Family time means lights, camera, bonding

MANILA, Philippines - The challenge was to make three-minute films that would effectively convey the importance of reconnecting with the family during mealtimes. The top winners in two categories would get P100,000 each, The pool of filmmaking talent that the contest attracted was so extensive that more than 150 entries were received. Eventually, however, the judges had to determine the top 10 finalists before they could choose two overall winners.

After the films were reviewed for content, quality, and effectiveness in relaying the message of shared meals as a means of promoting family togetherness, the top winners of the Lucky Me! short film competition were named: John Emmanuel Salazar, a Fine Arts major and his team of 12 students from the Technological University of the Philippines for the Student Category; and Mary Char Bey de Castro for the Filmmaking Enthusiast Category. Salazar’s film called Ina, Kapatid, Ama is about the enduring love of a grandmother for a grandson that she raises to adulthood, while de Castro’s film titled Aida deals with overcoming childhood hurts and past regrets and then moving forward to better times through forgiveness. The latter features veteran actress Anita Linda.

Other winners in the Student’s Category were Payo by Stephen Migallen Jr. (second place), Lola by Bravewell Madera (third), Lucky We by Amber Acosta (fourth), and Handog by Mark Joseph Cruz (fifth place.)

In the Filmmaking Enthusiast Category, second prize went to Cedes Tanchuling for 7PM, third went to Chloe Veloso for Agahan, and fourth and fifth place went to Rap Ramirez (Ate) and Jessie Juarez (Rewind), respectively.

The winners were selected by a panel of judges that included Senator Bam Aquino, actress Carmina Villarroel, GMA Network CEO Gilberto “Jimmy” Duavit, TV host Kris Aquino, prominent advertising figure  Minyong Ordoñez, Monde Nissin Corporation’s vice president of consumer division  Ruffy Tiam-Lee, chief entertainment and content officer of TV5 Wilma Galvante, and literary writer, film critic,  and Philippine STAR editor Juaniyo Arcellana, among others. 

This year’s film competition is part of the  Kainang Pamilya Mahalaga (KPM)  advocacy of  Lucky Me! under Monde Nissin Corporation.  First started in 2007, the campaign aims to remind parents  that while making regular shared  meals entails some effort on their part, being together during mealtimes can have a positive impact on the life of each member of the family.

“The advocacy finds its roots in studies which show how the regularity of sharing meals with the family helps raise secure, confident, and well-adjusted children,” explains Gen dela Peña, Monde Nissin Corp. media and public relations manager. “Kids face many difficult situations and realities — from struggles in school, to the lure of destructive behavior — but they are able to adjust and cope better if their parents are actively involved in their lives.”

Dela Peña notes that the excessive use of various forms of gadgets tends to hinder communication,  so that the irony of our current situation is that although the family is physically together, they may be unable to effectively communicate because they are to engrossed with their devices — playing games, calling and texting on their mobile phones, or browsing social media sites.Thus, dela Peña stresses, “KPM urges Filipinos to turn their hapag-kainan into a hapag-usapan. The advocacy is campaigning for Filipinos to ‘switch-off’ their gadgets and ‘switch-on’ mealtime togetherness.”

Why choose to hold a filmmaking contest this year?

“Every year, we look for creative ways to get people involved in the campaign,” says dela Peña. “We decided to focus on the issue of distractions at the dinner table and we wanted to tap the younger, tech-savvy generation to come up with impactful and relevant reminders that you can never replace the time you spend with your family.”

While they shared common ideas, all the winning entries were original. Likewise, each successfully told a coherent story.  But what was most surprising, perhaps, was the creativity of the filmmakers who come from such diverse backgrounds. John Salazar, for example, is a  fourth year Fine Arts major, while Rap Ramirez is a nurse who has chosen to pursue a master’s degree in Media Studies at the University of the Philippines. Cedes Tanchuling is a medical doctor who hopes to specialize in surgery. She shares that the film 7PM was started three days before the contest deadline. She intends to donate the prize money to her favorite charities — KALFI (Kalinangan Youth Foundation Inc) and PFCED (Philippine Foundation for Cultural and Educational Development.). Her prize money will be put to good use to encourage students and young professionals to take time out and give of themselves to the marginalized sectors of society through values education and poverty intervention programs.

Clearly, some of the talented people who have joined this year’s contest are extending the boundaries of what we all should consider “family.”