"Kurtina na Pula" and "The Face of Sinulog" top short film awards

CEBU, Philippines - A short film based on actual events and a documentary about Sinulog’s historical background reaped the most number of awards in last night’s Sinulog 2010 short film and video documentary festival .

Remton Zuasola’s “Kurtina na Pula”, whose story revolved around a chef whose wife’s death provoked him to consider suicide won the Best Short Film award including the best story, best in production design, best in musical scoring and best in editing. Zuasola won the best director award.

Steve Eraña and Mickey Macachor’s “The Face of Sinulog” got the grand prize for video documentation including the best story, best in production design, best narration, best in sound engineering and musical scoring. Both received the best director award.

The Face of Sinulog featured Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña and Fr. Carmelo Diola who narrated the rich history of Sinulog.

Prior to his win, Zuasola received the Ismael Bernal Most Outstanding Young Filipino Filmmaker award.

He said that it took them just one day to complete the shoot. Obstacles like looking for a child actor, constructing the set, and the tedious re-shooting, he said, paid off. In his speech, Zuasola did not categorically reveal the identity of the subject but admitted that the “chef” was close to his heart.

Eraña and Macachor are both graduates of the International Academy of Film and Television which is affiliated with Bigfoot Entertainment.

For winning the grand prize, Zuasola took home P30,000 and a trophy; while second grand prize winner “Taxi Driver,” directed by Mikio Makino Jr., got P20,000 and a trophy.

Eraña and Macachor took home P30,000 and a trophy while the director of second prize winner “Kasaulugan” which also won the best editing award took home P20,000.

Ron Heri Tan, chairman of the board of judges said that Remton Zuasola’s “Kurtina na Pula is excellent in overall style and can be proudly shown abroad”.

“Style is very good. It makes us proud na Cebuano tayo kasi maganda nag pagkagawa. There’s humor although the story was serious-type,” he said.

In their speeches the winners thanked the people behind the camera.

The video documentary awards, “Ang Tinubdan” won the third best documentary and the best in cinematography while the short film category, “Magkukulit” won the third best picture and the best in cinematography.

Jerica Espinosa of “Pangandoy” was adjudged the best child performer.

Chuck Luat of “taxi driver” was the best actor while Janice Villarosa of of “Pagtoo” was best actress.

The best short film will be shown in Cinema Rehiyon of the national Commission for Culture and Arts on in the Cultural Center of the Philippines on February 17 to 20, 2010.

The winners of the other awards received trophies and certificates of recognition.

Ricky Ballestros, executive director of Sinulog Foundation Inc. said that as early as now, film, photo, and documentary enthusiasts should be ready for another competition during the next Sinulog.

The winners of the photo contest, which were pre-announced before the awarding ceremony took center stage with Mikhail Arrogante winning the grand prize besting other 1,600 photographers and 12,000 entries. He took home P50,000.

He also won first prize in the contingent category and landed first, second, and sixth in the fluvial and procession category and placed second in the higante/puppeteer/float category and fourth and fifth in the sidelights/route décor/on site décor category.

Aldo Nelbert Banaynal of The FREEMAN received P30,000 for winning the second grand prize while Rolando Pascua who placed third in the grand prize category received P20,000.

Winners of the higante/puppeteer/float category are Carlito Felicen, first; Dexter Bongo, third; Vicente Vosotros, fourth; Erwin Lim, fifth; Ernesto Sudario, sixth; Chilun Leung, seventh; Jowalyn Maris Real, eight; Lawrence Tan, ninth; and Elizabeth Ybañez, tenth.

The Sidelights/Route Décor/On Site Décor winners include Lemuel Leogene Reyes, first; Rod Jason Galgo, second; Dexter Maneja, third; Christopher Colinares, sixth; Elmer Philip Lim, seventh; Kim Bondoc, eighth; Erwin Lim, ninth; and Dan Douglas Ong, tenth.

In the contingent category, the winners are Jean Paul Nochefranca, second and third; Jacob Maentz, fourth; Francis Dunque, fifth; Edgar Tan, seventh; Japoi Cequina, eighth; and Erwin Lim, ninth.

The winners in the fluvial/processional category are Glenn Camay, second; Joseph Carlo Gochangio, third; Vic Kintanar, fourth; Casilda de Larrazabal, fifth; Maxwell Joan Bongo, sixth; Poh Lim II, eighth and Erwin Lim, tenth.

The other winners of the festival queen category are Francis Duque, second; Rene Ybañez, third; Elmer Shane Lagumbay, fourth; Lawrence Tan, fifth and sixth; Chubby Atillo, seventh; Sheena May Bombarda, eighth; Manley Cardinez, ninth; and Anne Flores, tenth. — Marjun A. Baguio/ BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)