Sinulog Film Festival Awards Night

Text by Jem Felicilda
Photos by Joan Navaja

FULLY packed seats with talented artists gathered to witness this year’s Sinulog Film Festival Awards Night last January 31 at the SM Cebu City Cinema One.

Now on its 11th year, the Sinulog Film Festival continued to make a place for film makers and film enthusiasts to explore the world, make a story out if it and share it.

In his welcome speech, Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella said Cebu City has abundant, competitive Cebuano films with such skilled and brilliant actors and actresses. As such, there is a need for the Cebuano film industry to be revived.

For the music video category, “Combo Lata” by POH 2 grabbed the first prize, while the video documentary “Dare to Live” of Rolando Pascua reaped almost all awards. Named Best Video Documentation of the year, the film is about children diagnosed with cancer and how they strive to survive. Ara Chawdurry’s “Operation Prutas,” a story about miracles, won first prize in the Short Film Category.

The event was hosted by Phoebe Kaye Fernandez and Vince Escario. Assisting them in announcing the winners for each category were Miss Cebu 2015 winners.

Members of the judging panel include Nestor Jardin, former head of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Vic Acedillo Jr., an independent Filipino filmmaker, CCP’s artistic director Cris Millado, Erlito Reyes, 26th Gawad CCP winner, and Ron Heri Tan, chairman of the Sinulog 2014 Short Film Festival Committee.