Pioneering Filipino Films

In four years time, Philippine cinema will celebrate its 100 years of film making and entertaining the Filipinos through the moving pictures. Like any other motion pictures, Filipino motion picture has its fair share of milestones. I would be glad to share with you some of the milestones in Philippine cinema. Would you add some more?

 A scene from the movie Dalagang Bukid (1919) 

Dalagang Bukid (1919) movie poster 

First Film Projected In The Screen In The Philippines - Espectaculo Scientifico de Pertierra was shown in Salon Pertierra, Escolta, Manila on January 1, 1897.  It is presentation of stills and chronophotographs by businessman named Sen~or Pertierra.

First Filipino feature-length film. Dalagang Bukid released on September 12, 1919. Directed by David Nepomuceno. 

First talkie film - George Musser's Ang Aswang (1933) is regarded as the first talking film in Philippine cinema when some of the lines were uttered in one scene and starred by the queens of horror films, Monang Carvajal and Mary Walter. 


First completely talking film - Punyal Na Ginto or Golden Dagger (1933) was credited as the first all completely talking motion picture premiered on March 9, 1933, at the Lyric theater. However, the spoken dialogues were in Spanish and English. 

First completely talking film in Filipino language - Makata at Paraluman or Poet and Maiden (1933) is credited as the first full or completely talking motion picture in Filipino language premiered on April 5, 1933 at the Lyric theater.

First Color  Sequence Film - Ibong Adarna (1941) directed by Vicente Salumbides and a cast that includes Mila del Sol, Fred Cortes, Ester Magalona, Deanna Prieto. In one scene, the Adarna bird was hand-painted frame by frame. 

First Full Color Film - Batalyon XIII (1949) is widely regarded as the first Filipino full color film. Directed by Eddie Romero its cast include Carmen Rosales, Jaime de la Rosa, Mario Montenegro, Tony Santos, Joseph de Cordova, Jose Cris Soto, Alfonso Carvajal, Justina David, Horace Curry and Horacio Morelos

First Filipino Female Director - Brigida Perez Villanueva directed her first film in 1933. She also has the distinction of directing the, 

Last Silent Film  - Pendulum of Fate

First Filipino film to be shown and competes at an International Film Festival  - Genghis Khan (1950) at the 13th Venice International Film Festival (1952) held from August 20 - September 12, 1952, in Venice, Italy. Venice International Film Festival is considered the oldest international film festival in the world.

First Darna heroine - Rosa del Rosario played the title role, Darna (1951) and subsequently released on May 31, 1951. Originally a Filipino comics magazine character it was made into a film due to its popularity. Darna has been portrayed several times in the movies and in television thereafter by several actresses notably Vilma Santos.

First Dyesebel - Just like Darna, Dyesebel is originally a popular Filipino comics magazine character immortalized in the cinema due to its popularity. Dyesebel is a mythical creature and Filipino version of the mermaid, half-fish half-human and is called "sirena" in Filipino. The actress who holds the distinction of being the first to portray dyesebel in Filipino film was Edna Luna in 1953. The character was also portrayed by Vilma Santos, Alma Moreno and Alice Dixson among others.

First Love Team - Mary Walter and Gregorio Fernandez, they first paired in the 1927 Jose Nepomuceno film "Ang Lumang Simbahan"

First to Wear Bathing Suit - Mona Lisa then known as "Fleur de Lis" in her pre-war films. She was the first to wear the bathing suit in a Filipino film, Giliw Ko (1939).

First Porn Film - Uhaw (1970) is credited as the Philippines' first soft-core porn film (Filipinos called "bomba" film) with actors Tito Galla, Lito Legaspi and Merle Fernandez as its main cast.

First Gay Film - Jack en Jill (1954) starring Dolphy, Lolita Rodriguez, Rogelio dela Rosa, Etang Discher and Luis Gonzales. 

First Gay sex scenes - The film which shows the very first homosexual sexually explicit scenes in Philippine cinema is Tubog sa Ginto (1971) with main actors, Eddie Garcia and Mario O'Hara playing the gay roles in their most steamy scenes.  




Source: 

http://culture360.asef.org/film/from-rice-to-cultural-history-via-jose-nepomuceno/

http://imdb.com 

http://www.silosfamily.com/resources/Augusto_Manuel/Philippine%20Firsts%20in%20Cinema.htm