Foster Child wins Special Jury Award at Eurasia filmfest

Brillante Mendoza and I are currently attending the 26th Vancouver International Film Festival. Both his films Foster Child and Tirador along with Viva’s Imahinasyon are screening here. They were programmed by British film critic Tony Rayns.

We just got an e-mail from fourth Eurasia International Film Festival (held in Almaty, Kazakhstan) informing us that Foster won the Special Jury Award. Direk Mendoza just arrived from Kazakhstan last Thursday and flew to Vancouver the next day.

Here is the e-mail from Eurasia:

Dear Brillante!

Thank you for your participation at the festival. It was great to see you here! My congratulations, the Foster Child took a Special Jury Award! Film is brilliant, so it deserves such award!

Hope to meet you in sunny Almaty again in future!

My the best wishes,

Sincerely yours,

Alla Yeremeyeva

This is the second international award for Foster Child after winning the Best Actress award in New Delhi for Cherry Pie Picache.

I have closed a new deal for Foster Child for United Kingdom and Ireland. Preliminary meeting with Kahloon Loke of London-based Pecadillo Pictures was held during the Toronto International Film Festival. It was finalized two weeks ago.

This is the second major European acquisition of Foster Child. I also had a meeting with the executives of Ad Vitam in Toronto. They informed me that Foster Child will open theatrically in France in February next year.

Pecadillo acquired the rights for Foster Child which will include theatrical release in the UK and Ireland. This is the reason why direk Dante will be attending the London Film Festival next month as per request from both the festival and Pecadillo.

Pecadillo will arrange press interviews for direk Dante in preparation for the theatrical showing of Foster Child next year and to promote the DVD release of Masahista in the UK and Ireland.

This is the sixth international DVD release of Masahista. It has been released in North America (Picture This), France (Swift), Germany (Salzgeber), Taiwan (Joint Entertainment) and Spain (Eurocine). It had theatrical release in Germany and Taiwan.

In spite of being released in 2005, Masahista is still acquired by other territories. Two deals for Japan (Toyo/Cinesales) and Australia/New Zealand (Force Entertainment) were recently closed.

Tirador (Slingshot) has also been sold to Swift Distribution for France and French-speaking Benelux and Switzerland. Mendoza’s three films have been acquired for French distribution.

Both Foster Child and Tirador will screen at the Pusan International Film Festival which starts Oct. 4. Also screening are Auraeus Solito’s Pisay and Jim Libiran’s Tribu which will compete in the New Currents section.

Mel Chionglo’s Twilight Dancers has also been sold to Japan after being acquired in North America, France and Germany.

Roni Bertubin’s first feature film Sikil (Unspoken Passion) will have its world premiere at the Valencia International Film Festival in Spain in October. Sikil and Cris Pablo’s Moreno have also been sold for distribution in North America.

Adolfo Alix Jr.’s Kadin will compete in the Amiens International Film Festival in November. His first film Donsol is the country’s official submission for Best Foreign Film in the Academy Awards next year.

We are very grateful to the Film Development Council of the Philippines chairman Jacky Atienza and FDCP Festival Committee chairperson Christine Dayrit and executive director Lali Suzara. They have been supportive to the participation of Filipino films in international film festivals to help them acquire international sales. Ms. Suzara and FDCP export services group chairperson and CEB member Digna Santiago are attending the Pusan IFF in Korea.

Foster Child, Tirador, Pisay, Donsol, Kadin, Twilight Dancers, Sikil, Moreno and Masahista are represented by Ignatius Films Canada.