It’s a real luxury

She has been into films for more than three decades and has been passionately involved with them. Hailing from Philippines, Rowena Martinez Ulayan is now settled in Istanbul, Turkey. She is the force behind the creation of Children’s Film and Art Association which organises the Universal Kids Film Festival in Istanbul. In Hyderabad for the International Children’s Film Festival of India (ICFFI) as part of the jury, International Shorts, Rowena is excited to be in India for the first time.

She was the Cinematic Arts and Education Specialist at the Film Centre in the University of Philippines at Manila. This gave her an enormous opportunity to view world cinema. Rowena also studied in the Soviet Union specialising in children’s film direction. She was exposed to a lot of cinema from India. “We had good relations with the Indian embassy and we organised film festivals. It was a total cultural experience comprising film, food and music.”

Rowena has been organising the Universal Kids Film Festival in a country which has no tradition of making children’s films. “I wanted to show films from other countries based on the theme of peace. There are so many beautiful films from other countries like Iran, Scandinavia. I wanted to share these films as commercial distributors will not bring them as it is a risk.” Rowena got some government and private support for the festival held in October 2012 and November 2013.

Regarding the ICFFI in Hyderabad, she gushes, “This is the festival we in Turkey can only dream of. There is a tradition of making children’s films in India. The festival is of a huge magnitude. Out of 900 films, 200 were chosen. It’s real luxury. We don’t have that opportunity. It will take us 10-20 years to reach that level.” Being on the International Shorts jury has helped her see an array of films. “I had seen one or two of them in other festivals and discussed them there. So it helps me give my comments.”

Rowena was also impressed with the “great hospitality at Hyderabad. Right from the airport it was warm. The first impression is lasting. You cannot find this in the West!”

ICFFI is a festival we can only dream of in Turkey . There is a tradition of making children’s films in India. The festival is of a huge magnitude. Out of 900 films 200 were chosen. It’s real luxury. We don’t have that opportunity. It will take us 10-20 years to reach that level” - Rowena Martinez Ulayan from Turkey