Mindanaotoday.com | Dapitan City hosts inaugural SineNorte Film Festival Awards
By: Misael Ondong
DAPITAN CITY – The picturesque city of Dapitan was abuzz with excitement as it hosted the first-ever SineNorte Film Festival Awards.
The event was held to honor the talents of the filmmakers who joined the filmmaking workshop during the city’s hosting of Cinemalaya 18 in Dapitan: Festival of Winners last year.
The SineNorte Film Festival, an offshoot of the renowned Cinemalaya Film Festival, was initiated to provide a platform for aspiring filmmakers in the Zamboanga Peninsula to showcase their technique and ingenuity.
Building on the success of the filmmaking workshop, the festival received more than a dozen of short film submissions from filmmakers from all over Zamboanga del Norte and neighboring provinces.
The screenings took place over the previous months, treating audiences to an eclectic mix of thought-provoking narratives, localized storytelling, and visual splendor. The short films showcased a diverse range of themes, reflecting local flavors and the filmmakers’ unique perspectives on life, love, and social issues.
The panel of judges, composed of industry professionals, cineastes, and film critics, faced a challenging task in selecting the top films from the lineup of entries. The jury assessed each film on various criteria, including narrative strength, technical brilliance, and overall impact.
After careful deliberation, five standout short films had been selected for recognition and were awarded in different categories during the SineNorte Film Festival Awards night.
The Five Honored Short Films are as follows:
Halad – Set against the backdrop of the region’s superstitions, this film weaves an atmospheric narrative about a young man’s bout with voodoo, along with its attendant repercussions, as he combats it with the help of a witch doctor. (Director: Henji Saguin)
Tolpis – Follows the journey of two student-journalists and their criminology student-friend as they set out on a mission to investigate the death of a kid who allegedly shot himself after overdosing on illicit drugs. (Director: Kyle Erika Saycon)
Ambot Wa Ko Kabalo Unsay I-Title Ani – A heartwarming story of dysfunctional filmmaker wannabes as they break through the borders of friendship, passion, and ambition while attempting to finish a zero-budget short film. (Director: Rey Anthony Villaverde)
Tabyog – This film explores the consequences of one’s actions and how guilt manifests in unexpected ways to haunt us when we least expect it. (Director: Vench Alver Pango)
During the premiere Awards Night, local film enthusiasts, newbie actors, and aspiring filmmakers lauded the establishment of the SineNorte Film Festival.
This new platform not only celebrates regional filmmaking but also provides an opportunity for these talented artists to gain exposure in the wider film industry.
Emerging as the top short film pick is Ambot Wa Ko Kabalo Unsay I-Title Ani, whose director emerged as Best Director and also garnered Best Trailer, Best in Musical Scoring, Best in Cinematography, Best in Film Editing, and Best Supporting Actor awards.
Dapitan City Tourism Officer Apple Marie Agolong expressed her delight in hosting the event. “We are proud for Dapitan and our beloved province of Zamboanga del Norte to be the home of creativity and artistic expression in these parts. We are very thankful to our Mayor, Seth Frederick Jalosjos, for his artistic vision for our city and for starting the ball rolling by inviting Cinemalaya to Dapitan. Of course, we couldn’t have done it without the all-out support of Zamboanga del Norte Governor Rosalina Jalosjos.”
“The SineNorte Film Festival Awards are a testament to the immense talent that thrives within our region,” she adds, “and we are committed to nurturing and promoting the arts in Dapitan.”
Indeed, the SineNorte Film Festival Awards night was a compelling affair, celebrating not only the award-winning filmmakers but also the dawning of a vibrant local filmmaking community.
With the success of this year’s festival, there is no doubt that SineNorte will continue to grow and become a prominent fixture, inspiring future generations of local filmmakers to tell their stories and share their unique voices with the world. (MT)
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