A short film made by students of Digital Filmmaking program of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde won four major awards at the second annual SineNanay Film Festival held at the Philippine Women’s University Concert Hall on Taft Avenue on Dec. 16.
Uyayi won Best Director (Alda Dalisay), Best Cinematography (Francis Jimenez and Ernestine Joice Bay), Best Sound and Best Production Design (Elaiza Rivera, Robin Estargo and Neil Reyes).
Dalisay, Bay and Rivera came up with the story of a first-time mother trying to figure out how to become a caring mother despite being placed in a dire situation. Their entry is one of 120 concepts received by festival organizer Make Your Nanay Proud Foundation from 11 universities and colleges in Metro Manila.
“While brainstorming, I wondered how mothers inside the prison take care of their child(ren), especially those who lived on the streets, got pregnant early and did not have an idea on how to take care of a baby,” Dalisay recalled.
The SineNanay Festival Committee, composed of Festival Director Arnold Reyes, MYNP Managing Director and Festival Secretariat Head Bemz Benedito and MYNP Admin Officer and Festival Coordinator Michelle Fabunan, trimmed down the enries to 27.
The selection committee, composed of ABS-CBN Creative Head Henry King Quitain, independent filmmakers Zig Dulay and Maricel Cariaga, screenwriter Jerry Gracio and award-winning playwright Rody Vera, eventually decided on the 10 finalists. The finalists were then invited to undergo consultation sessions with Gawad CCP awardee and television and film director Nick Olanka.
Internationally acclaimed filmmakers Hannah Espia and Mikhail Red, writer/producer Moira Lang, Cinema One Originals channel head Ronald Arguelles, TV and film director Mac Alejandre, editor/filmmaker Tara Illenberger, and award-winning actors Angeli Bayani and Sid Lucero comprised the SineNanay festival jury.
Life in Videos directed by Dawn Rae Nicole Capales of Angelicum College won Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Ensemble Performance. Silent Hope, another Benildean entry by Multimedia Arts students Raymond de Vera, Tristan Yapchiongco, Ellice Zheng, Wayne Garcia and Julia Viray, won Best Actor for Jeremie Raizen.
Tatay na si Nanay by Errianne Rojo of the University of the Philippines-Diliman won Best Actress for Christine Calawod, while Paskil ni Inay by Royce Kim Listana of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines won Best Supporting Actor for Miguel Medenilla.
Benilde film student Martin Mayuga’s short musical Rosa at Linda also made it as one of the SineNanay finalists.
“The film festival is a tribute to all mothers and a celebration of a child’s love for his/her mother,” Benedito said. SineNanay aims to encourage college students to explore, interpret and capture images of the different aspects of motherhood. Students used their mobile phones and tablets to create films honoring mothers.
MYNP Founder and Chairman Boy Abunda believes in the transformative role that mothers play in the society. Inspired by his own mother, Nanay Lesing, he put up the foundation and came up wity its projects. MYNP Council of Advisers member, APT Entertainment co-owner and executive and TAPE Inc. President and CEO Tony Tuviera serves as the festival’s patron.