Student filmmakers from 糖心Vlog took home various awards from recent intercollegiate film competitions organized by University of San Agustin鈥檚 Augustinian Communicators鈥� Guild, University of the Philippines Cinema, and Adamson University鈥檚 Silip@Lente.
Francis Tavas鈥� 鈥淲altz of Qualm鈥� won the Juror鈥檚 Choice Award at USA-ACG鈥檚 2022 FilAr Peace Film Festival while Sophie Casasola bagged Best Cinematography for the same film at the recently concluded Piling Obrang Vidyo XVIII. UP Cinema鈥檚 POV has been home to many student filmmakers since 2004.
In the film, a teenage girl (Joyce Macalia) finds a broken mirror as she wanders around the forest. Driven by curiosity, she touches it and discovers the one thing she has been trying to escape from all her life.
鈥淭he exploration of one鈥檚 identity is filled with challenge and mystery. Despite the uncertainties filled in such a phase, what I would like to emphasize is the beauty of not just the aftermath but also the in-betweens before arriving at the end of the road,鈥� Tavas shared in his director鈥檚 statement.
鈥淭his particularly reflects what I have been through especially when it comes to my sexuality. Considering the prejudices and judgments that my 12-year-old self has faced, I was not able to treasure the moments before such discovery,鈥� the FEU Communication student revealed.
鈥淭hus, in order to make up for it, I have opened myself up to any circumstances and have now lived my life the way it is now 鈥� filled with kindness and liberated from the perception of others,鈥� he added.
Meanwhile, three other FEU films, Kyle Cabarrubias 鈥淗iraya,鈥� Luke del Castillo鈥檚 鈥淪aksi ang Paslit,鈥� and Roberto Capio, Jr.鈥檚 鈥淢uling Pagsisimula sa Katapusan鈥� also brought home awards from Silip@Lente-AdU鈥檚 Realifilm 2022.
鈥淗iraya鈥� won for Cabarrubias and Sine Sibol the Realifilm Bronze Award, Best Original Song, and Best Actress, also for Macalia. 鈥淪aksi ang Paslit鈥� earned the Realifilm Award for Excellence for del Castillo and Talahib Films while 鈥淢uling Pagsisimula sa Katapusan鈥� took the Realifilm Award of Virtue for Capio and Random Strangers Production.
鈥淗iraya鈥� and Patrick Pangan鈥檚 鈥淲e Were Never Really Strangers鈥� also made it to the SineDisipulo X Film Festival organized by CINEMATA of University of San Carlos in Cebu.
Like Tavas, Casasola, Cabarrubias, Del Castillo, Capio, and Pangan are FEU Communication students under the Digital Cinema track and members of the FEU Film Society, the university鈥檚 film organization.
Both Tavas and Pangan also have other films officially selected to be part of the 14th Cinema Rehiyon film festival, a flagship project of the National Committee on Cinema under the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
Aside from 鈥淲altz of Qualm,鈥� Tavas鈥� other films 鈥淪ila-Sila鈥� and 鈥淒iva, Divine?鈥� were also shown in the hybrid film festival which was held online and in Davao City in celebration of the National Arts Month.
鈥淪ila-Sila鈥� is Tavas鈥� first experimental film project while 鈥淒iva, Divine?鈥� is a documentary which focuses on the life of Angelica Mapanganib, an entertainer and gay beauty pageant contestant or 鈥渂eauconera.鈥�
Pangan鈥檚 other film 鈥淪hapeshifters鈥� was also screened at the event, which wrapped up last March 31. 鈥淪hapeshifters鈥� tackles extrajudicial killings through Philippine folklore.
