Filipinos in Qatar Want Tagalog Films Screened Regularly

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Filipino expatriates in Qatar, who number over 200,000, say cinemas in the country should start screening movies from the Philippines regularly.

“Our community has grown considerably in the last few years and there are scores of regular film watchers among us. Despite this, there is no movie hall in the country which screens Tagalog films,” rued William Elmose, a movie buff.

Some of his Filipino friends at the hotel where he works also feel there is a good market for Tagalog movies in Qatar. “There has been a substantial growth in the number of cinema screens in the country in the last 5-6 years with the arrival of so many new multiplexes. But no one has really studied the market for movies from our country,” said Tom, who works at a Doha hotel. He watches Tagalog movies on CDs brought by friends returning from vacation.

Alexander, a senior teacher, said only one cinema in Doha screened just three or four Philippine movies a year. “I don’t know why anyone is not taking the lead in screening Tagalog movies,” he said.

The Philippines has a strong tradition of movie-making even though the number of productions has fallen sharply in the last few years, from an average of 200 annually to less than 50.

Continue reading at Gulf Times