Cinema of the Philippines

In 2014, The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin, another Vice Ganda film, breaks his own record again with an estimated gross of PHP450,000,000.00.^[62] Meanwhile, the sequel of Kris Aquino's Feng Shui series is the highest grossing Filipino horror film.^[63]

In 2015, a new box-office breaking record has been set as A Second Chance, the sequel of John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo's One More Chance earns PHP 556,000,000 worldwide surpassing Phenomenal Box-Office Star Vice Ganda's The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin.^[64] It is surpassed again by a Star Cinema, Viva Films-produced film Beauty and the Bestie^[65] still starred by the "Phenomenal Box-Office Star" Vice Ganda.

The mid 2010s also saw broader commercial success of films produced by independent studios, with

On September 12, 2019, the film industry celebrated its One Hundred Years of Philippine Cinema, in pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 622, S. 2018, which declares the same day up until September 11, 2020, as Philippine Cinema's Centennial Year.[74]

The COVID-19 pandemic had an enormously negative effect on the film industry.^[75][76][77] According to producer Josabeth Alonso, nearly every local film released in 2022 was not able to earn more than ₱10 million in grosses.^[78]

Censorship

Under the Americans and the Early Philippine Republic

Censorship in the Philippines truly began under the reign of the Spaniards, who prohibited works that were deemed revolutionary. While they prohibited literary, musical, and visual forms of art, film censorship was included in the picture upon the American colonization.

When the Americans took over after the Spanish–American War in 1898, a brief stint of Philippine cultural freedom after independence from Spain was halted. General Arthur MacArthur's military censorship focused on repressing nationalism, along with the Flag Act of 1907. Because film in itself was only beginning to form at the time, motion pictures brought to the Philippines were tame, and film was not yet seen as an avenue for social and cultural subversion.

In 1929, the Philippine Legislature creates Act. No. 3582, titled "An Act to Create a Board of Censorship for Moving Pictures and Define Its Functions". The board consisted of 15 members that sought "to examine all films, spoken or silent, imported or produced in the Philippine Islands, and prohibit the introduction and exhibition in this country of films, which in their judgement are immoral or contrary to law and good customs or injurious to the prestige of the Government of people of the Philippine Islands". In 1930, The first meeting of the board was conducted in the office of then Secretary of the Interior Honoro Ventura, and the first president of the board was Teodoro M. Kalaw. Out of the 1,249 films approved, 6 had parts cut out. Two films were banned.

In 1937 the film Batang Tulisan, directed by Rod Avlas and produced by Philippine Films was set to be released, and controversies arose regarding its sudden ban. The cost of production totaled 16,000 Pesos, and the film 2 and a half months to complete. Four reasons were stated as to why it was pulled-out: Three are aspects of the movie: the priest portrayed in a villainous light, the use of a hypodermic needle as a murder weapon, the amorous scenes between a 10-year-old couple, and the fact that "[the film] might give [the] youth certain subversive ideas". The production crew argued that this was an example of foreign films being given more lenience, despite being as bad (or sometimes, worse) than local cinema. The novel adaptation of Batang Tulisan which was published in Liwayway Magazine, in contrast, was not met with the same negative criticism.

In 1938, the Board of Censorship was renamed the Board of Review for Moving Pictures, enabled by the amendment of the law by Commonwealth Act No. 305.

The Eiga Heikusa: Under Japanese rule

In 1942, the

The Citizens Council for Better Motion Pictures was established by in 1960, as a response to a "grave concern over the general disappearance of the cherished virtues and traditions of the Christian way of life, the alarming increase in juvenile delinquency, and the deterioration of public and private morals". In 1961, they lobbied for what is presently known as the Censorship Law (Republic Act No. 3060), which was approved on June 17, 1961. The law created an Appeals Committee, composed of the undersecretaries of justice, national defense, and education. This committee could revoke the decisions of the Board of Censors. Independent from the CCBMP, the still standing Board of Censors had grown to 24 members, and could now establish a system of classification which consisted of two categories: "for general patronage". and "for adults only". Jose L. Guevara was appointed by President Diosdado Macapagal as the new chairperson in 1962, and the board members appointed by President Carlos P. Garcia were removed, on account of their positions being "midnight" extensions.

In 1962, the board lifted the ban on mouth-to-mouth kissing, so long as it was deemed non-lascivious. In 1963 and after a long-pleaded appeal from the public, the board bans films that heavily play up violence and crime. Ang Manananggol Ni Ruben (Dir.

In 1965, Iginuhit ng Tadhana (Dir. Jose de Villa) is released, and is arguably one of the most controversial films to come out of Philippine cinema, in that it was able to set the tone of Ferdinand Marcos’ entire presidential campaign. The movie, which chronicled the life of Marcos, had reached the realm of politics, ultimately leading the appointment of Marcos to presidency. In August 1965, the film was approved without change, but its premiere in September was halted on the time of the premiere itself. An en banc of the film was requested by then acting chairman Rosalina Castro, raising much suspicion from the press and the Nacionalistas. Days after, then chairman Jose L. Guevara resigned from his spot.

