In line with UP Cinema’s 10th year celebration, Kontra: The Alternative Film Project sought to encompass that decade by challenging student filmmakers to shoot outside the box.
On its 6th year, KONTRA successfully pushed each of the participants to define stories, deflect norms, and defy boundaries through producing five-minute films with three key ingredients in a span of a week.
The event happened last May 30, 2015 at Dito: Bahay ng Sining. This year, participants came from different colleges and universities in Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Quezon, Pampanga, Baguio, and Ilocos Norte. In the end, ten films and one wild card entry were chosen to screen their films and have a live critiquing with three notable judges in the industry.
The judges were Yason Banal (works shown at the Tate, Frieze Art Fair, and IFA Berlin, among many others, and is currently a professor at the University of the Philippines Film Institute), Raymond Red (“Anino” (Shadows), “Himpapawid” (Manila Skies), “Kamera Obscura” which won best direction and the special jury prize in the 2012 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.), and Paul Soriano (“A Journey Home”, “Thelma”, and “Kid Kulafu”. He also produced “Transit”, which one big at the 2013 Cinemalaya Film Festival and became Philippines’ entry to the 86th Academy Awards).
The finalists were:
“A Dog Named Bantay”
by Carlo Tarobal, Gary Patawaran, Lehner Mendoza
University of the Philippines Diliman
“Anyag”
Ena Legaspi
Far Eastern University
“Hulahoops”
Josel Fajardo
Far Eastern University
“Hung Hang”
Rafhael Evangelista, Kerubin Kevin Policarpio
Far Eastern University
“Kibkib”
James Beriso Leocadio
University of the Philippines Diliman
“Kuya Odep”
Emmanuel Francis Zosa, Marc Austin Gabat
iACADEMY
“Mulat Clara”
Darren Bacani
Malayan Colleges of Laguna
“Pepper”
Benjamin Felicitas
San Sebastian College
“Spectrum”
Richmond Cadsawan
Far Eastern University
Wild Card:
“Hungry Games”
Ana Palma, Jesa Paquibot
University of the Philippines Baguio
The deliberation with the judges happened right after the screening of all eleven films, followed by the awarding of winners. Emmanuel Francis Zosa and Marc Austin Gabat from iACADEMY won the audience choice award for their film, “Kuya Odep.” From Malayan Colleges of Laguna, Darren Bacani won the Most Creative Use of Ingredients award for his film, “Mulat Clara.”
Finally by a unanimous decision, the award for Best Film was given to James Beriso Leocadio from the University of the Philippines Diliman for his film, “Kibkib.”
CHECK THIS OUT!
THE TEA-RRIFIC TEA CONFECTIONS BY SERENITEA
SPOTIFY REVEALS THE MOST POPULAR WEDDING SONG
