Jan Angelo Batongbakal

FDCP chairman and director Joey Reyes gets candid on the current state of PH Cinema

Article (news)

Nikka Avegail Sabio

Push Team

<p>Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) chairman and director Jose Javier “Joey” Reyes shared his candid assessment of the state of Philippine cinema nowadays.</p><p> In an interview during Jo-Ann Maglipon’s <em>SINE • FILM • PELIKULA: The 100+ Greatest Movies of Philippine Cinema </em>book launch, Direk Joey expressed his insights on what could be the factors affecting the state of the local film industry.</p><p> “It&#x27;s a fallacy to say na buhay na buhay ang Pelikulang Pilipino, buhay na buhay ang Cinemalaya. Ang Pelikulang Pilipino ay naghihikahos. At bakit naghihikahos ang Pelikulang Pilipino? Dahil almost 800 million ang kinita ng <em>Spider-Man</em> at almost 500 million ang kinita ng <em>The Odyssey</em>,” Direk Joey said.</p><p> “Ito ay sa aking pakiwari lang, hindi presyo ng ticket ang problema. Ang problema ay ang attitude ng Pilipino sa Pelikulang Pilipino,” he expressed. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong></strong> <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1609348307483295%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=267&amp;t=0" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><strong></strong></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>Aside from the audience’s poor reception to local films, Direk Joey also stressed that producers have a responsibility to give audiences films worth watching.</p><p>“The problem is not just with the audience. The problem is also with the producers. They have to realize that regardless of cost, if they (viewers) want to watch the movie, they&#x27;re gonna watch the movie regardless of the cost as proven with <em>Spider-Man</em> and <em>The Odyssey</em>,” he said.<strong><br/></strong></p><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:760px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1786649353095767002325_1476125977894092_96499453669556970_n.jpg" style="width:760px;display:block" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Credits:Film Development Council of the Philippines﻿</span></span></span></strong></div><p><br/>He urged local filmmakers to raise the quality of their productions, explore fresh stories and look beyond the Philippine market. </p><p>“We have to up the quality of the movies we do and we have to start doing new stories. We cannot go over and over again with things we’ve been doing since the time I still have hair. Kailangan magbago tayo,” he stated. </p><p> Direk Joey went on: “Ang aking pakiwari, we have to think globally. We cannot depend just on the local market and on platforms. There is no progress nor future life for Philippine cinemas.”</p><div> </div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:660px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1786649499741769777515_18607506136040138_9022255702554631760_n.jpg" style="width:660px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Credits: pepalerts</span></span></span></strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Despite his concerns about the industry, Direk Joey praised this year’s Cinemalaya lineup, which he described as one of the festival’s strongest curations.</p><p>“(This year) it’s one of the best curations of Cinemalaya. Saan ka makakakita ng festival na magugulat ka kay Pokwang, kay Joey Marquez, kay Ruby Ruiz,” he teased. “We have sold out movies without love teams but with themes which are relevant and resonate to the audience.”</p><p> Direk Joey believed that local films could compete internationally if filmmakers are willing to tell new and meaningful stories that reflect the culture and realities of Filipinos.</p><p>“Kaya naman pala. And atsaka dapat isipin natin na ang kwento ng mga Pilipino ay dapat bigyan natin ng hustong pagpapahalaga dahil ang kwento natin ay pwede nating ipagmalaki sa buong mundo kung gagawa tayo ng bago at makahulugang Pilipino,” he said.</p><div> </div><div><strong></strong></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db2t2S4xbDv/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=502&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A914356.600000143%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="833" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><div><strong><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></strong></div><p>Direk Joey was among the guests at the book launch where his movie <em>Kung Ako Na Lang Sana</em>, starring Sharon Cuneta and Aga Muhlach, was included among the selected films. Being part of the list, he said, was an honor, particularly because of the way films preserve moments in a country’s cultural history.</p><p>“Films capture moments of the history of a culture. Ang pelikula ay hindi lamang pang-entertainment, whether it is a Vice Ganda movie na <em>Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy</em> or Dolphy doing <em>Fefita</em> Fofongay, there are reflections of specific periods of our history of culture,” he said.</p><div> </div><div><strong><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178664971460520260810_112044473_iOS.jpg" style="width:760px;display:block" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/> </strong></div><p>“I’m very flattered na nakasama ang <em>Kung Ako Na Lang Sana</em>. I feel very flattered that I am remembered for movies that I have done for more than half of my lifetime and that is what’s important. After all, the significance of being a director is not his box office hits. His significance is how his films are remembered,” he added.</p>

<p><b>FDCP chairman and director Joey Reyes urges producers to make new and better stories for local films.</b></p>

FDCP chairman and director Joey Reyes urges producers to make new and better stories for local films.

FDCP chairman and director Joey Reyes gets candid on the current state of PH Cinema: 'We have to up the quality of the movies we do'

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FDCP chairman and director Joey Reyes gets candid on the current state of PH Cinema: 'We have to up the quality of the movies we do'

Nikka Sabio,

Push Team

Published August 14, 2026 03:44 AM PHT

|

Updated August 14, 2026 03:45 AM PHT

Read More:

Jose Javier Reyes

Direk Joey

Pelikulang Pilipino

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