Bisperas wins in Tokyo

MANILA, Philippines - Jeffrey Jeturian’s Bisperas (Trespassers) won the Best Asian-Middle Eastern Film award at the recent Tokyo International Film Festival held last Oct. 22 to 30. The award was for the films screened in the Winds of Asia-Middle East section which showcased panorama of films from the region. It came with $10,000 cash award. Bisperas is the first Filipino film to win this award.

Direk Jeffrey along with writer Paul Sta. Ana, costume designer/stylist Tessa Aquino and sales agent Ferdinand Lapuz represented Bisperas during the festival. They came back to Manila a few days before the festival ended.

The festival contacted direk Jeffrey last Oct. 28 if he could return to Tokyo last Saturday to receive his award yesterday. However, his Japanese visa was just a single entry and it was impossible for him to receive his award personally. The festival advised that he prepared a video message for the festival closing ceremony.

Bisperas won the Best Film, Best Actress (Raquel Villavicencio), Best Supporting Actress (Julia Clarete), Best Cinematography (Boy Yniguez) and Best Production Design (Digo Ricio) awards in the last Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival’s Director’s Showcase last July. It also features Tirso Cruz III, Jennifer Sevilla, Kimmy Maclang and Edgar Allan Guzman.

The other Filipino films shown in Tokyo were Marlon Rivera’s Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank (also produced by Quantum Films), Sheron Dayoc’s Halaw and Joven Ballesteros’ Colorum. Rivera was also in Tokyo for Septic Tank.

Bisperas was produced by Atty. Josabeth Alonso with Armando Lao as creative producer for the Cinemalaya Foundation and Quantum Films and was a 2011 project of the Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum.