"Patubas", derived from the Hiligaynon term for "harvest", is a documentary film festival organized by the College of Communication of West Visayas State University. In 2023, the instructors of three major courses of the Senior Broadcasting students collaborated to organize the first PATUBAS Documentary Film Festival as an alternative learning assessment (ALA) for these courses: BR225 (Producing D
ocumentaries for Broadcasting, Interactive and Emerging Media), BR229 (Sound Design for Broadcasting, Interactive and Emerging Media), and BR224 (Non-linear Post-production of Content for Broadcasting, Interactive and Emerging Media). This activity aimed to showcase the studentsโ acquired skills in documentary film production, where they were mentored during the production process, their films evaluated and recognized according to their respective merits, and finally premiered in a public screening at the Cinematheque Centre Iloilo. This activity was driven by the notion that while film production technology today can enable anyone to easily produce their own films, making a film that can make a dent on its audienceโs awareness and perspective of reality as well as impact change requires strategic training to achieve. The documentary films produced for these courses have been reaching a wider audience since their premiere. They have been featured in Academedia, a film screening activity under the Film Development Council of the Philippinesโ (FDCP) program, Academic Film Society, during which the films were screened nationwide through different FDCP Cinematheques in the country. This is part of the College of Communicationโs sincere pledge to provide our students with innovative learning experience in Film Literacy and Production through our Film Education and Production Program โ a program that aims to create opportunities for students (1) to learn from industry practitioners/experts and (2) to produce their own films as their contribution to our countryโs cultural, educational, and technological memory.
