By Noel Sevillano Talacay
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos yesterday extended his congratulations to the young filmmakers who created the film “Sa Layag ng Bangkang Paurong” after bagging the Best International Documentary Film award in the recently concluded Fresh International Film Festival in Ireland.
“I want to congratulate the students from Alaminos City National High School in Pangasinan who created this award-winning film. They are proof that Filipino-made films are world-class,” said MMDA chairman Abalos, who is also a concurrent Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) chairman.
“Sa Layag ng Bangkang Paurong,” which depicts the challenges of students working as boatmen in Hundred Islands, a popular tourist spot in Pangasinan, have been recognized in the Children’s International Film Festival in Bangladesh and 3rd Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival in Japan.
Last March, it earned the Best Advocacy Statement and Best Documentary Film in the Streets to Schools National Film Competition of the Association of the Rights of Children in Southeast Asia.
The film was also sent to Newark International Film Festival in the United States; International Children’s Rights Film Festival in Istanbul, Turkey; Festival Film Bahari in West Java, Indonesia; Golden Tree International Documentary Festival in Hessen, Germany; and DYTIATKO International Children’s Media Festival in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Abalos found out that students who created the said documentary were participants in the MMFF’s student short film caravan.
With this, he invites student filmmakers to join the MMFF Student Caravan which will be made available online this year and participate in the short film competition to showcase their masterpieces.
MMFF Student Caravan is an avenue that provide students an opportunity to learn from distinguished filmmakers on the basics of filmmaking, cinematography, scriptwriting, acting, directing techniques, viability considerations in producing films, and other filmmaking aspects.
“Through the student short film competition, we give chance to our young filmmakers to have their works be seen by bigger audiences by pairing it together with full-length films,” he said.
