Wazzup Pilipinas!
The short film “Bakit Ako Sinusundan ng Buwan?” (Moon Under My Feet), written and directed by Richard Soriano Legaspi, has garnered another international acclaim after being officially selected to compete at the CAM International Festival for Documentary and Short Films in Egypt this December.
Legaspi has been a longtime faculty of the University of the East College of Fine Arts, Architecture, and Design (UE CFAD), teaching film and moving images through the college’s Visual Communication prohram, and a multidisciplinary artist. He is also the representative of UE CFAD to the Academic Film Society of the Film Development Council of the Philippines and an award-winning filmmaker.
The film follows a man (Jemuel Satumba) who finally returns to his hometown after years of working overseas. He hopes to relive his lost dreams and bring back everything that was taken away from him. Filled with misery and uncertainty, he revisits his past, only to discover that life went on without him.
Also competing at the CAM film festival is Legaspi’s short documentary “Maliliit na Hakbang” (Small Steps), which tells the story of the You-Kalele Kids Zambales, a group of children from San Felipe, Zambales, who dream of a future in music despite facing individual limitations and challenges.
“Bakit Ako Sinusundan ng Buwan?” won the Best Quest Film at the Family Film Festival in Canada last year. Legaspi has also received nominations for Best Short Movie Director and Best Short Movie for his latest work from the 38th Philippine Movie Press Club, Inc. (PMPC) Star Awards for Movies.
The film, which also stars Riya Miranda, Ahlex Leyva, Jovi Dayrit, Jayden Zachary Sanchez, and the late Bobby Tamayo, was produced by Red Room Media Productions under the Sine Halaga Film Festival of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in partnership with the Negros Cultural Foundation, Inc.
“Bakit Ako Sinusundan ng Buwan?” has been shown at the 5th European Philippines International Film Festival in Italy, 100 Persen Manusia Film Festival in Indonesia, Ahmedabad International Film Festival in India, Edo State International Film Festival in Nigeria, Fankeena Film Festival in Somalia, FerFILM International Film Festival in Kosovo, Festival del Cinema di Cefalù in Italy, Festiwal Filmów Przeciw Wojnie in Poland, Filipino Independent Film Festival in Netherlands, International Film Festival of Crete & Awards in Greece, Jaffna International Cinema Festival in Sri Lanka, and Lumina Film Festival in Thailand.
Legaspi’s production team for his short film is made up of cinematographer Albert Banzon, editor John Lanbert Rafols, production designer Elvin Jay Macanlalay, art director Jane Legaspi, musical scorer Jay-R Tabar, sound recordist Andrew Topacio, line producer Eloisa Espino-Sanchez, production manager Kristin Joy Bactad-Jor, assistant PM Cheyenne Dane Bellen, assistant cinematographer Rosendo Davad, assistant director Ryan Rudolf Valerio, production coordinators Ruston Banal and Gia Hasegawa, voice talent Ronwell Jason Bacani, and creative consultant Seymour Barros Sanchez.
Meanwhile, “Maliliit na Hakbang” won a Special Mention award at the Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival in Malaysia, Three Acts of Goodness award at the Three Acts of Goodness Micro Film Festival in Taiwan, and Special Citation for Children at the 33rd Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video documentary category. Legaspi got ample support from sister Jane, production manager Karr Cotamora, videographer Angeline Tabilog, musical scorer Nityaila Saulo, Valerio, Espino-Sanchez, and Sanchez.
The CAM International Festival, organized by the Egyptian Arab Society for Culture, Media and Arts, promotes cinema as a means of combating ignorance, terrorism, and poverty.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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