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The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) recognized the creativity and accomplishments of recent international film festival winners during the Film Ambassadors Night 2017 at the FDCP Cinematheque Manila grounds in Ermita, Manila, on January 31.
Among those honored were FDCP Artistic Excellence Awardee Brillante Ma. Mendoza (Ma’ Rosa) and Film Ambassadors Erik Matti (Honor Thy Father), Jun Lana and Paolo Ballesteros (Die Beautiful); Cesar Montano (Nilalang); Eduardo Roy Jr. and Hasmine Kilip (Pamilya Ordinaryo); Mario Cornejo (Apocalypse Child); Mikhail Red (Birdshot); Paolo Dy (Ignacio de Loyola); Seymour B. Sanchez (Caretaker); Khavn de la Cruz (Alipato: The Very Brief of an Ember); Joseph Israel Laban (Happy New Year); Sue Prado and Marco Felipe Villa Lopez (The Sister); Noriel Jarito (Huramentado); Vincent Soberano (Blood Hunters); Dominic Nuesa (Ang Araw sa Likod); P.R. Patindol (Hilom); and Bradley Liew (Singing in Graveyards).
Also recognized were International Film Festival Manhattan (IFFM) Lifetime Achievement Awardees Gloria Sevilla and Ricky Lee and IFFM 2016 winners Sigfreid Barros-Sanchez (Magtanggol), Ato Bautista (Gemini); Andreas Muñoz (Ignacio de Loyola), Nathalie Hart (Siphayo); Leon Miguel (Red Lights); Madonna Sanchez (Filemon Mamon); Giovanni Baldisseri (Lucky Jinx); Carlo Ortega Cuevas (Walang Take Two); and Rhoda Joy Blaza (The Equation).
Rounding out the list of awardees were Los Angeles Philippine International Film Festival 2016 winners Carlo Catu and Robby Tantingco (Ari: My Life with a King); Randolph Longjas and Candy Pangilinan (Star na si Van Damme Stallone); Pedring Lopez (Nilalang); King Palisoc (Tandem); Soliman Cruz (Balik); Clanch Dayve Belleza and Albert Chan Paran (Julie); Anj Macalanda (Wawa); Niko Salazar (Sejour); Jaere Louise Liwanag (Sukat); Katherine Olmedo (Got it Maid); and Leeds Animation Workshop and Pavilion (They Call Us Maids).
Dubbed “an evening of celebration, thanksgiving and gathering of our award-winning Filipino films and filmmakers,” the Film Ambassadors Night was first launched last October. The FDCP aims to make it an annual event to recognize filmmakers who have brought not only prestige to the country, but also raised the level of awareness to the craft and art of filmmaking through their international achievements.
“Our filmmakers are film ambassadors duly representing our culture all over the world through the wondrous power of cinema. Each of their contribution only adds to the whole of an already great Filipino heritage that is constantly growing in scale and quality,” FDCP Chairman Liza Diño said.
Since Diño assumed her post last year, she has vowed to campaign for the continued growth of Philippine cinema and has introduced flagship programs to support and empower film literacy, education, criticism, and appreciation.