Three short films off the 2020 Cinemalaya lineup were selected as finalists for the very first short film competition of the Bangkok ASEAN Film Festival (BAFF).
On Aug. 27, the BAFF announced on their Facebook page the 15 films included in their inaugural short film competition and, yes, three entries are from the Philippines. These films are 2020 Cinemalaya alums “Excuse Me Miss, Miss, Miss” by Sonny Calvento, Special Jury Prize awardee “Ang Pagpakalma Sa Unos” (To Calm The Pig Inside) by Joanna Vasquez Arong and grand prize winner “Tokwifi” by Carla Pulido Ocampo.
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ขอแสดงความยินดีกับภาพยนตร์สั้น 15 เรื่องที่ได้รับเลือกเข้ารอบสุดท้ายในกิจกรรม…Posted by Bangkok ASEAN Film Festival on Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Organized by the Thailand Ministry of Culture, the BAFF aims to promote Southeast Asian films in the international community and we are more than pleased to know that these three Filipino short films made the cut. Each film tackles the country’s social issues and what we want to bring into the post-pandemic world.
“Excuse Me Miss, Miss, Miss” takes us back to the days when visiting shopping malls is still without hassle, but focuses on the struggles of contractual employees from the perspective of a department store saleslady. “Ang Pagpakalma sa Unos” bagged the Cinemalaya Special Jury Prize for its narrative about Typhoon Yolanda and its political aftermath through drawings, photos, news footage and on-the-ground videos.
“Tokwifi” a.k.a. Cinemalaya’s best film tells a love story inspired by a real Bontoc Igorot folktale of an Igorot man and a 1950’s actress trapped in a television set that fell from the sky. Aside from the fact that “Tokwifi” shows an uncanny similarity to our quarantine dating lives, its director explained that the narrative delves on how local television has been stereotypically portraying women characters throughout history and how mainstream media has been labeling Indigenous communities as “primitive” and “uncivilized.”
For those who have yet to see the films, we hope their nomination to the BAFF gives you that extra nudge to go watch them. The grand prize winner of the BAFF will receive a cash prize of 2,000 USD (P97,041) and a trophy. Other awards include Jury Prize and Special Mention which also include trophies and cash prizes of 1,000 USD (P48,520) and 500 (P24,260) USD, respectively.
While we’re still hoping that the BAFF organizers would consider international streaming platforms for the festival, they announced that it will take place on Sept. 3 to 6 at the SF World Cinema in Bangkok.
Screengrab from the “Excuse Me, Miss, Miss, Miss” trailer
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