Viddsee announces finalists in third annual Juree Awards Philippines 2019

Ten courageous and creative stories have been selected as finalists for the third Viddsee Juree Philippines, a festival of short films that celebrates and supports filmmaker communities in Asia.

The nominated films were submitted by a range of independent filmmakers, from experienced directors like Arvin Belarmino (‘El Pablo’, ‘Suez’) and Phyllis Grae Grande (‘Everybody Leaves’) to fresh graduates such as Al-jhun Virgo and Tim Rone Bagnas Villanueva, as well as university students Claudette Chiong and Jessa Doydora. These new and upcoming talents come from different schools such as, De La Salle University, De La Salle-College Of St. Benilde, Far
Eastern University, the University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, University of San Carlos - Cebu, and Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

The films cover a wide range of subjects, from love, religion, and familial ties to abuse and sexuality, and are told across various genres of comedy, horror, and drama. Among them include a comedy about a young couple attempting to have sex for the first time (‘Come On’, directed by Al-jhun Virgo), two blind musicians who come to realise their love for each other (‘If Not’, directed by Phyllis Grae Grande), a fantastical love story between a patron saint and a young boy (‘Santa Nena’, directed by Tim Rone Villanueva), and a father who is forced to
confront his shortcomings when he finds himself trapped in a room with his daughter (‘Shackles’, directed by Arvin Belarmino).

Other entries in the top ten are ‘Niño’ by Miguel Pascua, ‘Felisa’ by Shim Mellord Abrio, ‘Refraction’ by Isabella Policarpio, and ‘The Sound of Silence’ by Lynn Ana Maria Lim. “This year’s entries showcase what Filipino filmmakers are capable of in making films that resonate with audiences in new and surprising ways. It was encouraging to see a diverse range of filmmakers -- many of them who are still new to the industry -- approach their subjects with a deep sense of care, maturity, and attention to craft,” said Viddsee’s community manager, Luigene Yanoria.

 

A Festival For Filmmakers at Pineapple Lab

The winners will be announced on September 29 in an awards ceremony at the Pineapple Lab, Poblacion Makati. Prior to the ceremony, Viddsee will be organising a three-day Juree Philippines Awards Programme from September 27-29 at the same venue, and will feature a number of activities including talks, and screenings that are open to the public. Among the panel discussions include best practices for freelance filmmakers, how filmmakers expands across the
region, and the rising influence of Asian cinema in global culture.

Two top entries will be named Gold and Silver winners, who will be picked by an international panel of judges that comprises the Artistic Director for the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF), Anderson Le; established Filipino producer and film director Baby Ruth Villarama; and Lucky Kuswandi, one of Indonesia’s most exciting young directors. Gold and Silver winners will be awarded film production grants worth PHP160,000 and PHP80,000 respectively. The Gold winner will also win a five-day Global Film & TV Program in Los Angeles sponsored by the Motion Picture Association.

In addition to the grant, the Gold winner will receive a 14-day loan for RED Digital Cinema camera equipment with a five-lens set of ZEISS CP.3 Lenses, while the Silver winner will receive a 14-day loan of RED Digital Cinema camera equipment and the ZEISS Light Weight Zoom LWZ.3 21-100mm lens. Gold and Silver winners will also receive a 14-day loan for a Sachtler tripod system and Litepanels LED products from Vitec. All ten finalists will receive a 12-month Creative Cloud All Apps subscription from Adobe.
 

Aside from the main winners, finalists and out-of-competition films can also vie for the Audience Choice Award, which will be picked based on the most number of ‘likes’ it receives on Viddsee.com. The voting period for the Audience Choice Awards is held from September 2 to 12.

The annual Juree Awards initiative debuted in Indonesia in 2016, and expanded to include the Philippines in 2017, and Singapore in 2018. Find out more about the Juree Awards at https://www.viddsee.com/channel/juree.

The public can learn more about the Juree Philippines Awards Programme, as well as watch all nominated and other out-of-competition films for free on https://www.viddsee.com/channel/juree/philippines2019