Jun Robles Lana’s Cinemalaya winner “Bwakaw” on Tuesday won three awards at the 19th Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema held in France— the Grand Prix de Jury International, High School award and Emile Guimet prize. The jury cited “its courage and delicate expressions of humanity, friendship, love and loneliness.” In 2009, Chris Martinez’s “100” also won the Emile Guimet award, which is handed out by Friends of the National Museum of Asian Arts of Paris. The High School Award is picked by student viewers, said Lana. “We are ecstatic that our film continues to reap recognition.” Lana and “Bwakaw” lead actor Eddie Garcia were honorees in the 3rd Inquirer Indie Bravo! Tribute held last December.
Meanwhile, the makers of a Cebuano horror indie announced on Tuesday in Facebook that their movie won best feature film at the 11th Macabro International Film Festival held in Mexico City in August last year.
Brandon Relucio and Ivan Zaldarriaga’s “Di Ingon ’Nato (Not Like Us)” competed with 13 other entries—from the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, among others—in the festival envisioned as a showcase of “classic and contemporary horror films.”
A Cinema One Originals production, “Di Ingon ’Nato” was also invited to the Fantaspoa fest in Porto Alegre, Brazil and Rojo Sangre film fest in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The film features Mercedes Cabral and Rez Cortez. Bayani San Diego Jr.