ABS-CBN’s Film Restoration Project, in partnership with Ayala Cinemas, kicks off the year 2017 with the special screenings of digitally restored and remastered classic Filipino films in “Cinema Classics,” which runs from Wednesday (Jan 11) to Sunday (Jan 15) at UP Town Center in Quezon City.

“Cinema Classics” is part of ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project’s advocacy dubbed as “Sagip Pelikula,” which aims to preserve Philippine cinematic legacy by locally restoring classic Filipino films and make it available to the general public via different platforms.

“We are lucky that our Sagip Pelikula advocacy has strong support from the Ayala management and it is very critical for us that our partners are just as passionate and committed to making this effort viable and sustainable. We have restored more than 120 titles already but unless people get to see them, we can’t really say we have succeeded in preserving our legacy. We are hopeful that the partnership with UPTC is the start of more tie-ups with Ayala Malls,” said Leo Katigbak, head of ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project.

“Cinema Classics” formally opens this Tuesday (Jan 10) via the premiere of the 1998 hit romantic film “Labs Kita… Okey Ka Lang?” to be attended by no less than its lead stars Mavin Agustin and Jolina Magdangal.

The modern classic film produced by Star Cinema revolves around the characters of Bujoy (Jolina) and Ned (Marvin), who both try to hide and deny that they are romantically in love with each other so as to keep and protect their friendship.

Meanwhile, other digitally restored and remastered films to be featured in the special cinema exhibition include Peque Gallaga’s “Magic Temple” and “Oro Plata Mata,” Ishmael Bernal’s “Himala,” Chito Rono’s “Dekada’70” and “Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara,” Jose Javier Reyes’ “Batang PX,” Laurice Guillen’s “Kasal?” and Mike De Leon’s “Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising,” “Hindi Nahahati ag Langit,” and “Kakaba Ka Ba?”

“Hopefully, the audiences show up to support these films. That’s what will it make it viable for cinema chains to consider having classics or even indie movies running on a regular and continuing basis. Maybe, we will have a new generation rediscovering and falling in love again with the works of Bernal, Brocka, De Leon, Romero just as audiences have remained in one with “Star Wars,” “Sound of Music,” “Gone with the Wind,” and all the other classics,” Katigbak added.

Watch these digitally restored and remastered films in “Cinema Classics’ from Wednesday (Jan 11) to Sunday (Jan 15) at the UP Town Center. Tickets cost P220, with a discounted rate of P180 for students. For the full schedule, visit www.facebook.com/filmrestorationabscbn on Facebook.

Since 2011, ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project has been restoring classic films to help preserve Philippine cinematic history. Together with Central Digital Lab, it has become the first restoration effort to be done within the country.

To date, ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project has already restored over 120 films, some of which were already screened internationally via film fests, screened locally via red carpet premieres, aired on free-to-air and cable television, viewed via pay-per-view and video-on-demand, distributed on DVD, and downloadable even on iTunes.