In a significant development towards excellence in visual arts education and on the occasion of this Monday, April 15, being World Art Day, the University of the East College of Fine Arts, Architecture, and Design (UE CFAD) announces a significant milestone: The UE CFAD Bachelor of Fine Arts-Visual Communication Department has been officially accredited by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP)-Academic Film Society (AFS), with Buklod Sining as its accredited student organization!
The Memorandum of Agreement on this accreditation was signed in December 2023 by the FDCP Chair, Mr. Tirso Cruz III. This recognition not only solidifies the said UE CFAD department’s commitment to excellence but also opens up new opportunities for UE students to explore the world of visual storytelling through the guidance of the Academic Film Society.
The AFS is the FDCP-led association of schools, colleges, and universities in the Philippines with existing programs, courses, organizations and initiatives related to filmmaking. For almost 10 years now, the UE CFAD Visual Communication (formerly Advertising Arts) Department has continuously produced award-winning student and alumni films, some of which were awarded and recognized by numerous award-giving bodies like Cinemalaya, Gawad CCP Alternatibo, FDCP Film Ambassadors Night, NCCA Ani ng Dangal, FACINE in San Francisco, USA and other festivals.
To date, UE CFAD film projects have been screened in more than 80 festivals locally and abroad, received film grants, attended international educational programs like ASEAN-ROK Film Leaders Incubator, BIFAN NAFF Fantastic Film School, StrudelmediaLive-New York, Mini Film Festival Malaysia’s Documentary Workshop, the Tokyo Festival Farm Lab, and the International Performing Arts Institute, Berlin.
UE CFAD also has a long history of organizing and inviting prominent personalities in the film industry who are willing to share their talents and expertise, some of them being National Artists of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricardo ”Ricky” Lee, actors Miles Ocampo and Mon Confiado, film directors Crisanto Aquino, Pam Miras, Anna Isabelle Matutina, Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, Rain Avanzado, Easy Ferrer, Bombi Plata, Seymour Barros Sanchez, the late UE CAS Manila alumnus Sigfreid Barros Sanchez, John Anthony Wong, Roman Perez Jr., Ronald Espinosa Batallones, Elvin Macanlalay, John Lanbert Rafols, Arjanmar Rebeta, Leo Velasco, Ruston Banal, film and television producers Margie Templo, Pauline Saltarin, Lexter Tarriela, Karr Cotamorra, Karen Jane Salutan, Kristin Bactad-Jor, costume designer Steve Salvador, production designer Ericson Navarro, and South Korean film director Douglas Seok. This kind of collaboration can be incredibly valuable for aspiring filmmakers in the UE community, as it provides unique opportunities to learn from established professionals.
The FDCP-AFS and UE CFAD partnership has the goal of gathering and nurturing a community of emerging filmmakers, providing them access to training programs, financial assistance, and other forms of support that will aid in their growth as filmmakers. The FDCP accreditation stands as proof of the Department’s outstanding curriculum, exceptional faculty who are also practitioners in the film industry, and solid support from the alumni filmmakers and institutional partners in the creative industry that nurture the creative abilities of UE fine arts students through the years.
It also signifies that the Department meets the rigorous criteria set forth by the FDCP, ensuring that students receive top-notch education and training in the field of visual communication. This partnership opens up new avenues for collaboration, networking, and professional development. It will strengthen the Department’s ties with the FDCP and the local film community for artistic innovation.
The AFS-UE CFAD representative is filmmaker and Assistant Professor Richard Soriano Legaspi, who also teaches film and moving images through the College’s Visual Communication program.
As the most awarded college in UE related to film and moving images, the CFAD Visual Communication Department will continue shaping the future of the Philippine film industry by producing film advocates and storytellers.
The photos here show…
Prof. Legaspi (2nd from right) with newly appointed FDCP chair Jose Javier Reyes (5th from left) during the AFS Recognized Schools Gathering on April 5, 2024, at Conti’s Restaurant on UN Avenue in Manila, together with film educator-representatives from (in alphabetical order) DLS-College of Saint Benilde/BenildeFilm, FEU IAS Department of Communication, Mapúa University School of Media Studies, Meridian International College/MINT, UE CFAD, and the UP Film Institute after the FDCP Academic Film Society meeting.
UE CFAD Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication (VisComm) senior Miguel “Ulap” Chua directs his production team filming their short film ‘Walang Bukas’.
Student film director and Belgrade Art Studio fellow Krista Fe Toledo (far right) shooting the Bughaw Film Production short film titled ‘Mariang’ with director of photography Angela Grace Carmen and editor Jayson Palado.
Day 1 on the shoot of Mulat Film Production’s short film ‘Balingusan’ with actor Marc Felix.
[Report and photos by UE CFAD]
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