Tatlong awards ang napanalunan ng Pinoy filmmakers sa 31st Exground International Film Festival sa Wiesbaden, Germany.
Ang award-winning film na Respeto ni Director Alberto “Treb” Monteras II ay nanalo ng youth jury award para sa best feature film sa Youth Days, ang international youth film competition sa nasabing festival. Sa coming-of-age drama an ito, si Hendrix (na ginanapan ng hip-hop artist na si Abra) ay naghahangad na maging rapper at iwanan ang kahirapan sa Maynila. Ang grupo ni Treb ay nakatanggap ng cash prize na 2,500 euros na i-dinonate ng State Capital ng Wiesbaden.
Photo: Peter Fischer / exground filmfest
“The Philippine film RESPETO has convinced the youth jury in many ways. It introduces us to the frightening conditions of a country where people can be shot by the police on mere suspicion on the street. The film makes excellent use of the language of cinema at all levels: camera, sound and music, effects and the authentic presentation merge to a unity. In the midst of a scene marked by violence, drugs and corruption, Hendrix pursues his dream of asserting himself as a rapper in Manila’s hip-hop scene. Fast-paced, driven by the pulse of music, RESPETO shows the struggle for respect and recognition – and how important it is to have role models. With the power of hip-hop, Hendrix manages to counter the conditions and the lack of perspective with something. A real youth film!,” (Nakumbinse ng pelikulang RESPETO ang youth jury sa maraming paraan. Ipinakita nito ang nakakatakot na kalagayan ng isang bansa kung saan ang isang tao ay maaaring mabaril ng pulis dahil lamang sa isang hinala. Ang pelikula ay mahusay na gumamit ng language of cinema sa lahat ng antas: kamera, tunog at musika, effects at ang authentic presentation ay nagsama’t nagkaisa. Sa gitna ng karahasan, ilegal na droga at katiwalian, ipinagpatuloy ni Hendrix na abutin ang kanyang pangarap na maging rapper sa hip-hop scene ng Maynila. Fast-paced at dala ng pulso ng musika, ipinakita ng RESPETO ang pakikibaka nito para sa respeto at pagkilala—at kung gaano kaimportante ang pagkakaroon ng taong tintingala sa buhay. Sa pamamagitan ng hip-hop, nagawa ni Hendrix na mamuhay sa kabila ng kanyang kalagayan at kakulangan ng pananaw sa mga bagay sa paligid niya. Isang pelikulang tunay na para sa kabataan!), sabi ng mga hurado sa press release ng exground filmfest.
Ang Women of Wiesbaden naman ni director Jet Leyco ay nagwagi ng prestihiyosong Golden Gurke award sa exground gong show competition. Ang grupo nila ay nagtamo ng cash prize na 50 euros sponsored ng Wiesbadener Kinofestival e. V.
Sabi sa press release ng exground filmfest, “The jury was impressed with the high quality and the wide range of topics of the submitted films. No wonder only two films got the gong from us and were dismissed. Jet Leyco’s short film was very exceptional. Even more impressive was the fact that he just flew in in the morning of the 19th, learned about this competition and shot the film to hand it over in the evening just before the show started.” (Napabilib ang hurado sa mataas na kalidad at malawak na tema ng mga pinasang pelikula. Hindi nakakapagtaka na dalawang pelikula lang ang nakatanggap ng gong mula sa amin at na-dismiss. Ang short film ni Jet Leyco ay napaka-exceptional. Mas lalong nakakabilib na bumiyahe siya papunta rito ng umaga ng 19th, nalaman ang tungkol sa competition at ginawa ang pelikula upang maipasa ng gabi bago magsimula ang show.”
Samantala, ang Man of Pa-Aling (Manong ng Pa-Aling) ni E. del Mundo ay nakatanggap ng special mention sa International Short Film Competition.
