FDCP sets 1st Nat’l Cinema Day in Sept. with aim to bring audiences back to theaters

The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and key players in the local film industry are set to hold the country’s first National Cinema Day on Sept. 12, in an effort to encourage Filipinos to return to movie theaters.

The FDCP announced the initiative on social media on Wednesday, Aug. 26, following the official launch of the event the day before with the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and other major industry partners.

With the theme “One Industry. One Message. One Big Day,” the nationwide celebration will bring together cinema exhibitors, filmmakers, distributors and government agencies to highlight the importance of the theatrical experience and Philippine cinema.

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The launch featured messages from CEAP Chairperson Karen Zabaljauregui, FDCP Chairman and CEO Jose Javier Reyes, Film Academy of the Philippines Director General Paolo Villaluna, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and Metro Manila Film Festival Chairman Romando S. Artes, Quezon City Film Commission Commissioner Ed Lejano, Motion Picture Association representative Nicole Castillo-Deato and Producers Guild of the Philippines Chairman Roselle Monteverde-Teo. 

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Reyes said the National Cinema Day is reminding audiences of the experience of watching films together inside a theater amid growing dominance of streaming platforms. 

“Iba pa rin ’yung surrender mo ang sarili mo sa magic of cinema,” he said. “Importanteng-importante ito sapagkat parang nakalimutan na natin ang saya, ang ganda, at ang hiwaga ng panonood ng pelikula sa loob ng sinehan.”

National Cinema Day will not feature a separate slate of exclusive films. Instead, regular theatrical releases scheduled for Sept. 12 will continue to screen, with the celebration providing an additional reason for audiences to visit cinemas.

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The push comes as the Philippine film industry continues to grapple with the challenge of attracting audiences to local movies and theaters amid the popularity of streaming services and foreign blockbusters.

Reyes himself recently sparked an online debate after saying that the “attitude” of some Filipinos toward Filipino films is part of the problem facing local cinema.

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The FDCP chair stressed that the responsibility does not rest solely on audiences, saying filmmakers and producers must improve the quality of Filipino films and create work that can compete internationally.

“Ang problema ay ang attitude ng mga Pilipino sa pelikulang Pilipino,” Reyes said in an interview following the opening of Cinemalaya 2026. “We have to up the quality.”

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His remarks drew criticism from some moviegoers who argued that audiences are willing to spend on films they consider worth watching, while others defended his call for Filipinos to explore local cinema beyond mainstream releases. /ra