Silip@Lente (Silau), the official film organization of the Adamson University (AdU), in collaboration with the AdU Cultural Affairs Office, recognized the creativity and storytelling skills of promising student-artists at the recently concluded Realifilm 2023 | Haze of Truth: Underlying Gap of Life.
Themed Romanticizing Life and Social Issues, the competition challenged aspiring and amateur filmmakers from various schools, colleges and universities to utilize their talents in encapsulating current societal problems in 10-minute motion pictures.
The contest granted the Awards of Virtue to Chauncy Cruz and Vahn Leinard Pascual, both Digital Filmmaking (DFilm) students from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of New Media Arts.
Entitled Sa Mga Mata ng Bata, Cruz’ piece revolves around a spoiled elementary pupil whose father is an infamous local mayor. It tackles the impact of adult authority in shaping the values of a child, the understanding of good and evil and the weight of principles passed onto from one generation to the next. The work likewise earned the Silver Award and Silau’s Choice Award. Kenshin Lagutan earned the Best Actor title.
Pascual’s Hindi Kita Malilimutan narrates the story of a teenage girl who wishes to skip the last funeral day of her misogynistic and abusive father. A metaphor to a patriarchal, fascist and feudal political landscape, the psychological drama gives a glimpse of the rage, fear and gloom that comes with a victim’s trauma. It bagged the Bronze Award. The Best Cinematography was granted to Reeve Ducusin.
Czarina Sinio took home the Best Supporting Award for Malikmata. Fellow student-filmmaker Jean Evangelista’s piece follows a matriarch who claims to have seen an aswang, a shape-shifting creature from Philippine folklore, lurking around their house. Evangelista used the imagery of the grotesque being to depict the horrifying realities of land-grabbing and highlight the importance of saving the environment from selfish political interests.
For more information about Realifilm and for the complete list of winners, visit Silau at https://www.facebook.com/silipatlenteadu.