Sa press release ng exground filmfest, binanggit ng mga hurado, “Evoking in black & white the bleakness of an otherwise beautiful underwater landscape, this film explores the triviality and the grandness of human existence.” (Ipinaparamdam nito ang lungkot ng isang magandang underwater landscape, in-explore ng pelikulang ito sa black and white ang kawalan ng saysay at kaluwalhatian ng human existence.)
Ang Exground Filmfest sa Wiesbaden ay isa sa mga pinakamahalagang film festival sa Germany para sa international independent productions. Dinadala nito ang mga manonood sa isang ‘di-malilimutang cinematic journey at hinahayaan ang mga taong maranasan at matuklasan ang iba’t ibang mga bansa’t kultura sa pamamagitan ng pelikula. Kasama sa festival program ang exhibitions, workshops, concerts, parties, at panel discussions.
Bilang bahagi ng pagdiriwang ng centennial ng Philippine cinema, itinampok ng Exground Film Festival ang Pilipinas bilang Country of Focus. Ang programa ngayong taon ay kinilala at ibinida ang critically-acclaimed na mga pelikulang Pinoy na nagtataguyod ng socio-political discourse at nagbubunyag ng kasalakuyang kalagayan ng human rights sa bansa.
Ang Exground Filmfest Festival 31 ay ginanap noong November 16 hanggang 25, 2018 sa Wiesbaden, Germany.
Filipino Filmmakers Bag Major Prizes at German Int’l Film Festival
Three awards were bagged by Filipino filmmakers and film at the 31st Exground International Film Festival in Wiesbaden, Germany.
Director Alberto “Treb” Monteras II’s award-winning film “Respeto” won youth jury award for the best feature film at Youth Days, an international youth film competition. In the coming-of-age drama, Hendrix (played by hip-hop artist Abra) aspires of becoming a rapper and leaving behind poverty-stricken Manila. The team received a cash prize of 2,500 euros donated by the State Capital of Wiesbaden.
“The Philippine film RESPETO has convinced the youth jury in many ways. It introduces us to the frightening conditions of a country where people can be shot by the police on mere suspicion on the street. The film makes excellent use of the language of cinema at all levels: camera, sound and music, effects and the authentic presentation merge to a unity. In the midst of a scene marked by violence, drugs and corruption, Hendrix pursues his dream of asserting himself as a rapper in Manila’s hip-hop scene. Fast-paced, driven by the pulse of music, RESPETO shows the struggle for respect and recognition – and how important it is to have role models. With the power of hip-hop, Hendrix manages to counter the conditions and the lack of perspective with something. A real youth film!,” the jury stated in exground filmfest’s press release.
On the other hand, director Jet Leyco’s “Women of Wiesbaden” won the prestigious Golden Gurke award at the exground gong show competition. The group garnered a cash prize of 50 euros sponsored by Wiesbadener Kinofestival e. V.
As stated in exground filmfest’s press release, “The jury was impressed with the high quality and the wide range of topics of the submitted films. No wonder only two films got the gong from us and were dismissed. Jet Leyco’s short film was very exceptional. Even more impressive was the fact that he just flew in in the morning of the 19th, learned about this competition and shot the film to hand it over in the evening just before the show started.”
Meanwhile, E. del Mundo’s “Man of Pa-Aling (Manong ng Pa-Aling)” received a special mention in the International Short Film Competition.
In exground filmfest’s press release, the jury mentioned, “Evoking in black & white the bleakness of an otherwise beautiful underwater landscape, this film explores the triviality and the grandness of human existence.”
The Exground Filmfest in Wiesbaden is one of the most significant film festivals in Germany for international independent productions. It takes the audience on a memorable cinematic journey and allows the viewers to experience and discover different countries and cultures through films. The festival program includes exhibitions, workshops, concerts, parties, and panel discussions.
As part of the Philippine cinema’s centennial celebration, Exground Film Festival featured the Philippines as its Country of Focus. This year’s program acknowledges and puts a spotlight to critically acclaimed Filipino films that promote socio-political discourse and reveal a glimpse of the current human rights situation in the country.
The Exground Filmfest Festival 31 was held on November 16 to 25, 2018 in Wiesbaden, Germany.
