Balancing comedy and tragedy with Carlo Francisco Manatad cnnphilippines.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cnnphilippines.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Published July 3, 2021, 8:00 AM
INDUSTRY DIRECTION This week’s Philippine Panorama goes behind the scenes of the local film industry. Cover design by the author
A year ago, at the height of the current health crisis, a couple of my friends in film were distressed as productions, like many other businesses, had to shut down due to lockdown. Shoots were ceased, movie theaters closed, and jobs were lost. Box office losses amounted to at least ₱11 billion in 2020. Even before the pandemic, the Philippine film industry had seen a constant and drastic dip in viewership. The quarantine period was a death blow.