The Kapuso network brings honor to the country anew as it baggeds four medals and seven certificates at the 2016 US International Film & Video Festival for various News and Public Affairs and Entertainment programs.
GMA Network is the only Philippine TV network to win in this year’s festival.
Leading the list of winners this year were Alamat and Reel Time, which were both Best of Festivals nominees and winners of Gold Camera Award.
The first-ever Pinoy animated anthology series Alamat earned the Gold Camera Award in the Entertainment: Children category for its “Alamat ng Bayabas (The Legend of the Guava)” episode. The groundbreaking show marks the first time the network ventured into a full animation series. The series, which began airing last year, features Philippine myths and legends with each episode voiced by various Kapuso personalities. It is currently on its second season.
GMA News TV’s documentary program Reel Time, meanwhile, received the Gold Camera Award for its episode “Isang Paa sa Hukay (The Price of Gold)” in the Public Affairs Programs category. It documented the small-scale mining in Camarines Norte, where children dive into narrow shafts using air compressor to support their breathing, just to mine very little pieces of gold.
This already serves as the third international citation for Reel Time’s “Isang Paa sa Hukay” documentary this year. It was named as Best Program on “Promoting Children’s Rights” under the Humanity category at the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD)’s World Television Awards. It also took home the bronze award in the Human Concerns category at the recent New York Festivals.
GMA’s top-notch documentary program I-Witness was conferred the Silver Screen Award for its “Kawayang Pangarap (Bamboo Dreams)” episode in the Documentary Programs: Biography category. Kara David followed an Aeta family’s everyday toil of hauling bamboos just to have all children finish their education.
Investigative public affairs program Reporter’s Notebook also won a Silver Screen Award in the Public Affairs category for its “Hikbi sa Ibayong Dagat (Far From Home)” episode. Maki Pulido and Jiggy Manicad took a closer look at the ironic stories of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong who continue to work despite having serious illnesses because going home means losing their jobs and facing the expensive cost of medical treatment in the Philippines.
GMA also took home seven certificates for its various News and Public Affairs and Entertainment TV programs.
Brigada (“Para sa Pangarap”), Front Row (“Maestra Salbabida”), and Investigative Documentaries (“Gutom”) each earned a Certificate for Creative Excellence in the Social Issues category. Karelasyon’s “Tres Rosas” and Wagas’ “Gabriela and Diego Silang Love Story” were given Certificates for Creative Excellence in the Docudrama category.
Meanwhile, GMA ETV programs Pepito Manaloto and Idol sa Kusina received Certificates for Creative Excellence in the Cooking and Comedy categories, respectively.
Since 1967, the US International Film & Video Festivals continues to recognize outstanding corporate, education, entertainment, documentary, and student productions.