Directors' Factory 2024

Copyright: Don EBLAHAN

The Directors’ Factory project

Directors’ Fortnight wishes to encourage new cinematographic languages and forms. 

Since 2013, under the umbrella of Directors’ Fortnight, the Factory aims at the emergence of new talents on the international scene. Each year, with the support of a new partner country, the Factory mentors 8 budding filmmakers with ambitious first or second feature projects to co-write and co-direct, in pairs, a total of 4 short films to be screened at the Fortnight in May.

Directors’ Factory 2024: the Philippines in the spotlight

After its first edition in 2013 in Taiwan, Directors' Factory is more than happy to head back to Asia in 2024 in the Philippines. The four couples who were chosen in Manila in October are:

- Eve Baswel (Philippines) & Gogularaajan Rajendran (Malaysia)

- Maria Estela Paiso (Philippines) & Ashok Vish (India)

Cannes Directors Fortnight project Directors Factory Philippines has wrapped filming in the Shrine City of the Philippines called Dapitan. It is historically known as the place where Filipino national hero Jose Rizal was exiled by the Spanish colonial authorities for his threat to start revolutionary activities. It is a province of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. The directors are now completing the postproduction in Manila. The program of four short films will be screened at the Théâtre Croisette in Cannes on Wednesday May 15 as a preamble to the opening of the 56th edition of the Quinzaine des Cinéastes.

Coproduced by Bradley Liew (Epicmedia - Philippines) and Dominique Welinski (DW - France), the project has received support from Quezon City Film Commission and Local Government of Dapitan. CMB Film Services and Jim Baltazar has given their camera, lights, and equipment to veteran cinematographers Pao Orendain, Mackie Galvez, Tey Clamor and Pong Ignacio. Anima Studios of Kroma Entertainment with its General Manager, Bianca Balbuena, has also supported the project, together with Paul Soriano of Ten17P, from creative collaboration to financing and to overseeing post-production. Postproduction Services are provided by Terminal Six Post, while color-grading is done in Barebones. The project’s two editors, Lawrence Ang and Jordan Dela Cruz, stayed in Dakak Resort in Dapitan for a month to edit the four short films.

Since 2013, with 30 multi-award-winning short films, Directors Factory has highlighted 57 directors of 70 different nationalities in 12 countries. After Taiwan for its first edition, this is the first time that the program takes place in Southeast Asia.

Under the aegis of Directors Fortnight and its artistic director Julien Rejl, this edition is godfathered by Lav Diaz who: "Deeply appreciates this initiative which opens the way for emerging filmmakers in the region."