UP Visayas students score big in Gawad CCP tilt

The students of the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV), under the tutelage of TV writer-turned-director Arden Rod Condez, won several awards at the recently-concluded 33rd Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video (Gawad Alternatibo) in the short feature and documentary categories.

A medium close-up shot of Jo-an, played by first-time actress Demee Louise Daypuyart, in Gutab.

In the short feature category, Kate Villanueva’s Manyaok bagged the first prize, while Andrea Palmares’ Gutab ranked second.

Kaya Guillen’s Camille Alone was awarded the special citation for acting for Katelyn Miñoso, while Mariah Vianca Quinesio’s Here not Here got an honorable mention.

Panambi by Myra Angeline Soriaso, Jane Mariane Biyo and Katya Marie Corazon Puertoliano snagged the top prize for the documentary category.

As per synopsis, Manyaok tells a story of Joy, who ventures around their town in search for the place “Manyaok” through her artwork as guide to celebrate her deceased mother’s birthday. She then meets three people who opened her eyes to the reality that the place she’s looking for does not exist. In the end, she finds something no artwork can ever explain, something a little closer to home.

Joy, played by Daniella Ardeño, presents her illustration of Manyaok to her sister who just came home from work.

Gutab, on the other hand, centers on two young women named Jo-an and Sabel, who live in a small provincial town. Jo-an is known for winning different local beauty pageants. She is the epitome of an innocent and beautiful young woman. Sabel is a mat weaver’s daughter and a free-spirited 18-year-old, who dreams to be free from certain societal constraints. Their last encounter together before Sabel leaves home urges Jo-an to make a life-changing decision.

Camille Alone revolves around 18-year-old Camille who finds herself unable to sleep after coming home from college because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She descends into restless desperation in the confines of her bedroom, disconnected from the rest of her family. Torn between nostalgia and loneliness, will she ever find peace again?

In Here not Here, viewers eavesdrop into the video chat of a couple as they talk about the pandemic, their wedding plans, their past and their relationship. Nigel Cruz and Dawn Garcia have been in a long-distance relationship which has been made worse by a pandemic. Will they fight for their struggling relationship or will they succumb to the comfort of just accepting things that are bound to end?

Camille Alone, directed by Kaya Guillen, stars Katelyn Miñoso.

Panambi, meanwhile, is about the fears of the indigenous community of the Tumandok in the island of Panay. It features the stories of bright memories of the past and the despair of having now as a mere memory of the future without a trace of justice, how they lived and what they lived for. A decades-long struggle is shot, one through the lens of a mother paralyzed by fear; another from a mother raged and moved by fear — both looking forward for a better tomorrow.

“The recent triumph of our students in the short film competition is proof we are moving closer to achieving the dream of placing UP Visayas at the forefront of the short film genre. Here’s my challenge to Ilonggos: Let’s make Iloilo City the short film capital of the Philippines!” said UPV Chancellor Prof. Clement Camposano in a statement.

One of the most intense scenes of Nigel Cruz and Dawn Garcia where the tension can still be felt after their argument in Here not Here

The victory, according to UPV Division of Humanities chairperson Prof. Jude Vincent, “underscores not only the continued growth of regional cinema in the Philippines but also of the significant role of the academe in honing and nurturing the creative minds of the students for them to be able to gain that ground in Philippine cinema.”

“The BA in Communication and Media Studies program of UP Visayas is the first in Western Visayas to offer film courses in the region — a major breakthrough in institutionalizing film in the regional academic setting. With the support of the UPV, the BA in CMS program through its students, faculty, and colleagues will always be determined to carve its own name in the Philippine cinema landscape,” he added.

The division will “continue to be an ally in promoting regional cinema in the Philippines and will continue to encourage and celebrate its students and colleagues in reaching higher grounds in local cinema.”

Arden, who is behind the award-winning drama John Denver Trending, is proud of what the students have achieved. “They made films for the first time, making them right in the middle of the pandemic. Art can genuinely persist even in times of trial. They had no budget to spend, and unlike student filmmakers in Manila, they also had no chance to get help from practicing professionals. But then they emerged victoriously.”

He also thanked Gawad Alternatibo and its jury who “saw the hard work of these students to develop their stories, construct a different storytelling structure, and bring their social voices forward.”

Arden hopes that this experience “can inspire the subsequent filmmakers from the regions, most especially from UP Visayas.”

Gawad Alternatibo is the longest-running independent film competition of its kind in the ASEAN Region. It features four categories such as short feature, documentary, animation and experimental.