'Apparition' bags Hawaii International Film Festival

MANILA -- A Filipino film production, "Apparition," bagged the Hawaii International Film Festival's (HIFF) prestigious NETPAC Award 2012 given on October 16 awarding ceremony held at the Governor's Mansion, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday.

Starring Jodi Sta. Maria and Mylene Dizon, the film about a nun balancing her religious and political beliefs bested 226 other films from over 41 countries, the department said.

The NETPAC Award or Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema is given only at select international film festivals around the world to only one exceptional film from the Asia Pacific.

NETPAC is presented annually at the Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Rotterdam, Pusan, Singapore, Taiwan, Yamagata, Amiens, and Hawaii International Film Festivals.

DFA said two Filipino productions were also in the running for HIFF's two other top awards – Bwakaw for Best Narrative Feature and Harana for Best Documentary Feature.

Both films gave way to foreign productions – Key of Life (Japan) and Where Heaven Meets Hell (Indonesia/US), respectively.

The production teams of Harana and Bwakaw, who attended the ceremonies, said that being nominated was honor and commendation enough considering the number of films in contention.

Directors Benito Bautista of Harana and Jun Lana of Bwakaw expressed pride for having been given the chance to showcase Filipino film talent in a huge international festival such as the HIFF.

Receiving the award for "Apparition" was Deputy Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes, who in his acceptance speech stressed the importance of cinema as a tool to understand other ethnicities' perceptions, thoughts, moral values, social norms, and culture, thereby further promoting peaceful co-existence among peoples. (SDR/Sunnex)