Filipino director Rafael Manuel bagged the top prize in one of Asia’s largest short film festivals held in Kyodo, Japan recently.
“Filipiniana” directed by Manuel won the ‘George Lucas’ Award – also known as the Grand Prix award – in this year’s week-long Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia that was held in Tokyo in a hybrid format during the pandemic.
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The 24-minute film depicts the social divisions of society by highlighting a young girl newly-employed at a golf course and her search for loopholes to challenge the system.
Manuel expressed his gratitude in his online speech during the festival’s closing ceremony. He also noted the need for cinema to emphasize on empathy and patience in remaining connected amidst the pandemic.
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The Short Shorts film festival s the only international short film event of its kind in Asia that is eligible to nominate four films to compete in the following year’s Academy Awards. The event began on June 11 with screenings at venues in Tokyo and online amid the pandemic.
Meanwhile, an award recognizing films shot on smartphones was given to “viewers:1” directed by Yosuke Kobayashi and Daigo Hariya under a new smartphone film competition category established by the festival for the first time this year. (AW)
