Multi-awarded Filipino indie film, “John Denver Trending” swept 3 major awards at the 26th Festival International Des Cinemas D’asie de Vesoul ( International Festival of Asian Cinemas in Vesoul) in France.
John Denver Trending and Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) social media both announced on February 20, 2020, the film’s winning 3 of the 9 major awards in the Fiction category of the Vesoul festival, namely the International Special Jury Prize, Audience Choice Award, and the Critic’s Choice Award.
The Filipino film, written and directed by Arden Rod Condez, was screened as one of the 9 Asian films in competition at the film festival in France held from February 11 to 18.
The International Festival of Asian Cinemas in VesouInternational Festival of Asian Cinemas in Vesoul cited John Denver Trending “for the very intelligent way of approaching the current theme of harassment on social networks on youth.”
The film, starring Jansen Magpusao and Meryll Soriano, tells the fictional story of a 14-year-old student and farmboy whose video of him attacking a classmate went viral.
The film represented the Philippines at the 24th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) held in October 2019 in South Korea.
Here are the awards won by John Denver Trending:
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD – voted by the people of Vesoul
CRITIC’S CHOICE AWARD – voted by Paris-based English film critic Rosslyn Hyams, Chinese journalist Shurong Hermine Roumilhac, Paris-based Chinese critic Wang Muyan
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – voted by Tibetan director Pema Tseden, Filipino producer Joji Alonso, Busan International Film Festival Director Jay Jeon, Paris-based producer Yuliya Kim, and film historian Ariel Schweitzer
John Denver Trending is a product of FDCP’s First Cut Lab and was awarded the Best Film of Cinemalaya in 2019.
Meanwhile, another Filipino film “Waiting for Sunset (Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon)” by Carlo Enciso Catu won the Audience Award for Fiction Film in the same festival.
Filipino film “To Calm The Pig Inside” by Joanna Vasquez Arong won the Grand Jury Prize at Utah’s 2020 Slamdance Film Festival.
With reports from Blesilda dela Cruz.
SEND CONGRATULATIONS in the comments below to John Denver Trending for dominating the awards at the International Festival of Asian Cinemas in Vesoul!
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