Filipino feature films continue to excel in international film festivals.
Lav Diaz’s four-hour revenge drama “Ang Babaeng Humayo” won the Public’s Choice award at the conclusion of the D’A – Festival Internacional de Cinema d’Autor de Barcelona in Spain.
The film’s latest win adds to the growing list of accolades it has received on the international film festival circuit.
Last year, “Ang Babaeng Humayo” was the toast of the Venice International Film Festival in Italy where it won the Golden Lion award for Best Film. It was followed by Best Director wins at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival and the Dublin Film Critics Circle Award this year.
“Ang Babaeng Humayo” also bagged the Special Honor Award at the recently concluded ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards 2017 in Kuching, Malaysia while lead star Charo Santos-Concio was granted a Special Mention Award in the Festival Internacional de Cine Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands.
Another acclaimed independent production that is also doing well overseas is Avid Liongoren’s live action-animation hybrid, “Saving Sally.”
Early this month, the fantasy romantic-comedy won the Special Jury prize (in the International Narrative category) and the Audience Award (in the International Narrative Feature section) at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in California. This was followed by a Best Family Film win at the Bentonville Film Festival in Arkansas.
Originally an entry in last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival where it won the Children’s Choice award and Best Musical Score, “Saving Sally” went on to win big in Fantasporto film festival in Portugal (Audience Jury, International Fantasy Film and Orient Express Section Special Jury awards) and the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film in Belgium (7th Orbit Prize, Special Mention).
Also this month, Zig Dulay’s “Paglipay” was a big winner in not just one but two film festivals in Bali, Indonesia. The Filipino movie won both the Platinum World Award for International Feature Film at the World Film Awards and the International Award of Excellence at the International Film Festival for Environment, Health, Culture.
“Paglipay” was an entry in the maiden edition of the agriculture-themed ToFarm film festival where it won five awards including Best Picture and Best Director.
