2 PH films win in Houston fest

Allen Dizon in “Bomba”

Two Filipino movies bagged awards at the 51st WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, held recently in the United States.

Ralston Jover’s “Bomba” won the Gold Remi Award in the Theatrical Feature Productions-Foreign category, while Zig Dulay’s “Bagahe” likewise scored the Gold Remi Award in the Crime and Drama section.

Jover told the Inquirer: “I’m very happy for this new validation. I am hoping for more relevant stories to tackle in my films.”

Dulay remarked that, with this film, he was allowed to share our story and culture as a people, which were then praised and recognized by foreign jurors.

He related that the organizers had gone through roughly 4,500 entries in the festival. “To be part of the competition is a big deal, but to win a Gold Remi is an even bigger prize.”

According to Dulay, our countrymen in Texas were just as proud of their achievements as their peers and friends back home. “I cannot measure the happiness I felt for the warm welcome they gave me in Houston. That they made me feel that I was part of their family was a bigger honor than the golden trophy.”

The annual competition, which was founded by the International Film Society in 1961, is the third oldest cinema competition in North America—following San Francisco and New York.

The fest aims to recognize “creative excellence in film and video, and validate the brilliance [of artists] and promote cultural tourism.”—BAYANI SAN DIEGO JR.