Viscan alum JP Corton and ABELS senior student Judah Torejas bags the Special Jury Prize for their film "Nalumos Akong Papa sa Sabaw", during the Sine Kabataan Film Festival held last Sep 22-24 at the Red Carpet Cinemas, Shangri-La Mall, Mandaluyong City, Philippines.
Inspired by the infamous Bisaya euphemism, Nalumos Akong Papa sa Sabaw tells the story of a young boy seeking answers as to the whereabouts of his estranged father while also looking for him in a bowl of soup, as he was convinced that his father actually drowned in the soup.
Their film, along with nine other short films from aspiring youth filmmakers hailing from different parts of the country, premiered during the course of the 3-day event, in line with the celebration of the 3rd Philippine Film Industry Month (PFIM).
In an interview with AMARANTH, Corton expressed his gratitude for the accolade as well as his experience working with Torejas – who was referred to him by Amaranth's former business manager, Angel Marie Llarenas, on writing the film's narrative. This happened after Torejas had worked on Amaranth’s horror short film SUNOD, directed by Linus Masandag, which premiered in November last year.
"Sa tinood lang, ang akong na feel kadtong nakadaog mi kay unreal kaayo, at the same time thankful sa Ginoo kay grabe ang favour na iya gihatag sa amoa sa whole process sa paghimo sa among salida. Nalingaw jud ko sa among process sa pagsuwat ni Judah— wala ko maglisud na siya akoang co-writer. Maayo kaayo siya og talented; layo pa ni siya og maabtan. Nanghinaot ko na makasuwat pami og mga salida puhon."
Corton also adds that he plans to pursue the film to local and international film festivals with the help of their production team, Archipelago, in hopes that it would inspire wider audiences.
"Ang plano sa akong producer kay e-apil siya og mga film festival local og international. Dako mi og pagsalig sa among salida nga layo jud ni og maabtan kay universal kaayo ang topic og theme [sa among salida]. Ang among gusto kay daghan pami og ma inspire og mapakatawa sa among lingaw nga salida."
The Sine Kabataan Short Film Lab and Film Festival is an annual filmmaking competition made by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) for young aspiring filmmakers who have inspiring and creative stories to tell that encourage their skills and ultimately shed light on social issues of today.