Bolivia Amelita C. Aquino.
In her remarks, Ambassador Aquino said that more than just entertain, the films that will be shown during the festival have stories to tell about the Filipino people and serves as a window to Philippine culture, contributing to a better understanding and friendship between Filipinos and Bolivians. She said that while the films reflect Philippine culture, Bolivians will also be able to discern from the films some commonalities with their own culture.
The film showing ended with a round of applause from the audience followed by a cocktail reception. END