THE FILM Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) has named the 60 honorees and special awardees for it’s 5th Film Ambassadors’ Night (FAN). The event will stream online on Feb. 28 on the FDCP Channel.
Since 2017, the FDCP’s FAN has honored Filipino film industry artists, filmmakers, and films of various formats that had been recognized by established international film festivals and award-giving bodies in the past year.
Leading the FAN 2021 honorees are “A-Lister” filmmakers Rafael Manuel and Lav Diaz. The term “A-Listers” in this case pertains to those who bagged awards in prestigious “A-List” international film festivals as declared by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). Mr. Manuel was awarded the Berlinale Shorts Silver Bear Jury Prize for Filipiñana at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival in Germany; while Mr. Diaz won the Orizzonti Award for Best Director for Lahi, Hayop (Genus Pan) at the 77th Venice International Film Festival in Italy.
“Philippine cinema continues to thrive amid the pandemic because Filipino filmmakers and artists did not allow the global health crisis to derail them from sharing our stories to the world. Through the Film Ambassadors’ Night, we celebrate their efforts and laud their achievements,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño in a press release.
The FAN has other categories such as Short Films, Documentaries, Creative Awards, and Special Citation. The two Special Citation recipients are veteran television and film director Luisito Lagdameo Ignacio and the late filmmaker and International Film Festival Manhattan co-founder Gerry Balasta.
The FAN also recognizes the contributions of film industry stakeholders who continuously work for the betterment of Philippine Cinema.
“Cinemadvocates” is a special segment in this year’s FAN which lauds individuals and groups who champion the welfare of film workers and the development of the industry. Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Christopher “Toff” de Venecia, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Chairman and concurrent president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso, the Lockdown Cinema Club, the Inter-Guild Alliance, and actors Dingdong Dantes and Angel Locsin are the FAN 2021 Cinemadvocates.
The Gabay ng Industriya Award is a new citation to honor those who “serve as Philippine Cinema’s guiding light and inspiration.” Cinematographer Romy Vitug is the Haligi ng Industriya Award recipient and actress Gloria Romero is the Ilaw ng Industriya Award recipient.
The Camera Obscura Artistic Excellence Award is the highest citation awarded to trailblazers and legends in the industry. This year’s Camera Obscura awardees are Jun Juban of Philippine Film Studios, Inc., the multi-awarded documentary Aswang by Alyx Arumpac, and former NCCA Commissioner Teddy Co.
During the program, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) will perform alongside singers such as Bamboo, Tres Marias (Bayang Barrios, Cooky Chua, and Lolita Carbon), Bituin Escalante, Beverly Salviejo, Karla Gutierrez, Lawrence Jatayna, and The Pogi Boys. There will also be performances by Ice Seguerra, Juris Fernandez, Princess Velasco, Sitti, Richard Poon, Kean Cipriano, and Duncan Ramos.
To watch the FAN 2021, sign up for free at fdcpchannel.ph. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/FDCP.ph. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman
The FDCP honors….
