John Denver Trending wins 3 awards in France

MANILA, Philippines — John Denver Trending, written and directed by Arden Rod Condez (photo), won three awards at the 26th Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas during the closing ceremony held recently at the Edwige Feuillère Theater in France.

These were the Jury Prize “for the accuracy of the description of the consequences of a teenage victim through social medias”; Film Critics’ Award “for the director’s frank, balanced and smooth-flowing approach connects us with the potentially serious and uncontrollable consequences of fake news”; and Audience Award for a Fiction Film granted by the city of Vesoul.

Mariam by Sharipa Urazbayeva of Kazakhstan bagged the Golden Richshaw Award. Just Like That by Kislay of India received the Grand Jury Award. Saturday Afternoon by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki of Bangladesh took home the NETPAC Award.

John Denver Trending is about a 14-year-old boy, played by Jansen Magpusao, whose life changed when a video of him brutally attacking a classmate went viral.

The movie is a product of the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ First Cut Lab. It garnered six awards at the 15th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival last year, namely, Best Film, Best Actor (for Jansen), Best Original Music Score (Len Calvo), Best Editing (Benjo Ferrer III), Best Cinematography (for Rommel Sales) and NETPAC Award.