The director of the cancelled Cinemalaya entry “Lost Sabungeros’ Bryan Brazil has called out to the organizers of the film festival for clarifications regarding the “security concerns” reasoned out by the officials resulting in the cancellation of screenings for the film. The documentary’s screening schedule on August 8 was replaced by Julius Lamiqued’s “The Wedding Dance.”
“Our paramount concern is the safety and well-being of our audience, staff, and all involved,” stated by Cinemalaya and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), which produces the annual indie fete.
When Brazil was asked to share his thoughts on the cancellation, he said he felt frustrated as it was painful for his team and to the cast who chose to pursue the fight, despite the dangers.
Being the first documentary film of GMA Public Affairs, ‘Lost Sabungeros’ wanted to investigate and search for answers regarding the vanishing of 30 “sabungeros” who were abducted in 2021.
“We had hoped for this to be the ‘space’ for their voices to be heard, but this opportunity was taken away from them,” stated Brazil. “We feel helpless about the organizer’s decision to cancel the screenings.”
“We just hope that this will not be a precedent, especially for independent filmmakers. If they can do this now, they could still do this in the future,” Brazil ends.
Photo courtesy: Youtube