Hollywood-based Birns & Sawyer, a leading provider of professional film production equipment based in Los Angeles, plans to invest a total of $50 million in the Philippines with an initial plan to put in $15 million to $17 million for the construction of a state-of-the-art soundstage in Filinvest’s property in New Clark City.
In a statement on Monday, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said this was expressed by Birns & Sawyer chief executive officer Mari Acevedo in a meeting with Trade Secretary Cris Roque in Los Angeles, California on March 5.
The company operates an Asia-Pacific office in Quezon City, offering sales, rentals and system integration services, the DTI said.
Roque said Birns & Sawyer plans to develop two additional soundstages in other key cities across the Philippines, bringing the total investment pipeline to approximately $50 million.
The company also plans to work with local schools and universities to train fresh graduates on film production, she added.
The DTI in the statement quoted Acevedo as saying the company has ongoing initiatives in the Philippines, including cinematography workshops, co-production grants and its involvement in the FilAm Creative Film Festival, which supports emerging Filipino-American filmmakers.
The meeting also explored co-production opportunities between Filipino and Hollywood producers, as well as the possibility of providing grants and equipment support to local filmmakers, the DTI said.
Birns & Sawyer’s expertise is in camera and production equipment rentals.