Bomba films

1967 onwards saw a relaxing of rules by the Board of Censorship, who started allowing more nudity and explicit sex. This led to the rise of commercial, pornographic bomba (taken from the term "bombshell", which normally included a scandal in Political public office) films, which persisted despite heavy criticism from Catholic groups. These films usually depicted outright nudity and sexual scenes, cut portions from previously banned films, or the entire prohibited films themselves.

The rise of bomba films was attributed to the fact that movies tackled more adult, realistic themes. The ideal of a "true Filipino" was introduced. These films also brought in a new audience for Philippine film; the usual filmgoers, the teenagers who saw the films as "hip", and the youth, who used these films as a means for their own sexual awakenings, the educated, collegiate, and the working-class crowd. On another side, the larger audience of these films were the male devotees, who came to see the sex scenes and left as soon as the last one finished airing. Some films from this era include Ang Saging ni Pacing, Dayukdok (Dir. Luis San Juan; the movie was only approved by the board upon being renamed to Ang Magsasaing ni Pacing), Ang Batuta ni Drakula (Dir. Luis San Juan), Gutom (Dir. Danny Zialcita), Sabik (Dir. Angelito de Guzman), Laman sa Laman (Dirs. Lauro Pacheco, Jose Sibal), and Hayok (Dir. Ruben Abalos) among many other titles.

While the non-ban of these kinds of films led to the liquidation of censorship committees for most countries, this was not the case for the Philippines, likely due to the demand in box office. On February 22, 1970, the theaters Pablace and Mayfair are picketed by protesters who went against bomba movies. In 1972, the Board begins its anti-sex policy, which was backed by the general public who deemed the films as "attributing to the upsurge of crimes by minors and loose morality of youth".

The martial law era

Film censorship under the martial law dictatorship was undertaken as part of the stifling of free expression and civil rights, during which artists, journalists, activists, and members of the opposition were under threats of sanctions or arrest.^[79]

Prior to the administration of Ferdinand Marcos and the declaration of Martial Law in 1972, policing films had been a matter which only went as far as censorship and the non-distribution of movies in the country. The Board of Censorship then had no right to take legal action against any film, director, actor, producing company, or theater that had violated any of its mandates. Cases like these were to be brought up to the local government, who had jurisdiction over legal matters.

On September 27, 1972, Marcos issued Letter of Instructions No. 13, which he claimed would "uphold morality in the youth". However, the ban was instead used to stifle dissent and to maintain the propaganda of the government at the time. Among the films banned were Hubad na Bayani (1977), Manila By Night (1980), Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim (1984), among many others.^[80] The letter stated 7 kinds of films that were not to be exhibited in any local theater:

1. Films which tend to incite subversion, insurrection or rebellion against the State;
2. Films which tend to undermine the faith and confidence of the people in their government and/or duly constituted authorities;
3. Films which glorify criminals or condone crimes;
4. Films which serve no other purpose but to satisfy the market for violence or pornography;
5. Films which offend any race or religion;
6. Films which tend to abet the traffic in and use of prohibited drugs;
7. Films contrary to law, public order, morals, good customs, established policies, lawful orders, decrees or edicts; and any or all films which in the judgment of the Board are similarly objectionable and contrary to the letter and spirit of Proclamation No. 1081.

What made this proclamation different from those appointed by the board was that the government now had jurisdiction over bodies that were at fault. It was proclaimed in coordination with the

Aside from the Letter of Instructions, the board had assumed three more rights apart from the right to cut scenes from movies: the right to (1) encourage, (2) warn, and (3) be consulted. Taking from the British Board of Film Censors, the board started requiring submission of the full script of a movie before it was slated to begin production. This allows the board to warn the producers of possible issues within the script. Due to this, there have been fewer portions cut out of local movies, with 163 of 173 films being approved for general audiences from September 21, 1972, to September 21, 1973. This also resulted in longer, more sophisticated films that wasted less shooting time and production cost. The divide between the government and filmmakers (and in result, the viewing public) became smaller as national responsibility was imbibed in the art of filmmaking in itself.

Filmmakers and other artists protested censorship and the suppression of civil rights.^[81] For example, Lino Brocka and other artists organized protests against "arbitrary, senseless censorship" in 1983. They organized the Free the Artist movement, which led to the founding of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines.^[81]

Movie and Television Review and Classification Board

On October 5, 1985, Executive Order No. 876-A was created to reformat the Board of Review for Motion Pictures, leading to the creation of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board. The board was created only for the purpose of classifying cinematic films and television shows. The board holds 30 members at any given time, with the first chairman after the Executive Order being Manuel "Manoling" Morato, who took office in 1986.

The board classifies movies into 6 categories, listed below:

Notable directors

Although foreign films were shown in the Philippines since the Spanish period, interest in the creation of local films was not given much attention by the Filipinos. However, the advent of Hollywood films during the American period sparked the interest of Filipinos and eventually led to the boom of filmmakers in the country.