‘Iti Mapukpukaw’ is PH’s entry to Oscars 2024

Image: Instagram/@project8projects

“Iti Mapukpukaw,” a Filipino-Ilocano animated film by director Carl Joseph Papa, is the country’s official entry to the 96th Academy Awards for the Best International Feature Film Category.

The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) announced this via its Facebook page on Friday, Sept. 29.

“Fresh from its Best Film win at the 2023 edition of the Cinemalaya Philippine Film Festival, Carl Joseph E. Papa’s animated film ‘Iti Mapukpukaw’ (The Missing) will be submitted for consideration to the 96th Academy Awards as the country’s official entry to the Best International Feature Film Category,” the announcement read.

“The Carlo Aquino, Gio Gahol, and Dolly de Leon-starrer recently made history in Cinemalaya as the first-ever animated full-length entry, for which De Leon bagged the Best Supporting Actress prize,” it added.

The national film agency said that it will give Papa and his team P1,000,000 to support the movie’s campaign for the prestigious Academy Awards, also known as Oscars.

“Iti Mapukpukaw” is a rotoscope animated film that follows the life of Eric (Aquino) as it twists and turns after the arrival of the familiar alien, and the death of his uncle—two events that trigger Eric to remember his past and untangle his memories.

Aside from its Best Film win, “Iti Mapukpukaw” also bagged several awards at the Cinemalaya Philippine Film Festival 2023, including the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) for full-length film and best supporting actress for De Leon.  /ra