Ploning is Philippines Entry to 2009 Oscar Awards

Ploning, a film produced by Panoramanila Pictures Co. has been chosen as the country's entry to the 2009 Oscar Awards' best foreign language film category.

The Board of Governors of the Film Academy of the Philippines approved the selection of Ploning during a meeting last Friday, August 29.

Five members of a special committee tasked to select the country's entry, which is headed by National Artist for Film Eddie Romero as chairman narrowed down the possible nominee to two films, Ploning and Caregiver. In a meeting last August 20, three members voted for Ploning and two members chose Caregiver.

The special committee members were Director Jose Carreon, secretary of the Directors Guild of the Philippines, Inc.; Director William Mayo, president of the Philippine Motion Picture Directors Association; Johnny Delgado, chairman of the Actors' Workshop Foundation; Pablo S. Gomez, president of the Screenwriters' Guild of the Philippines; and Manny Morfe, president of the Productions Designers Guild of the Philippines.

The two films were initially included in a six-film short list, which were all reviewed by the committee on August 12 and 14 at the FAP office at OctoArts Bldg. on Panay Avenue, Q.C.

Also reviewed were Tribu, a Cinemalaya festival winner and Endo. The producers of two other films�Pisay and Serbis (the Filipino entry in the last Cannes Film festival)�failed to submit a DVD or VCD copy of their films and were not reviewed by the committee.

The result of the voting was announced during the Board of Governors monthly meeting on Friday, August 29.