Film pitching event winners bared

BERNARDO. Wins Best Film Pitch.

Last week, we helped organize the 2016 Cinemalaya DGPI Film Pitching event at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, where filmmakers and producers were matched via a “speed dating” system that winnowed down the best among 65 entries.

The biggest winners included Sigrid Bernardo’s “ImPerfect,” Ivan Andrew Payawal’s “Kami Lang Ang May Alam,” Alberto Monteras II’s “Respeto,” Daniel Victor Gogola’s “Nakatulog Na Ako Lahat Lahat, Nasa Jeepney Pa Rin Ako” and Raymund Barcelon’s “Kabilin-bilinan ni Biyenan.”

Love story

Best Film Pitch was awarded to “ImPerfect,” a love story between two people stricken with Down syndrome. Bernardo recently won the Sabah Pitching Forum (documentary) at the Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival.

She states, “In other countries, persons with Down syndrome are allowed to have regular jobs. I want to share this story because it will inspire people with disabilities. This advocacy intends to prove that there’s life beyond disability. I will cast real persons with disability to prove that they are as talented as we are.”

Executive producer Noemi Peji awarded the Unitel Prize to Payawal. She shares, “We wanted something simple yet charming, feasible to produce, and has the potential to be commercially viable. Ivan’s pitch was all of those.”

Payawal also bagged the CMB Prize, which allows him free access to film equipment and lights from Jaime “Jim” Baltazar’s CMB Film Services. “Kami Lang Ang May Alam” is about spouses who throw the grandest and craziest party to announce their breakup after being together for 15 years.

The DGPI Prize went to “Respeto,” a musical about a young rapper and a grouchy old poet that will premiere at Cinemalaya next year. DGPI chair Paolo Villaluna notes, “Monteras’ narrative intermixes the Balagtasan with rapping.”