Philippine Cinema and the Cultural Economy of Distribution

by Michael Kho Lim

Overview

This book explores the complex interplay of culture and economics in the context of Philippine cinema. It delves into the tension, interaction, and shifting movements between mainstream and independent filmmaking, examines the film distribution and exhibition systems, and investigates how existing business practices affect the sustainability of the independent sector. This book addresses the lack or absence of Asian representation in film distribution literature by supplying the much-needed Asian context and case study. It also advances the discourse of film distribution economy by expounding on the formal and semi-formal film distribution practices in a developing Asian country like the Philippines, where the thriving piracy culture is considered as ‘normal,’ and which is commonly depicted and discussed in existing literature. As such, this will be the first book that looks into the specifics of the Philippine film distribution and exhibition system and provides a historical grounding of its practices.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783030036089
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan
Publication date:	12/18/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Michael Kho Lim teaches at De La Salle University, Philippines and Monash University, Australia, handling units in film, media, communications, and cultural economy. An independent film producer, contributing writer, and early-career researcher, he also has extensive experience in the field of cultural and creative industries, holding various leadership roles such as executive director, general manager, and creative and managerial positions in content writing and editing.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Film Distribution in Action.- 2. Film Distribution in Film Studies.- 3. The Making of Philippine Independent Cinema.- 4. Now Showing: The State of Philippine Cinema.- 5. Distribution and Exhibition as Intermediary Spaces.- 6. Traditional Film Distribution and Exhibition Platforms in the Formal Economy.- 7. Emerging Film Distribution and Exhibition Platforms in the Formal Economy.- 8. The Semi-Formal and Informal Economies of Film Distribution and Exhibition.- 9. The Philippine Film Industry, the State, and Cultural Policy.- 10. Conclusion: Forward to the Economy, Back to the Culture.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Lim’s rigorously researched book treads a new path between three fields: media industry studies, Asian cinema studies, and cultural policy studies. A highly innovative analysis of a cinema in circulation.” (Ramon Lobato, author of Shadow Economies of Cinema)

“A rich and involving study of film in the Philippines, one that tells us much about the specificities of a national industry, but also offers a broader theoretical analysis that encompasses the interconnected dynamics of production, distribution and exhibition, the interdependencies of mainstream and indie sectors, and how formal and informal distribution economies are interleaved and entwined. A comprehensive analysis of a film industry that is continually in-the-making.” (Mark Banks, CAMEo Research Institute for Cultural and Media Economies, University of Leicester, UK)