ISTORYA NG PAG-ASA FILM FESTIVAL 2019 ACCEPTING ENTRIES

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) together with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and Ayala Foundation have partnered anew for the Istorya ng Pag-asa Film Festival (INPFF). The film festival will give a chance to the top three winning entries to be screened in Ayala cinemas nationwide as part of the winners’ prizes. 

The INPFF is a nationwide film competition for original short documentaries that tell the extraordinary stories of ordinary Filipinos. Now on its second year, it encourages Filipino filmmakers to showcase true and inspiring stories of hope or Film Entries That Uplift the Human Spirit.

Vice President Leni Robredo, who presides the panel discussion during the launch, said that they were encouraged to stage the second run of the film fest after receiving so many inspiring entries last year.

“We thought that it was going to be a one-time thing. What happened was beyond our expectations,” she said.

The Vice President shared that the idea behind Istorya ng Pag-Asa started after she attended the “Araw ng Pagbasa, Araw ng Pag-Asa" event held in 2016. She was inspired by the stories of weightlifting champion Hidilyn Diaz and Nanay Lorna Tambawan, a turon vendor, who successfully sent her children to good schools.

“I left the venue very inspired,” the Vice President said.

Istorya ng Pag-Asa initially started as a roving photo gallery. It was only last year that the film festival was launched to celebrate the project’s first anniversary. Out of the 73 entries that the film fest received in its initial run, top 15 films were chosen. The Vice President said that they received so many moving entries that they decided to include more prizes this year, such as the People’s Choice Award.

The winners of last year’s contest Florence Rosini (INP grand winner) and Meg Serranilla (INP third prize winner) joined the Vice President in the panel of interviewees. They both pointed out that one doesn’t need to use sophisticated gadgetry to create a good film. Rosini, a film student from UP, made use of the equipment that her classmates already had, while Serranilla utilized a DLSR camera and some lights.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the OVP and the FDCP for the second year of the INPFF,” said Ayala Foundation president Ruel Maranan, adding that, “The success of the first INPFF in 2018 showed that there is great interest in stories that offer hope and inspiration for people from all walks of life. For the second year of the festival, we are excited to see young filmmakers share more uplifting stories that will truly make us proud to be Filipinos,” said Ayala Foundation president Ruel Maranan.

Those who are interested in joining this year’s competition can submit a three (3) to five (5) - minute video that features an individual or group whose story is a source of inspiration to their community. This year’s winner for Best Film will take home P80,000, while the 1st and 2nd runners-up will get P50,000 and P30,000, respectively. The deadline for the submission of entries is on March 25, 2019. The top 10 films will be announced on April 30, 2019, and they will be screened during the INPFF Gala Night and awarding ceremony on June 8, 2019.