Vilma, Tsuper Hero winners at IndieFEST

MANILA, Philippines - Vilma Santos (left), as Loida Malabanan in Ekstra (The Bit Player), won the Award of Merit Special Mention for Lead Actress, and Tsuper Hero (Filipino Jeepney Driver/Hero), a short film by Ernest John Talusan (right) an Award of Merit in the 7th IndieFEST Film Awards in La Jolla, California, USA.

Other international actresses who won the Award of Merit Special Mention for Lead Actress were Kris Torhaug and Natalie Neilson for Chasing Rainbows (USA), Corinna Coroneo for La Scultura (Italy) and Jenny Lampa for The Break-in (Sweden).

The 11-minute Tsuper Hero “tells the difficulties of a Filipino jeepney driver (played by real-life jeepney driver Radfol Pilones) earning enough money to send his daughter to college even if he ends up risking his own life.” It will be screened in the 8th Tottering Biped Film Festival in Burlington, Canada, March 6 to 7.

A global film competition for cinematic gems and unique voices, and promoting filmmakers to a global audience, the film awards was established in 2009 “to give talented directors, producers, actors, creative teams and new media creators the positive exposure they deserve.”