Brillante Mendoza

 Acclaimed Filipino director honored in foreign filmfest

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

Multi-awarded Filipino filmmaker Brillante Mendoza traipsed through the crossroads of Europe and Asia, from Moscow - where be headed a panel of jurors at a filmfest - to another filmfest in Turkey to receive accolades as an accomplished filmmaker at the International Bosphorus Filmfest (IBFF), otherwise known as the Istanbul Ulurararasi Bogazici Festival.

In its Web site, the organizers wrote that the purpose of the IBFF, to be held by the Bogazici Cinema Association, is to contribute to the development of motion pictures that have ethical, aesthetical, and technological integrity in Turkey and in the world, to support young producers and directors materially and morally in producing new movies - to keep the idea of promise of the country's cinema with an identity or the agenda - and to perform the necessary activities to that end, as well as to promote Turkish cinema both locally and internationally.

The feature film category, with entries of at least 75 minutes long, had recipients of Best Film (50,000), Best Director (15,000), Best Actor (10,000), Best Actress (10,000), Best Cinematography (7,500), Best Screenplay (7,500), and Best Editing (7,500). All the monetary awards were in Turkish Lira.

Moreover, the Ahmet Ulakay grand prize of £25,000 plus a golden dolphin trophy was given to the Best Short Film (maximum of 20 minutes long) in the festival. The award winning directors were all obliged to attend the ceremony. An award earned (by a nominee) was not given to those who did not participate in the ceremony, even if they win a category.

The recently concluded 43rd Moscow Film Festival, on the other hand, ran from April 22 through 29. Judging 14 main competition entries, Mendoza headed a jury comprised of Serbian producer Milos Bimovic, Brazilian director Karim Ainouz, and Russian writers/directors Nigina Sayfulaeva and Yuri Poteenko. 

Among Mendoza's many achievements was winning the Best Director in the Cannes Film Festival of 2009 for his film "Kinatay," outpacing frontrunner Quentin Tarantino who helmed "Inglorious Basterds." And in receiving the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury in the 2015 edition of the Cannes Film Festival for his acclaimed film project, "Taklub." He was also the winningest director and producer in the 2019 edition of the annual Metro Manila Film Festival for his entry "Mindanao," that starred Judy Ann Santos and Allen Dizon, who both won the top acting honors.

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