DTI Backs Filipino Animators Through Mentoring, Pitching Event

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in partnership with the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPI) and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), held the Post-Animahenasyon: Creative Mentoring and Pitching Competition on April 30, 2025.

The event was a key initiative under the Malikhaing Pinoy Program of DTI’s Creative Industries Development Office (CIDO), aimed at empowering Filipino animators through mentorship, collaboration, and industry linkages.

Participants received expert coaching from Bobby Pontillas, co-founder of Rise Up Animation, and Keith Sicat, an award-winning independent filmmaker.

These mentors guided finalists in storytelling, visual development, and pitching techniques through intensive one-on-one sessions.

Finalists from the 2024 Animahenasyon Festival and the Young Creatives Challenge Season 1 pitched original animated content to a panel of industry experts.

Judges evaluated entries based on creativity, originality, narrative strength, and commercial viability.

Top finalists received industry support from TOP PEG Animation and Creative Studio and Mothership Recording Studio, signaling concrete backing from the private sector.

“This event is more than just a pitching competition—it’s a platform of promise,” said DTI Assistant Secretary Nylah Rizza Bautista.

“It is where potential meets opportunity, and where the voices of Filipino creatives are amplified in shaping our cultural and creative legacy,” Bautista added.

“If you experience failure, it’s okay to stumble—but you must get up. The future is yours to draw, animate, and define,” she told participants.

DTI-CIDO Officer-in-Charge Director Lilian Salonga emphasized that creative capacity-building fuels inclusive economic growth.

ACPI Chairman Juan Miguel Del Rosario addressed the animators, while ACPI President Marlyn Montano and Executive Director Daniel Enriquez reaffirmed their support for cultivating local talent.

The panel of judges included Warner Bros. Discovery executives Carol Wee and Melissa Lim, TOP PEG CEO Grace Dimaranan, Rocketsheep founder Avid Liongoren, and NCCA’s Butch Ibanez.

Also on the panel were voice actor Brian Matthew Ligsay of Mothership Recording Studios and Mulave Studios COO Lorenz Olivarez.

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Deputy Director General Nelly Nita N. Dillera attended and stressed TESDA’s role in creative workforce development.

As chair of the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council, the DTI leads the Malikhaing Pinoy Program to boost Filipino creativity and cultural innovation.

The program promotes sustainable creative careers by bridging Filipino talent with global platforms and economic opportunities.