Filipino Short Films Honoured at Third Juree Awards Philippines

Two outstanding Filipino short films, ‘Saint Nena!’ and ‘If Not (Kun ‘Di Man)’, were honoured at the third annual Viddsee Juree Awards Philippines, an annual industry pick award celebrating best short films from the Philippines. The awards ceremony was held on September 29 at Pineapple Lab in Poblacion, Makati. 

The Gold winner is Tim Rone Villanueva for ‘Saint Nena!’, a satire about a patron saint statue that springs to life, and is commanded by God to bear the Messiah with Manuel, a heartbroken boy. Made while Tim was a student in De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, the film has previously received numerous accolades, including Honourable Mention for Best Students' Short Film at the California International Film Festival X Davis Chinese Film Festival, 2018; and
Best Short Film (Student Category) at the CineFilipino Film Festival, 2018.
 

"In making this film, I wanted to tell the story of my hometown in Kawit, about God, religion and faith. Santa Nena! Is about human desires, and how it leads to chaos and how it has its own cunning ways to know our weakest spots,” said Tim. 

Phyllis Grae Grande was named the Silver winner for ‘If Not (Kun ‘Di Man)’, which revolves around two blind street singers who soon realise that their partnership goes beyond music.
 

"I had the idea for the film when I used to commute often, and would see these old people singing in the stations; ultimately the film is about love, and how it is something that can be found in so many places,” said Phyllis.

Lynn Ana Maria Lim also received a special mention for ‘The Sound of Silence’, a drama about a sex slave who tries to escape her captor. It was inspired by historical heroines Gabriela Silang, Melchora Aquino and Josefa Llanes Escoda.
The winners were picked by a jury comprising 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 were awarded film production grants worth PHP160,000 and PHP80,000 respectively. The Gold winner also won a five-day Global Film & TV Program in Los Angeles sponsored by the Motion Picture Association.
In addition to the grant, the Gold winner received a 14-day loan for RED Digital Cinema camera equipment with a five-lens set of ZEISS CP.3 Lenses, while the Silver winner received 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 Sachtler tripod system and Litepanels LED products provided by Vitec.
 

All ten finalists received a 12-month Creative Cloud All Apps subscription from Adobe. Aside from the main awards, the Audience Choice Award went to ‘The Pieces Of Gone Dreams’ by Cyrus Kim Balasabas. The winner was chosen following a public voting period from Sept
2-12.

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 Indonesia Awards Programme, as well as watch all nominated and other out-of-competition films for free on https://www.viddsee.com/channel/juree/philippines2019
 

Jury Citations for Viddsee Juree Awards Philippines 2019
 

Gold Winner

Winning Film: ‘Saint Nena!’ https://www.viddsee.com/video/saint-nena/ye4tt
Director: Tim Rone Villanueva

Citation by Jury: Tim Rone Villanueva's socio-religious satire hits us with the power of a freight train controlled by John Waters. With a kaleidoscopic and very biting point of view, ‘Saint Nena!’ hits all the right marks in spoofing telenovelas and religiosity with the hormone-fueled zaniness of teen sex comedies to paint a hilarious, at times cringe-worthy, provocative take on cultural
constraints.
 

Silver Winner

Winning Film: ‘If Not (Kun ‘Di Man)‘ https://www.viddsee.com/video/if-not/e0ewv
Director: Phyllis Grae Grande

Citation by Jury: This is a genteel, heartwarming story of two people who are ignored by society, but are able to find each other through the mutual admiration and tradition of Filipino love songs. Love can find you in the tiny corners of society, no matter how invisible you are to the ever-changing and fast-paced life of Manila.
 

Special Mention

Film: ‘The Sound of Silence’ https://www.viddsee.com/video/the-sound-of-silence/qw81y
Director: Lynn Ana Maria Lim
 

Citation by Jury: A film done at an ambitious scale, Lynn Ana Maria Lim's film is
impressive--from bucolic locations, costume design, production design, and direction--to produce a cogent story of female empowerment that is rooted in the violent history against women. It is an intergenerational tale that resonates even stronger today, as the new generation of woman rise against the patriarchy to continue the fight for gender parity and justice.