Francis Xavier Pasion's Jay starring Baron Geisler and Coco Martin was recently given a special recognition at the Mexico City International Contemporary Film Festival.
The 6th edition of the Festival Internacional de Cine Contemporaneo dela Ciudad de Mexico (FICCO) was held in Mexico City, Mexico from February 17 to March 1, 2009.
The Cinemalaya 2008 entry was given the Otorga la Mencion Especial del Jurado in the fiction main competition section. Another Filipino film Kurap (Blink) by Ronaldo Bertubin was also in the competition section.
A total of 24 films competed in the fiction competition section of the FICCO. The Best Film award went to Argentina's Como Estar Muerto, Como Estar Muerto by Manuel Ferrari.
Director Pasion went to Mexico and accepted his award during the awarding ceremony. He attended the festival along with Kurap director Ronaldo Bertubin and producer/world sales agent Ferdinand Lapuz.
Director Brillante Ma. Mendoza was a member of the jury but was not able to attend due to health reasons. However, the festival insisted to keep him in the jury and the deliberation for the winners was made through conference calls and e-mails.
Aside from Direk Dante, the two other members of the jury were director Mexican director Gerardo Naranjo (Drama/Mex, opening film 2006 Critics week Cannes Film Festival and Voy Explotar, Venezia 2008) and Spanish producer Simon de Santiago Areizaga (producer of Biutiful by Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu).
After winning Best Film and several awards at last year's Cinemalaya, Jay started its international screenings in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival. Later on, it won accolades in Bangkok and Bahamas (Special Mention) last year and Berlin Hotshots (Best Feature Film) on January 2009.
AUDIENCE AWARD IN SWITZERLAND. Two weeks ago, Jay won the Black Film Festival (Audience Award) in the Black Movie Film Festival in Geneva, Switzerland. This makes this Cinemalaya entry the first Filipino movie to win an award in the 6 year history of the said film fest.
The Baron Geisler-Coco Martin starrer bested 76 entries from different countries around the world, allowing the director to take home a cash prize of CHF5,000 (P20,000) from Geneva's Department of Culture.
Five other Pinoy movies participated in the Black Movie Film Festival including Brillante "Dante" Mendoza's Serbis and Tirador, Auraeus Solito's Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros, Sherad Anthony Sanchez's Huling Balyan ng Buhi and Jim Libiran's Tribu.
The 14th edition of the Black Movie film festival took place from January 30 to February 8, 2009.
FUTURE FILM FESTS. From Mexico City, Jay will screen at the Cleveland International Film Festival, Deauville Asia Film Festival in France, Singapore International Film Festival and Febiofest in Prague, Czech Republic.
Jay has also been acquired for distribution in the United Kingdom and Germany.
Ignatius Films Canada is representing both Jay and Kurap.
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