A short film from Zamboanga City won the Best Film Award besting 57 other short films that were shown during the 12th Mindanao Film Festival (MFF) at the Cinema 6 of Gaisano Mall in Davao City.
“Entre Medio Del Fin” (In the Middle of the End), which tells the story of a young gay couple who took care of a pregnant woman in the hope for a child only to be confronted by a reality when the woman tries to leave with her boyfriend, was adjudged winner among the six contenders.
The other nominees were “Makaakar,” “Pangaw,” “Dear Mama,” “Ma’am La” and “Bobby.”
“Entre” also got the Best Screenplay defeating two other nominees: “Ma’am La” and “Dear Mama.”
Ryanne Murcia, who directed “Entre” was defeated by Jelford Teves (“Makaakar”), who got the Best Director trophy. They were the only two directors nominated in this category.
All in all, “Entre” received five nominations. Two films – “Ma’am La” and “Ako Bahala Sa Imo” – got seven nominations each. “Dear Mama” likewise received five nominations while “Makaakar” and “Huwag Na Lang” managed to take four nominations each.
In the acting category, Gilbert Lloren Nunez (“Makaakar”) won the Best Actor plum besting two other nominees: Rafael Abella, Jr. (“Bobby”) and Q Javier Tag-at (“Ako Bahala Sa Imo.”
Maria Laura Parapina took home the Best Actress for her performance in “Panun.” The two other nominees were Asha Asha (“Ma’am La”) and Ayesha (“Entre Medio del Fin”).
In most categories, there were only three nominees. “Fly Boy,” which was played in “Amboy” was named Best Original Song. “Smile” from “Huwag Na Lang” and “Road to Zion” from “Halug” were also nominated.
The Best Sound went to “Ma’am La” defeating two other nominees: “Ako Bahala Sa Imo” and “Halug.” The same film took home the Best Musical Score; the other nominees were “Love” and “Huwag Na Lang.”
“Ma’am La,” a college thesis film, also won Best Student Film for student filmmaker Vince Sevillano. The two losing films: “Kapit-os” and “Subang.”
“Dear Mama,” a tearjerker, got the Best Production Design over “Ako Bahala Sa Imo” and “Panun.”
“Ako Bahala Sa Imo,” which was in Tagum City during the Davao del Norte Film-A-Thon, a 24-hour filmmaking race, won best Guerrilla Filmathon Film. It also won three more awards: Best Editing, Best Cinematography and Best Production Value.
Like the Best Film, Best Cinematography had also six nominees. The other five contenders were “Makaakar,” “Kapit-os,” “Dear Mama,” “Ma’am La” and “Subang.”
“The Soil of Dreams,” a full-length documentary from Cagayan de Oro which details the lives of river sand gatherers in the Cagayan de Oro River, was given the Best Documentary prize and the Sulyap Kultura Award from the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCAA)
The other nominees for the category were: “Pagbarug Tu Pagtuon” and “Saranggola.”
Animated short “Anito” was given Special Jury Citation “for its impressive 3D animation which highlights the potentials of 3D animation in Mindanao.” “Panggaw” a film from Compostela Valley, was given Special Jury Prize.
Jurors of the 12th MFF include film professor and current Metro Manila Film Festival executive committee member Edward Cabagnot, award-winning international filmmaker Sheron Dayoc and film academe Yam Palma.
The awards night, held last Monday, was graced by Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) chair Liza Dino and FDCP Executive-Director Will Fredo along with Philippine Information Agency-XI Regional Director Efren F. Elbanbuena and outgoing NCAA Committee on Cinema member Lou Raphael Canedo.
