MANILA, Philippines – Two Filipino films – Don Josephus Eblahan’s The Headhunter’s Daughter and Martika Ramirez Escobar’s Leonor Will Never Die – have bagged prestigious prizes at the Sundance Film Festival 2022 awards ceremony on Saturday, January 29.

The Headhunter’s Daughter took home the Short Film Grand Jury Prize and Leonor Will Never Die won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Innovative Spirit.

Read the Full List of #Sundance 2022 Award Winners: https://t.co/cwiyrVZqNg pic.twitter.com/di1ZGIbhii

— Sundance Film Festival (@sundancefest) January 29, 2022

The Headhunter’s Daughter follows Lynn (Ammin Acha-ur), an aspiring country artist who goes to the city to audition for a televised singing competition.

“Leaving her family behind, Lynn traverses the harrowing roads of the Cordilleran highlands to try her luck in the city as a country singer,” the film’s trailer description read.

Aside from Sundance, the film, which was also written by Eblahan, will be having its European premiere at Clermont-Ferrand, the second year in a row for Eblahan.

University of the Philippines alumna Escobar’s Leonor Will Never Die follows Leonor Reyes (Sheila Francisco), a retired filmmaker who suddenly finds herself as the hero of her own unfinished screenplay after a near-death experience. The film is the first Filipino feature to compete in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition of the festival since Auraeus Solito’s Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros in 2006. 

Leonor Will Never Die was recently picked up by sales company Cercamon, known for handling Kamila Andini’s Yuni and Aleksandre Koberidze’s What Do We See When We Look At The Sky?

Both films had their world premieres at the virtual Sundance Film Festival, which runs from January 20 to 30, 2022.

The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival founded by the Sundance Institute – the largest independent film festival in the United States, and is considered one of most prestigious ones worldwide. – Rappler.com