2 Pinoy indie films win awards in Brussels

11Nov09

Mike Sandejas’ “Dinig Sana Kita” won the Grand Prize Award for Special Competition-International Deaf Section while Lou Veloso of the film “Colorum” was hailed as the best actor for International Competition in the recent 36th Brussels International Film Festival (BIFF).

The award came as a big surprise for Sandejas who admitted winning wasn’t his goal for joining BIFF.

“I joined Brussels International Film Festival because I want to know how foreign films designed for deaf and mute audiences are done and I was really hoping I could learn from them. But it looks like they were the ones who learned from me”, he said.

Despite the award, Sandejas expressed his frustrations over Filipino audience’s reception of Indie Films.

“Madaming magagandang indie films sa Pilipinas, na galing ng Pilipinas. Di lang kasi nila subukan. Subukan lang nila, magugulat sila sa quality ng mga pelikulang ginagawa natin na independent, tapos I’m sure na mahu-hook na sila after that,” he said.

He even cited that movie aficionados in the Philippines still prefer the so called melodramas, but he encouraged everyone to believe in Pinoy indie films which have been considered as better films by different International award giving bodies.

“May tinatawag na Filipino new wave cinema kasi ito yung bagong wave ng cinema na tinatangkilik ng ibang bansa. Ang malungkot dyan di pa rin tayo pinapanuod ng mga kababayan natin sa Pilipinas. Sana naman maisip nila na siguro naman maganda yung mga pelikulang ito dahil nananalo ng award,” he added.

But more than the citations and awards, Sandejas affirmed that as a Filipino artist, nothing beats the appreciation of fellow Filipinos.

Just the same, he assured everyone that directors and actors of Pinoy Indie films shall continue making good films.

The films

“Dinig Sana Kita” is a story of a hearing-impaired young man who loves to dance but keeps searching for his mom who abandoned him when he was still little, and a girl who likes to sing but has family issues to live with.

Little did they know that their love for music will bind them together, and their friendship, would help them conquer their fears.

“Colorum”, on the other hand, is a story of a young idealistic policeman and a 70-year-old ex-convict who is trying to be reunited with his son. Never in their wildest dreams did they think that their paths would cross.