MANILA, Philippines—Student film makers are used to cutting back on certain aspects of their film because of the measly budget they have but four lucky individuals not only received money to make full-length films, they also found a venue to screen their work in.

Archie Dimaculangan of UP Film Institute (‘Balang Araw’), Ma. Kristina Martha Syfu of De La Salle University-Manila (‘Padayao’), and Christina Bianca Catbagan and Jono de Rivera of UP Diliman (‘Ang Sugal [The Gamble]’) were chosen as the Top 3 filmmakers in Bigshot, SM Cinema’s search for three talented filmmakers.

Assistant vice president for sales and marketing Allan Florendo said they conceptualized Bigshot in 2009, after the reduction of the amusement tax. It is SM Cinema’s method of giving ‘back to the community,’ he said, adding that in a country where local films are outnumbered by Hollywood blockbusters, there is a need to develop and improve the local film industry.

Florendo stated that Bigshot is a project that aims to provide budding student filmmakers with budget and venue to showcase their craft so that the Filipino community may appreciate them.

Film Development Council of the Philippines executive director Miguel dela Rosa agreed with Florendo that the local film industry needs improvement. He said that independent films need to be brought down to the Filipino communities and not just shown in international film festivals.

The local film industry has ‘come a long way,’ said award-winning producer and director Nick de Ocampo, who served as one of the three mentors for Bigshot finalists. ‘We welcome this development,’ he said, saying that a commercial cinema’s move to embrace independent films serves as an opportunity for many promising indie filmmakers.

‘Don’t take this for granted,’ de Ocampo told the three finalists, telling them to make use of every opportunity presented to them. ‘We had a hard time selecting (the Top 3)… this country will never run out of great ideas,’ he said.

The winners received P600,000 from SM Cinema and FDCP to produce a full-length film with the theme ‘Modern Day Heroism’ from January to September 2011.

Dimaculangan, Syfu, and Catbagan and de Rivera will be mentored by well-known personalities in the filmmaking industry Lilit Reyes, Lisa Cornejo and Nick de Ocampo. Their films will be shown at SM Cinema’s first Indie-Film Festival on October 2011.