MANILA, Philippines—Filipino filmmaker Paul Sta. Ana’s “Oros (The Coinbearer)” wins best feature at the DC Independent Film Festival, held in Washington DC, from March 6 to 10.
The fest’s website described this Cinemalaya movie as “gritty, gripping … an intriguing tale with a final ‘twist of the knife’”
The film tells the story of slum dwellers who rent unclaimed cadavers so they can hold illegal gambling sessions at fake wakes.
Launched in 1999, the DCIFF aims “to nurture independent films.”
After the DCIFF, “Oros” will be shown at the Asean International Film Festival, to be held in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, from March 28 to 30.
Then “Oros” will be shown at the Cleveland International Film Festival on April 4, 5 and 10, at the Tower City Cinemas, in Cleveland, Ohio.
“Oros” was previously featured at the Vancouver (Canada) and Asiatica Filmmediale (Rome, Italy) film festivals. It won best actor at the Cinemalaya fest for lead star Kristoffer King.