The screening of director Lino Brocka’s 1976 film [Insiang], set in the slums of Manila in the 1970s, at the Cannes Film Festival not only signaled the emergence of a director with enormous potential but served as the catalyst that put lesser known Filipino films under the international spotlight. For some ten years after that, a number of Filipino films were invited to global film festivals, including films by directors Ishmael Bernal, Mario Ohara, Mike de Leon, Marliou Diaz-Abaya, and Peque Gallaga. However, the attention paid to Filipino movies lost momentum in 1991 when Brocka died in a car accident. But still, Manila remains a vibrant film production community that has produced talented directors including Lav Diaz, Rory Quintos and Jeffrey Jeturian. (Jay JEON)