‘Imbisibol’ wins in Vesoul

LAWRENCE Fajardo’s “Imbisibol” won the Netpac Award at the 22nd Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema held in France on Feb. 10.

The jury cited the Filipino film “for its effective use of comedy and multiple strands of narrative, culminating in a dramatic ending that hits home [its] message with sublime power.”

The jury of the Netpac (or the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) prize is composed of producer Mevlut Akkaya of Turkey, filmmaker Kan Lume of Singapore and producer Donsaron Kovitvanitcha of Thailand.

Fajardo, who attended the fest in France, told the Inquirer via SMS: “I’m happy to win the award from Netpac—an organization that believes in and upholds good films. I am quite honored for the recognition.”

He recalled that the audience who watched “Imbisibol” was “very much receptive.”

“Viewers were taken in by the issues raised in the film—particularly, the current plight of OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) and the pressing economic situation of our country that led to the OFW phenomenon,” he related.

A Sinag Maynila best film winner, “Imbisibol” tells the intersecting stories of Filipinos who live and work in a small Japanese town. Ces Quesada, Allen Dizon, Ricky Davao, JM de Guzman and Bernardo Bernardo topbill the award-winning film.

The top prize in Vesoul was won by Tema Tseden’s “Tharlo” from China. “Imbisibol” shared the Netpac Award with Vahid Jalilvand’s “Wednesday, May 9” from Iran, which also won the Grand Jury Award.

According to the Vesoul website, 30,000 people watched the different films screened in the fest this year.