Here is the complete list of the 5th Film Ambassadors’ Night honorees and special awardees:
SHORT FILMS
• L.O.L. by Mark Justine Aguillon: Audience Choice Award at the 11th Macau International Short Film Festival, China; Independent Achievement Award, International Film Festival Manhattan, USA
• Sulyap (The Glance) by Geraldo Jumawan, Sherwin Compendio: Independent Achievement Award, International Film Festival Manhattan, USA
• Garbo (Pride) by Alan Filoteo: Independent Achievement Award, International Film Festival Manhattan, USA
• Blue Room Feelings by Ruka Azuma: Independent Achievement Award, International Film Festival Manhattan, USA
• Fish Head by Marcos Durian: Jury Award Best Short Film, International Film Festival Manhattan, USA
• Viral Kids by Arjanmar Rebeta: Silver Award (Asian New Force Category), 25th Incubator for Film & Visual Media in Asia Awards, Hong Kong
• Tarang (Life’s Pedal) by Arvin Belarmino: Berlin-Brandenburg Short Award — Best Film, 36th International Short Film Festival Berlin (Interfilm Berlin), Germany
SHORT FILM ACTORS
• Teri Onor: Best Actor (Short Film) for Biyaheng Madilim (A Night’s Journey), International Film Festival Manhattan, USA
• Madison Rojas: Jury Award Best Performance Actor for Fish Head, International Film Festival Manhattan, USA
• Geraldo B. Jumawan: Best Actor for Nagbuwa Nga Gugma (Unfaithful Love), Lake City International Film Festival (LCIFF), New Delhi, India
SHORT FILM DIRECTORS
• Joey Paras: Best Director for Igib, 2020 FilMay International Short Film Festival Kumanovo, Macedonia
• Luisito Lagdameo Ignacio: Best Director for Biyaheng Madilim (A Night’s Journey), International Film Festival Manhattan, USA
DOCUMENTARIES
TV DOCUMENTARY
•Alab (Ablaze), ABS-CBN Corp.: Bronze Award – Documentary Heroes, New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, USA
•Brigada (The Brigade): “Aeta Squadron/Female Spies,” GMA News TV (GMA Network, Inc.): Bronze Award — Documentary History & Society, New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, USA
•Tao Po (Is Anybody Home?), ABS-CBN Corp.: Bronze Award — Documentary Human Concerns, New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, USA
•Local Legends: Environmental Artists, ABS-CBN News Channel, ABS-CBN Corp.: Silver Award — Documentary Heroes, New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, USA
•The Atom Araullo Specials: “BABIES4SALE.PH,” GMA Network, Inc.: Silver Award — News: Program Best Investigative Report, New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, USA
DOCUMENTARY FILMS
Short Documentary
• Ang Pagpakalma sa Unos (To Calm the Pig Inside) by Joanna Vasquez Arong: Documentary Short Film Award, 40th Hawaii International Film Festival, USA; Best Documentary Short Honor, 2020 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, USA; Best International Documentary Award, 15th Shorts Mexico Festival Internacional de Cortometrajes de Mexico, Mexico
Full-Length Documentary
• In Paglayag A Sulu Story by Rhadem Morados: Jury Award Best Documentary, International Film Festival Manhattan, USA
• A Thousand Cuts by Ramona Diaz: Global Impact Award — Documentary Feature, 36th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, USA
CREATIVE AWARDS
• 1LT Balaram Tamayo: Best Screenplay for Kagitingan: A True Story of Valor, International Film Festival Manhattan, USA
• Vincent Soberano: Best Screenplay for Circle of Bones, HorrorHaus Film Festival, USA
• Che Espiritu: Best Screenplay for Pan de Salawal, Calella Film Festival, Spain
• Benjamin Tolentino: Best Editing for Kalel, 15, 59th Asia-Pacific Film Festival, Macau
• Valerie Castillo Martinez: Special Jury Award — Screenwriting, International Narrative Feature for Death of Nintendo, 36th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, USA
ACTORS
• Dingdong Dantes: Asian Star Prize for Descendants of the Sun (GMA Network, Inc.), Seoul International Drama Awards, South Korea
• Arjo Atayde: Best Actor for Bagman (ABS-CBN/IWant Series), 3rd Asian Academy Creative Awards, Singapore
• Cherie Gil, Alfred Vargas, Angel Aquino, Ronwaldo Martin: Best Performance Award for Kaputol, 4th Innuendo International Film Festival, Milan, Italy
