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Groundbreaking vision: Blind Filipinos create cinematic history with the film 'Firefly'

Filipino Film Hits Cinemas with Audio Description, Providing Visually Impaired Audience with In-theater Movie Experience

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2 min read
Blind Filippinos mark cinematic milestone by producing "Firefly" - a film entirely by visually...
Blind Filippinos mark cinematic milestone by producing "Firefly" - a film entirely by visually impaired individuals.

Groundbreaking vision: Blind Filipinos create cinematic history with the film 'Firefly'

In an exciting development for the film industry and the visually impaired community in the Philippines, the Audio Description Awareness Movement (Project ADAM) organised a screening of the Filipino movie "Firefly" at SM City Baguio on April 26. The event marked the beginning of a nationwide campaign to make movies more inclusive.

The screening, made possible through a collaboration between SM Cares, GMA Pictures, GMA Public Affairs, Hit Productions, The Nippon Foundation, CBM Global, Overbrook School for the Blind, Beneficent Technology (Bookshare), ICEVI, and Quantum Post, was significant as it was the first time a Filipino film was screened in cinemas with Audio Description (AD).

Audio Description is a bridge to cultural life, human connection, and literacy development for those with disabilities like visual impairment, autism, and learning differences. Dr. Eva Marie Wang, co-convenor of Project ADAM, expressed hope that this would spark greater empathy, better policymaking, and deeper collaboration across industries.

Brian Serrano, 30, of San Juan, La Union, expressed his excitement about the event, saying, "Before it was just Netflix, now we're in a cinema!" For many participants, it was their first time watching a movie in real-time, alongside others, and fully understanding the scenes. The audience in Baguio expressed feelings of being seen, heard, and welcomed, and a sense of belonging.

Project ADAM, a coalition of 14 blind organisations, is lobbying for the Audio Description Bill, a proposal that would require entertainment, media, and public cultural events to offer AD as a standard. The event at SM City Baguio was part of a larger initiative to make SM more accessible for everyone. Mall manager Philip Sin Baysac stated that the screening was significant because "the viewing of movies is for everyone, not just about the movie, but about creating a more inclusive and understandable world where everyone has a place."

The public can join the movement by emailing [email protected]. The Firefly nationwide screening schedule continues, with upcoming events at SM Calamba, SM Davao, SM Legazpi, and SM Cebu.

It is important to note that there is no publicly available information indicating that Ronnel del Rio, the convener of Project ADAM, was involved in the enactment of audio description laws. For further inquiries, contact information for both Ronnel del Rio and Eva Marie Wang is provided.

The culminating event of this initiative will take place at SM Megamall on August 2, as part of the White Cane Safety Day. Let's come together to make movies truly inclusive and create a more accessible world for everyone.

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