Lola Dubai fest's Best Pic

MANILA, Philippines - Brillante Ma. Mendoza’s Lola won the Best Film in the Muhr AsiaAfrica section of the Sixth Dubai International Festival held last Wednesday evening. The festival was held from Dec. 9 to 16.

Direk Dante accepted the award personally with French executive producer Didier Costet. I, who happens to be the movie’s producer, returned to Toronto before the awards ceremony.

Lola which was in competition at the Venice Film Festival is a co-production between Costet’s Swift Productions and Centerstage productions.

This was the first screenplay of Lynda Casimiro. It features veteran actresses Anita Linda and Rustica Carpio in the title role. Supporting them in the film are Tanya Gomez, Jhong Hilario, Ketchup Eusebio, Tim Yap, BJ Go and the late Benjie Filomeno.

According to Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature Jury Chairman Bahman Farmanara said: “Judging is not an easy process, especially in art, where creativity is defined by the artists’ personal discretions and considerations. But it becomes immensely difficult, and I must say very pleasing, when the quality of films selected by the organizers of the festival is outstanding. Then the whole process becomes rewarding.”

He added: “This was what my fellow jury members, Manisha Koirala, Jean-Micheal Frodon, Keith Shiri, Noureddin Lakhmari and I experienced when evaluating the Muhr AsiaAfrica short-list. The quality of works was extremely encouraging and prompts us to look forward to watching good, powerful films emerge from these two territories in the future.”

There were 15 films which competed in this section. It included South Korea’s Joon Ho-Bong’s Mother which was shown in the Un Certain Regard section last May in Cannes, has been selected as South Korea’s official submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Academy Awards and is nominated for Best Foreign Film in the Indie Spirit Awards; and Iran’s Shirin Neshat’s Women Without Men which won the Silver Lion for Best Director Award in Venice last September.

Direk Dante won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival last May and in Sitges, Spain last September both for Kinatay.

Direk Dante and I would like to acknowledge those who helped us with this film: Cinematographer Odyssey Flores, musical scorer Teresa Barrozo, editor Kats Serraon, sound engineer Albert Michael Idioma, art directors Harley Alcasid and Cris Garrido, assistant director Mark dela Cruz, line producer Aurora Cruz, associate producer Coney Alcantara-Go, supervising producers Antonio del Rosario and Antonio de Guzman Jr. and Centerstage staff Rene Colinares, Boyet Abajero and Raymond Nullan.

We also would like to thank the wonderful Filipinos in Dubai: Anna Lisa Instrella-Saline and husband Jay Salinel, Richard de Jesus, Gerry Ferreras, Jenny Asuncion, Jeffrey Soliman, Ruel Vasquez, festival guide Dexter and Oscar Cruz.

Lola is represented by the Match Factory worldwide.

(See related story on Page G-2.)