• Lovi Poe: Best Actress Feature Film for Latay (Battered Husband), International Film Festival Manhattan, USA
• Allen Dizon: Best Actor Feature Film for Latay (Battered Husband), International Film Festival Manhattan, USA
• Alden Richards: Asian Star Prize for Hello, Love, Goodbye, Seoul International Drama Awards, South Korea
• Elijah Canlas: Best Actor for Kalel, 15, 17th Asian Film Festival, Rome, Italy
• Louise Abuel: Best Actor for Edward, 18th Dhaka International Film Festival, Bangladesh
• Isabel Sandoval: Best Actress for Lingua Franca, 18th Pacific Meridian International Film Festival, Russia
• Ruby Ruiz: Best Actress for Iska, Harlem International Film Festival 2020 New York, USA; Best Actress for Iska, 6th Herat International Women’s Film Festival, Afghanistan
• Cristine Reyes: Best Actress for UnTrue, 40th Fantasporto — Oporto International Film Festival, Portugal
DIRECTORS
• Maria Diane Ventura: Best Director (Low Budget Category) for Dein Fabre, 5th Calella Film Festival, Spain
• Mallorie Ortega: Emerging Filmmaker Award for The Girl Who Left Home, 36th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, USA
• Derick Cabrido: Best Director for Clarita, 40th Fantasporto — Oporto International Film Festival, Portugal
FEATURE FILMS
• Sunshine Family by Kim Tai-Sik, produced by Spring Films: Best Drama, Korea UHD Awards 2020, Korean Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea
• Write About Love by Crisanto Aquino: ABC TV Award (Most Entertaining of All Entries), Osaka Asian Film Festival 2020, Japan
• Latay (Battered Husband) by Ralston Jover: Gold Award, 2nd Wallachia International Film Festival, Romania; Jury Award Best Narrative Global, International Film Festival Manhattan, USA
• Pan De Salawal by Che Espiritu: Best International Feature/Audience Choice Award, Calella Film Festival, Spain; Best International Film, FesticineKids 22 Cartagena, Colombia; Audience Choice Award, 8th Seoul Guro International Kids Film Festival, South Korea
• Lingua Franca by Isabel Sandoval: Best International Narrative, 15th Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival, Israel; Special Mention Award, 10th Divergenti — International Festival of Trans Cinema, Italy
• John Denver Trending by Arden Rod Condez: Special Jury Prize, Audience Choice Award, and Critics’ Choice Award, 26th Festival International Des Cinemas D’Aise Vesoul, France
SPECIAL CITATION
• Gerry Balasta: Posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award for the filmmaker and co-founder of International Film Festival Manhattan, USA
• Luisito Lagdameo Ignacio: Lifetime Achievement Award for the veteran television and film director, International Film Festival Manhattan, USA
A-LISTERS
• Rafael Manuel: Silver Bear Jury Prize for Filipiñana, 70th Berlin International Film Festival, Germany
• Lav Diaz: Best Director for Lahi, Hayop (Genus Pan), Orizzonti Section — Venice International Film Festival, Italy
CINEMADVOCATES
Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Christopher “Toff” de Venecia
NCCA Chairman and CCP President Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso
Lockdown Cinema Club
Inter-Guild Alliance
Dingdong Dantes
Angel Locsin
GABAY NG INDUSTRIYA
Romy Vitug
Gloria Romero
CAMERA OBSCURA ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE AWARD
• Jun Juban
• Aswang by Alyx Arumpac: Best International Feature-length Documentary, 19th Festival Film Dokumenter, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Grand Prize — Best International Feature, RIDM Montreal International Documentary Festival, Quebec, Canada; Amnesty International Human Rights Award, Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Greece; Grand Prize, White Goose Award — Best International Feature Film, 12th DMZ International Documentary Festival, Goyang and Paju, South Korea; Grand Prix (Nouveaux Talents Competition), 14th Corsica.Doc — AJACCIO International Documentary Film Festival, France; Beyond the Screen Award, Docaviv International Documentary Film Festival, Israel; Prix Du Premier Film Professionnel, Festival Traces de Vies 2020, France; Special Mention, Université Clermont Auvergne Student Jury, Festival Traces de Vies 2020
• Teddy Co