Baguio City, Philippines – The Montañosa Film Festival (MFF) 2024 concluded on a high note as “Ino,” a captivating documentary shedding light on the life of a young balut vendor in Cauayan City, Isabela emerged victorious, clinching the Festival Grand Prize plus five other awards.
Directed by Ranniel Semana, “Ino” surpassed 21 other entries from Documentary, Narrative, and Mobile categories to claim the prestigious accolade.
“Ino” chronicles the daily struggles and triumphs of its titular character Santino Aggabao, a spirited young vendor who navigates the bustling streets of Cauayan City, not only to sell his goods but also to cherish moments with friends under the veil of the night.
However, the harsh reality of insufficient earnings often awaits him, as depicted in one poignant scene where Ino faces admonishment from his parents, serving as a stark reminder of the challenges he faces.
“Ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino ay katulad ni Ino, Pilipino si Ino,” said Joyce Bernal, an acclaimed director and member of the Grand Jury, in her personal citation.
(The life of every Filipino is like Ino’s; Ino is Filipino.)
Semana shared that his documentary film helped him find answers to questions about things he hardly understood when he was still young.
“Sa buhay ni Ino, natagpuan ko ang mga kasagutan. Ang unang hakbang sa pagharap ng mga hamon ng buhay ay ang pagtanggap sa katotohanan kahit na ito ay maaaring maging masakit,” said Semana.
(In Ino’s life, I found the answers. The first step in facing life’s challenges is accepting the truth even if it may be painful.)
The MFF, an annual celebration of regional filmmaking hosted by Baguio City, aims to provide a platform for local filmmakers to showcase their unique narratives and experiences.
Its competition arm includes a year-long mentorship program for finalists, who will also receive a seed grant to kickstart the production of their individual short films.
“Ino’s” triumph at the festival not only reflects the exceptional storytelling prowess of director Semana but also shines a spotlight on storytelling and filmmaking abilities of every regional filmmaker in the country.
“Ang pagkapanalo po namin at tagumpay ng bawat regional filmmaker na gaya ko, tayo po ang tunay na panalo rito,” shared Semana.
(Our victory and success as regional filmmakers like me, that’s the true victory here.)
Apart from Semana, other regional filmmakers also successfully shared their stories during the festival.
Here are the list of awardees of MFF 2024:
MAJOR AWARDS
● Best Festival Film: Ino directed by Ranniel Semana
● Kapwa Award by Kidlat Tahimik: Mahirap ang Makinarya, Banal ang may Kita byFlorence Anne Taino, & Zanjera directed by Romel A. Pascua
● Best Emerging Cinema: Sino’t Saan directed by AC Maria, & Kahon directed byDonetha Merka
● Gold Award for Documentary: Ino directed by Ranniel Semana
● Silver Award for Documentary: Sino’t Saan directed by AC Maria
● Bronze Award for Documentary: My Boy Superman directed by Jonathan Jurilla
● Gold Award for Mobile: Old World directed by Roland Cartagena
● Silver Award for Mobile: Kahon by Donetha Merka
● Bronze Award for Mobile: Your Whisper is What I Miss directed by DanielSanchez
MINOR AWARDS
● Independent Spirit Award – Ino directed by Ranniel Semana
● Social Justice Award – Ino directed by Ranniel Semana
● Humanitarian Award – Ino directed by Ranniel Semana, & Dolor directed byJoshua Lomahan
● Best Performance – Shandy Jada Fuentes of Kahon
The Grand Jury panel, composed of acclaimed directors Joyce Bernal, Pepe Diokno, Zig Dulay, along with award-winning actor Dingdong Dantes and National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, chose not to award winners for the narrative category.
Instead, they opted to distribute the cash prize among all narrative finalists as an act of support aimed to empower and assist these talented filmmakers in further honing their craft.
The Asia Pacific Film Institute also awarded a P100,000 scholarship grant to both Semana and Cartagena, and a P50,000 scholarship grant to both Merika and Taino.
All cash prizes this year were covered by the Local Government of Baguio, SM City Baguio, and Baguio Country Club.
The finalists of this year’s MFF underwent a year-long mentorship program under the following award-winning and highly acclaimed filmmakers and directors led by MFF Festival Director Ferdinand John Balanag and MFF Competition, Camp and Mentorship Director Emmanuel ‘Ibonman’ Dela Cruz:
Narrative Category
– Harlene Bautista
– Jade Castro
– Paolo Villaluna
Documentary Category
– Ditsi Carolino
– Nico Hernandez
– Jet LeycoMobile Category
– Arjanmar Rebeta
– Tristan Cua
– Arvin Belarmino
The awards night, held on March 23 at the CAP John Hay Trade and Cultural Center in Baguio City, was graced by the esteemed presence of Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines, Agus Widjojo who also attended the festival to promote their films for the MFF International Film Section.
Ambassador Widjojo underscored the significance of films in fostering cultural exchange and understanding among neighboring nations, highlighting the transformative power of storytelling in bridging diverse communities.
The MFF, apart from its films in competition, also conducted free public screenings, film talks, and workshops, and fora during its week-long celebration.
The films in competition, which premiered in the Philippines at the SM Baguio Cinema on March 22-23, remained accessible online for free until March 31.
They can be viewed via the MFF Vimeo account and the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ online screening platform, JuanFlix.