SPRING FILMS

(Makikita sa larawan mula sa kaliwa - direk James Robin Mayo, direk Joyce Bernal, Sa gitna naman ay sina Ogie Alcasid at Ina Raymundo. Sa bandang kanan naman ay sina Piolo Pascual at Moi Bien Marcampo.)

Mula sa mid-2000’s at late-2000’s, mas nakikilala na ang mga independent movies. Matagal na rin naman lumilikha ng independent films ang Pilipinas noon pero hindi ito napapansin. Maaaring nakakapagbigay ng pansin ang indie kapag ang kasama sa pelikula ay sikat na artista.

Kapag sinabing independent films, ang unang pumapasok sa isipan ng tao na maliit ang budget ng production at hindi kilala ang mga umaarte dito.

Matapos makapagbigay parangal sa ibang bansa ang pelikulang “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” noong 2005, ito ang nagbigay daan sa iba pang filmmakers upang makapaghatid ng de-kalidad na pelikula. Dito nakilala ang pangalang Brillante Mendoza.

Isa pa sa kinilala at hanggang ngayon ay lumilikha ng independent films ang Spring Films. Binuo ang Spring Films nila Piolo Pascual, Joyce Bernal at Erickson Raymundo.

Nagsimula ang production outfit na ito sa pelikulang “Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kiyeme” (2009) na pinagbibidahan ni Eugene Domingo. Nasundan ito ng dalawa pang pelikula – Ang Kimmy Dora and the Temple of Kiyeme (2012) at Kimmy Dora: Ang Kiyemeng Prequel (2013).

Ang Spring Films din ang nag-produce ng pelikulang “Kita Kita” na itinuring na highes-grossing independent film of all time noong 2017. Pinagbibidahan ito nila Alessandra De Rossi at Empoy Marquez. Sinundan pa ito ng “Meet Me In St. Gallen” (2018) kasama sina Bela Padilla at Carlo Aquino.

Sa kanilang ika-sampung taong anibersaryo ay handog nila ang “Kuya Wes” Commercial Cut. Si Ogie Alcasid ang bida sa pelikulang ito. Kasama din sina Ina Raymundo at Moi Bien Marcampo. Ipapalabas ito sa sinehan sa darating na Marso 13, 2019

Pakaka-abangan din ang mga pelikulang kanilang ihahandog kasabay ng kanilang ika-10 taong anibersaryo.

Anecdote/short background ng Spring Films:

In Full Bloom: Spring Films Marks 10th Year!

In this corner of the planet, we have the dull misfortune of having only two seasons: wet and dry. Much of our culture has been built around these polarities for hundreds of years. At some point in the timeline, director Joyce Bernal, actor Piolo Pascual, and entertainment businessman Erickson Raymundo decided that a bit of change was in order, and it only took them a decade. Spring is in the Philippines — it has been for 10 years — to watch Philippine cinema grow and flourish in the sun.

“Si Eugene Domingo noong time na yun, mayroon kaming pelikula na supporting lang
siya at artista si Piolo,” Bernal reminisces in between swigs of soju. “Tawang tawa kami sa kanya. Sabi namin, ‘Gawan natin ‘tong pelikula!’ Nakipag-meeting kami sa writer nagusto ni Eugene na si Chris Martinez, lumabas yung script, ipo-produce namin ni Piolo. Wala kaming alam sa business kaya ipinabasa namin kay Erickson. Si Erickson, gusto nang ariin yung script, tawang tawa na, first draft pa lang. Kami, ‘Okay, Erickson, kalma. Idea namin ito, eh.’”

In 2009, Kimmy Dora became the highest-grossing independent film at P80 million, and they had never even predicted it. Perhaps it was just a fairly abundant season for the three and Kimmy Dora was merely aseed they had recklessly strewn on what happened to be a fertile ground. After all,recent times have been increasingly conducive for independent content production. “I believe we’re in the renaissance of Philippine cinema, coinciding with its centennial this year,” muses Pascual. “We’re adapting to the times and anybody can be a producer.

However you look at this, it can be lucrative. There’s a big chance of breaking out internationally because the access is already global.” Raymundo, however, wants to make it clear that their efforts to nurture the growth of local filmmaking aren’t a messianic advocacy, but rather a collaborative one. Although the entertainment landscape has already lent itself to a more competitiveness, the producer and Cornerstone Entertainment founder opines, “We work with almost everyone. We offer possibilities. We want to give opportunities to filmmakers and actors na pinaniniwalaan naming tatlo na magagaling at may magagandang materyal pero hindi siguro bibigyan ng pagkakataon ng iba.”

Spring Films would like to believe that quality Filipino films are always in season. The tree in its logo serves as the perfect metaphor for its decade of existence: some films were destined to blossom into hits, others were meant to be blown away by the winds of change like dispensable leaves; either way, the tree stays firmly rooted in the ground, standing sturdier than ever. For now, the independent production outfit is wasting no time to showcase the vibrancy of its 13-film repertoire, kicking off with the commercial release of James Robin Mayo’s Kuya Wes that features previously unseen edits. The promise of spring is the promise of growth, and there will always be Spring Films. Come join the festivities and bask in the glory of a blooming Philippine cinema.