One of the country’s premiere cable entertainment channels, Animax, recently held its inaugural Pan-Asia animation scriptwriting competition. The contest included entries from the Philippines, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia (composed of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand). The goal of the contest was to discover fresh new talent that can make its mark on the animation industry. The winners of the respective countries are as follows:
Philippines – Laminated Woman by Carmelo S.J. Juinio
Southeast Asia (Malaysia) – Guardian Invader by Alvin Lim
India – Scarlet Samurai by Aravind K. Prakash
Hong Kong – Serial Burglary by Kong Khong Chang
Taiwan – The Final Dream Match by Yu Dong Bing
With their deft writing, epic scope, gripping narrative and memorable characters, these five entries not only stood out from among the over 3,000 entries received but also left an indelible impression on the judges. The winning entries also made full use of the creative scope afforded with the two alternative entry formats introduced this year, with three of the five winning entries being novels and the other two a script and a comic.
The five winners have each won $2,000 and their entries will move on to the grand finals, which will take place in Tokyo, Japan, in September. They will compete against the single Korean and six Japanese winners from the respective Korean and Japanese versions of the competition. Not only will the grand prize winner win the lucrative cash prize of two million yen, the winning script will also be developed into an animation piece by top Japanese animation studio, A-1 Pictures of Aniplex, and broadcast across Asia on Animax.
Here is the synopsis of the Philippine entry, Laminated Woman by Carmelo S. J. Juinio:
The inhabitants of a harsh desert planet have perfected a system of imprisonment without walls. Called “Lamination,” this system of virtual slavery ensures that those convicted of serious crimes remain productive, if not free, members of society. The system has made both jails and the death penalty unnecessary in a world where human ingenuity, creativity and labor continue to be precious commodities that cannot be replaced by robots or any form of artificial intelligence.
Dr. John “Jack” Griswold sees his employment in Cerra merely as a means of earning his keep while keeping his mind away from a personal tragedy. Jack has no desire whatsoever to get involved in the planet’s curious politics of “Lamb” liberation. But a meeting with a laminated person, or “Lamb,” threatens to peel off the seemingly cold exterior of this man hired to turn a red planet green.
When asked about his inspiration for writing Laminated Woman, author Juinio listed several sci-fi and animation icons like Darth Vader from Star Wars, The homunculi from Full Metal Alchemist and the androids from Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. With this eclectic mix of influences, it’s safe to say the Juinio’s Laminated Woman will be something totally unique.