USANT-PNSA's "Santigwar" won the Best Film award in the 1st Quisumbing-Escandor Film Festival in UP-Diliman
Source: Quisumbing-Escandor Film Festival for Health (QEFF)
As a response to the continuing plight of the medical and health situation of the Philippines, the Quisumbing-Escandor Film Festival was held last February 18-21, 2008 at the Cine Adarna of the University of the Philippines, Diliman. A brainchild of the Mu Sigma Phi Medical Fraternity of the College of Medicine of the University of the Philippines, in partnership with Health Futures Foundation, and the UP Film Institute, the film festival was conceptualized with the end goal of bringing into the limelight the many health issues of the country. With its theme “Malayo sa Bituka”, it showcased documentaries, short-narratives and experimental films that focused on the “interactions of socio-economic-cultural-political-environmental factors with health and general well-being.”
Its culminating event – the Quisumbing-Escandor Film Festival Awards and Gala Night – took place last February 21, 2008 at the PhilamLife Center for the Arts and was superbly hosted by Ms. Ma. Mercedes Robles, President of the Philippine Association of Communications Educators. Attended by prominent personalities from the media, arts, government, academe, and the medical profession, the night paid tribute to the best of amateur film-making. The presence of WHO representative Dr. John Juliard Go, Assistant Representative of the UN Population Fund Program to the Philippines Ms. Rena Doña, DOH Director for Human Resources and Development Dr. Kenneth Ronquillo, National Artist Napoleon Abueva, Chair of the Graduate Studies Department of the UP College of Mass Communication Dr. Arminda Santiago, and film director Toto Natividad, to name a few, further highlighted the grandeur and significance of the affair for various sectors of society and the arts.
Prominent speakers for the evening included President of the University of the Philippines Dr. Emerlinda R. Roman and Chair of the Center for Gender and Women Studies Dr. Anthony Cordero. Sherilyn Bruan of GMA-7, and Abner Mercado of ABS-CBN accepted the awards for Media and Health Advocacy on behalf of their respective broadcasting networks, in recognition of their invaluable contribution of documentaries to the film festival and to the Filipino people.
Among 37 entries, 7 films stood apart from the rest and were recognized for excelling in specific categories. The minor awards were conferred on 3 select films for the exemplary quality of specific technical aspects of the films. The Best Script award was given to Sean Philip Gerard T. Melendres and Jose Mari Parungao for their film Magaling. The documentary Lowbat, directed by Jeffrey Señir of the Bulacan State University, was doubly recognized as Best in Cinematography and Best in Editing. Finally, the experimental film Piring by JV Argañosa and Adrian Carlos, was conferred the Most Original Presentation award.
The major awards, on the other hand, were given to the best entries for specific categories and for the best over-all film of the festival. Rx: Agap, directed by King Mark P. Baco of Quezon City, won as the Best Experimental Film for its excellent display of visual analogs. The Best Short Narrative award went to Ambulancia, which was directed by Richard Soriano Legaspi and explores a painful twist in an ambulance driver’s belief that a dying patient can be saved by running over stray animals on the streets. Kasangkapan, by Carmelo Soberano of Marinduque State College was recognized as the Best Documentary of the festival, with its in-depth implication on the delivery of health care by the government. Finally, the Best Film award was bestowed upon Santigwar which tells of a story of a family in Iriga that lost a child because of lack of doctors and health professionals in the rural areas and their resort to superstitious practice of pagtatawas.
Major awardees received trophies designed by National Artist Napoleon Abueva along with cash prizes and plaques. The top 3 films received Php 50,000 each, and the Best Overall Film received Php 100,000.
Apart from the awarding ceremony, another highlight of the evening was the tribute to the memory and the families of Honorato L. Quisumbing and Juan B. Escandor, from whom the film festival was named after. The UP Medicine choir serenaded the audience after the tribute with a song for unity and peace in our country. The FEU Theater Guild also gave a superb performance in a satirical musical play that takes on the issues of proper and responsible mass media influence on our people.
The night ended with a cocktail party, held in the same venue, where the attendees were able to not only enjoy good food but also convene and talk more about the health issues of our country and what we can do about it. It was a night when health is really put in the limelight. The goal of the film festival and its post-film fest activities is to put health continuously in the limelight and bring together more contacts in this growing network of advocates for the health of the Filipinos.
such a remarkable legacy for anthonians..
yah right.. Aside from the prestige they also won 100k pesos. it was directed by gerald mendez, bsn batch 2007.