‘Metro Manila’ bags award at Sundance

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – “Metro Manila,” a British-Filipino production, won the World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, January 26 (Sunday, January 27 in Manila).

Set entirely in the Philippines, “Metro Manila” competed against 11 other films in the said category, during the festival held from January 17 to 27 in Park City, Utah.

This Sundance category puts the spotlight on emerging filmmakers from all over the globe who offer new perspectives and unique film-making style. (For the full list of films in the World Cinema Dramatic category, click here.)

Written by Ellis and Frank E. Flowers and produced by Chocolate Frog Films, the film tells a story of a man from the province engulfed by the chaos and treachery of the big city. It stars Jake Macapagal, John Arcilla, and Althea Vega.

“Jiseul,” a South Korean film set during the 1948 Jeju Massacre in Korea, won the category’s Grand Jury Prize. A Special Jury Award in the same category went to “Circles,” a pan-European production about a soldier returning from war only to be murdered.

“What’s most important is we connected to the audience. Thank you Sundance!”, Macapagal told Rappler. 

‘We’re overwhelmed and happy that the people chose us. We really didn’t expect it,” shared actor JM Rodriguez.   

The Sundance Festival Awards brings to a close the famed annual filmfest, which draws some of the best cinematic work from around the world. This year’s ceremony was hosted by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

The Sundance Film Festival has been a breeding ground for excellent films for more than two decades now. Sundance ‘alumni’ include “The Inconvenient Truth,” “The Cove,” “Maria Full of Grace,” “Precious” and “Trouble the Water.” 

Below is a complete list of winners. The Sundance Film Festival official website (http://www.sundance.org/) has information on the films and categories.

• U. S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic: Fruitvale
• U. S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary: Blood Brother
• World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic: Jiseul
• World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary: A River Changes Course
• Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic: Metro Manila
• Audience Award: World Cinema: Documentary: The Square
• Audience Award: U. S. Dramatic presented by Acura: Fruitvale
• Audience Award: U.S. Documentary presented by Acura: Blood Brother
• Audience Award: Best of NEXT: This is Martin Bonner
• Directing Award: U. S. Dramatic: Afternoon Delight
• Directing Award: U. S. Documentary: Cutie and the Boxer
• Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic: Crystal Fairy
• Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary: The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear
• Cinematography Award: World Cinema Dramatic: Lasting
• Cinematography Award: U. S. Documentary: Dirty Wars
• Cinematography Award: U. S. Dramatic: Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
• Cinematography Award: U. S. Dramatic: Mother of George
• Cinematography Award: World Cinema Documentary: Who Is Dayani Cristal?
• U. S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Achievement in Filmmaking: Inequality for All
• U. S. Documentary Special Jury award for Achievement in Filmmaking: American Promise
• U. S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting: Miles Teller & Shailene Woodley, The Spectacular Now
• U. S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Sound Design: Shane Carruth & Johnny Marshall, Upstream Color
• World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Circles
• World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Punk Spirit: Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer
• Editing Award: World Cinema Documentary: The Summit
• Editing Award: U. S. Documentary: Gideon’s Army
• Screenwriting Award: World Cinema Dramatic: Wajma (An Afghan Love Story)
• Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic: In A World…
• Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize: Computer Chess
• Short Film Grand Jury Prize: The Whistle
• Short Film Jury Award: US Fiction: Whiplash
• Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction: The Date
• Short Film Jury Award: Non-fiction: Skinningrove
• Short Film Jury Award: Animation: Irish Folk Furniture
• Short Film Special Jury Award for Acting: Joel Nagle, Palimpsest
• Short Film Special Jury Award: Kahlil Joseph, Until the Quiet Comes
• Short Film Audience Award, Presented by YouTube: Catnip: Egress to Oblivion

– Rappler.com