Bulakenyos win top plums at Art Filmfest

MANILA, Philippines - Two young Bulakenyo filmmakers grabbed major awards at the recently-concluded eighth Art Film Festival held at the Philippine Women’s University.

Herwin Cabasal, 26, from Hagonoy won the Best  Director award for his short film Viscera, while Joana Marie Bautista of Bulacan State University took home the Best Screenplay award for her film Sergio.

Marianito Dio of De La Salle University-Lipa City received the Best Short Film award for Sarong Adlaw.

“I’m overwhelmed. It’s really a surprise. I didn’t know I will win,” said Herwin who also works as a segment producer at ABS-CBN.

As a new filmmaker, he said he used to search for all kinds of film competitions here and abroad.

“I always do that. I keep on looking for possible opportunities, until one day I browsed the Net and learned about the Art Film Festival,” he said.

Cabasal also joined last year but his entry did not win.

“The truth is, it doesn’t matter whether you win or not. The fact that your films have been screened to a crowd or sets of audience, your hard work has already paid off. From the very beginning, it has always been the purpose of filmmaking — create them then show them to your audience and let them react the way they want to or the way you want,” he said. 

Herwin also said that his winning entry this year, was his film thesis to Asia Pacific Film Institute. It drew inspiration from rumors that internal organs of abducted children were removed.

For young filmmakers, Herwin said, “just get your camera and shoot. There’s no such thing as right timing. The best time is now. And that now is the beginning of everything.”

Aside from his entry, 40 others were submitted to the Art Film Festival organized by the PWU Independent Film Group. Of the 40 entries, 10 made it to the finals.

The seven other finalists were Chizbarger by Karen Eve Parilla of the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA; Flatline by Harold Cruz of the Bulacan State University (BSU); Garapon by Ramon Villegas Jr. of BSU; Hando by Martika Ramirez of University of the Philippines Diliman; Her Eyes Do Feel You by John Erwin Padilla of the Far Eastern University; Kung Ano Ang Alam Ng Manok (O, Ang Walong Yugtong Pighati) by Ramon Nino Raquid of UP; NXX-704 by Jaime Jacob of BSU.