Diane Ventura

Filipina director reaps accolades for European obra

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

As one of the Ani ng Dangal recipients of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA,) in 2021, the multi-awarded European obra of Filipino filmmaker Maria Diane Ventura, “Deine Farbe (Your Color),” continues to reap honors as it clinched its most recent wins -- Best German feature at the Berlin Film Festival (Filmhaus) and Best Director at the International Film Festival Manhattan  (IFFM) in New York. 

Moreover, the said movie also received the Best Actor recognition - given to Nyamandi Adrian - at the IFFM; while the Best Supporting Actor citation was awarded to Jannik Schumann at the Filmhaus fest. 

Asked which among the citations she was most proud of, Ventura said, “I was proud to have premiered the film at Hofer Filmtage being such a respected institution in Germany amongst more prominent directors. I was also honored to receive the Ani ng Dangal from NCCA this year. I would say that having won Best German Feature at the recently concluded Filmhaus Fest was also an affirming recognition as it was aligned with my goals as a filmmaker, which is to break barriers and unite people through storytelling. For a Philippine production to win Best German Feature was for me not just an accomplishment for the film but a validation of the very reason I got into filmmaking in the first place.”

As of the latest count, “Deine Farbe” has already won 22 awards from film festivals across the continents of Asia, Australia, Europe, and America, including the following: 

- Best German Feature and Best Supporting Actor from Filmhaus Berlin 2021; 

- Best Director and Best Actor from IFFM, New York 2021; 

- Debut Award from Diorama International Film Festival, New Delhi, India 2021; 

- Best Feature Drama, Best Director, and Best Actor from Queen Palm International Film Festival, Palm Springs, 2021;  

- Best Performer and Best Editing from G Biennale, Australia, 2020; 

- Best Director and Best Actor from Calella Film Festival Barcelona, 2020; 

- Best Woman Filmmaker and Best Narrative Feature from Vegas Movie Awards, 2020; 

- Best Ensemble Cast from Couch Film Festival, Los Angeles, 2020;

- Best Cinematographer from the Canadian Cinematography Awards, 2021;

- Best Feature from Canadian Cinematography Awards, 2021; and

- Best Picture, Best Lead Actor, and Best Supporting Actor from Skiptown Playhouse Int’l Festival, Hollywood 2021

The film premiered last year at Hofer Filmtage, one of the most important film festivals in Germany, and was a finalist at the JellyFest in Los Angeles in 2021, while landing in the list of official selections at the following prestigious international film festivals all over the world: Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, 2021; European Cinematography Awards, 2021; L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain 2021; New York Cinematography Awards, 2021; Amerta Film Festival, Turkey 2021; Soho International Film Festival, New York 2020; Cardiff International Film Festival 2020; Festival Internacional de Cinema de Lleida Visual Art, Spain 2020; Lonely Wolf Film Festival, London 2020; New York Movie Awards, 2020; Gold Movie Awards, London 2020; Lift Off Los Angeles; Paris Lift Off Festival 2020; and Cyrus Festival, Toronto 2020. 

“Deine Farbe (Your Color)”  is available for streaming in 68 countries via Amazon Prime Video.

 It is set to premiere in the Philippines on Dec 8 via the WeTv and iFlix platforms. 

Of all the awards her film had been receiving, Ventura said, “If only to bring honor and pride to the country, I am very grateful - to represent, as these awards and accolades are enough motivation for me. 

"Perhaps I only speak for myself, but in this industry where pragmatism is not exactly a priority, being acknowledged for your work helps silence or mitigate deafening doubts. They encourage me to keep writing the stories I feel compelled to tell, even if doing so sometimes goes beyond all reason. That there is even one person that believes in your work can make the difference between holding on or giving up altogether.” 

Ventura’s filmmaking goal goes beyond being recognized for her talent. She says, “Of course, as a producer, my initial wish was to recoup, find an audience as diverse as our own production crew and gain profit. But if I really reflect upon it, essentially, my dream for ‘Deine Farbe’ has already been achieved, which is to open doors for opportunities to collaborate with people from different backgrounds and to find harmony despite the disparities in culture, values, language and thought processes. So I'd like to think anything else we get out of this, on top, is already a bonus.” 

“Deine Farbe (Your Color),” written, directed, and produced by Ventura herself, is a tale of friendship between two young men who leave their German hometown for a freer life in majestic Barcelona, where fate and choices threaten their once unbreakable bond. It is a multi-cultural production from Europe, Asia, and America. The movie stars established German actors Jannik Schümann (The Aftermath and Monster Hunter) as Karl, and Nyamandi Adrian (Tribes of Europa) as Albert, Juan Carlos Lo Sasso (Another Cloudy Day) as Julio, and Romina Küper (Baby Bitchka) as Kristina.