Gusto nang Umuwi ni Joy wins big at Cine Totoo docu fest

MANILA, Philippines - Jan Tristan Pandy’s debut film Gusto nang Umuwi ni Joy won the Best Documentary award at the first Cine Totoo Philippine International Documentary Festival awards night held recently at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila. Cine Totoo is a special project of GMA News TV. 

Gusto nang Umuwi ni Joy is a moving portrayal of the life of an undocumented Filipina migrant worker in the UK as she tries to secure a working visa so she may finally visit her family in the Philippines.

The same film was awarded the Audience Choice Award, which was voted by viewers during the week-long run of the festival at SM Megamall, SM City Manila and TriNoma cinemas. Aside from trophies, Pandy received P100,000 for Best Documentary and P25,000 for the Audience Choice Award.

During his acceptance speech, a visibly emotional Pandy dedicated his win to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who had to sacrifice so much to provide for their families. “They are my inspiration for making this film,” he said. He also revealed that to this day his film’s subject Joy has not yet returned home.

A documentary on male ballet dancers titled Mananayaw by another debuting filmmaker Rafael Froilan won the Special Jury Prize and a cash prize of P50,000. Froilan’s family was in attendance as he dedicated his win to his father Nonoy Froilan, the Philippines’ premier danseur and one of the documentary’s subjects.

Indonesian docu Denok and Gareng by Dwi Sujanti Nugraheni took home the Best Southeast Asian Documentary award. Two other local films were conferred with Special Mention Certificates: Davaoeño filmmaker Charliebebs Gohetia’s inspiring Kung Giunsa Pagbuhat ang Bisayang Chopsuey (How to Make a Visayan Chopsuey) on a team of misfit tchoukball players and Carla Ocampo’s courageous work Walang Rape sa Bontok on a sexual abuse victim’s search for a rape-less society.

The winning Philippine documentaries will be shown on GMA News TV Channel 11 on primetime weekend slots this month and in November.