The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Story and photos by Alvin I. Dacanay
Filipino movies dominated the World Premieres Film Festival (WPFF) 2016 awards, with four of these winning honors in two of the festival’s international sections and Alvin Yapan’s latest feature earning the highest number of prizes in the Filipino New Cinema section.
During an awards ceremony held at the Film Development Council of the Philippines’s (FDCP) Cinematheque Centre Manila in Ermita on July 3, Gutierrez “Teng” Mangansakan II garnered the Grand Jury and Best Artistic Contribution prizes for Daughters of the Three Tailed Banner in the Main Competition section, whose Grand Festival Prize was bestowed on Vietnamese director Dinh Tuan Vu’s Yen’s Life.
Another Southeast Asian feature in this section, Malaysian filmmaker Tunku Mona Riza’s Redha, also won two awards: Special Festival Prize for Universal Social Values and best actress for June Lojong.
In the Asean Skies section, Beast, a Philippines/Australia co-production directed by Tom and Sam McKeith, won three awards: best film, male performance for Chad McKinney, and technical achievement. Louie Ignacio earned the Special Jury Prize for his direction of Laut, while real-life overseas Filipino worker Angela Barotia nabbed the female-performance accolade for Remittance, a Philippines/USA co-production helmed by Patrick Daly and Joel Fendelman.
Two films dominated the Filipino New Cinema section: Yapan’s Edsa, which won five awards, including best film and acting ensemble; and Rahyan Carlos’s Ringgo: The Dog-Shooter, which garnered four, including for second best film, actor Sandino Martin and actress Janice de Belen.
Another multiple winner in this section is Iadya Mo Kami (Deliver Us), which won for production design for Edgar Martin Littaua and musical score for Emerzon Texon, as well as a Special Jury Prize for director Mel Chionglo for his contributions to Philippine cinema.
Besides the Philippines, France was also a big winner, with Camille Fontaine’s Main Competition film By Accident earning the best ensemble-performance honor for its cast and the Special Jury Prize for her direction, and Fabrice Camoin’s Intercontinental-section entry The Storm Inside, clinching awards for best film and actress for Marina Foïs.
Below is the complete list of winners:
MAIN COMPETITION
Grand Festival Prize: Yen’s Life (Vietnam).
Grand Jury Prize: Daughters of the Three Tailed Banner (Philippines).
Special Festival Prize for its Universal Social Values: Redha (Malaysia).
Special Jury Prize for Direction: Camille Fontaine, By Accident (France).
Actor: Israel Elejalde, Love Above All Things (Spain).
Actress: June Lojong, Redha.
Ensemble Performance: By Accident.
Artistic Contribution: Daughters of the Three Tailed Banner.
Technical Grand Prize: Love Above All Things.
FILIPINO NEW CINEMA
Best Film: Edsa.
Second Best Film: Ringgo: The Dog-Shooter.
Special Jury Prize: Curiosity, Adventure and Love.
Special Jury Prize for contribution to Philippine Cinema: Mel Chionglo, Iadya Mo Kami.
Actor: Sandino Martin, Ringgo: The Dog-Shooter.
Actress: Janice de Belen, Ringgo: The Dog-Shooter.
Special Jury Prize for Acting Ensemble: Edsa.
Screenplay: Ricky Lee, Ringgo: The Dog-Shooter.
Cinematography: Ronald Rebutica, Edsa.
Editing: Benjamin Tolentino, Edsa.
Musical Score: Emerzon Texon, Iadya Mo Kami.
Sound Engineering: Corinne de San Jose, Edsa.
Production Design: Edgar Martin Littaua, Iadya Mo Kami.
ASEAN SKIES
Best Film: Beast (Philippines/Australia).
Special Jury Prize: Laut (Philippines).
Male Performance: Chad McKinney, Beast.
Female Performance: Angela Barotia, Remittance (Philippines/USA).
Technical Achievement: Beast.
INTERCONTINENTAL
Best Film: The Storm Inside (France).
Male Performance: Xiadong Guo, Pleasure.Love (China).
Female Performance: Marina Foïs, The Storm Inside.
Technical Achievement: Parasol (Belgium).