Prinsipe Sabong wins award at Houston filmfest

MANILA, Philippines – Prinsipe Sabong, a film about cockfighting won the prestigious Remi Award for Best Feature last April 27 at the 42nd WorldFest-Houston Independent International Film Festival.

Winning that award wasn’t easy for Prinsipe Sabong, considering that cockfighting was banned in the US in 2006 — and let’s not forget all the American animal rights groups out there. When you think about all it had going against it, it’s amazing that the movie was given its due recognition.

Luckily, the panel of judges at WorldFest saw Prinsipe Sabong for what it is. It is so much more than a movie about cockfighting — it is a celebration of cultural diversity.

Prinsipe Sabong stars Gardo Versoza as Joey Estevens, an actor who is also passionate about cockfighting. When his best gamecock loses to a breed of gamecock known only as prinsipe sabong, Joey becomes frantic, livid. Joey could not work and lost appetite as an actor. He was obsessed with the identity of prinsipe sabong and its whereabouts.

Prinsipe Sabong also stars Katya Santos as Celine Montemayor and Allan Paule as Jeffrey Stevens.

Prinsipe Sabong will receive the Bronze Best Picture award at the Mexico Film Festival on May 31.