The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) awarded the winning scripts of its 'kaSAYSAYan' Historical Scriptwriting contest last Monday, July 19, 2010 at the FDCP office.
After an overwhelming response from all over the Philippines and the world, and a gruelling deliberation, only the most brilliant three were named winners.
It was a toss-up between first and second place, but ultimately, Balangiga by Jose F. Lacaba took top spot for its sheer brilliance and polish as a full-length screenplay, and Floy Quintos' impressive Nan Hudhud Hi Apo Ilyam (Apo Ilyam's Hudhud) won second prize. Meanwhile, the "Hollywood-ready" script by Eduardo Rocha and the late Henry Francia (represented by his nephew, Amos), The Whirlwinds of Dust: The Fall of Antonio Luna bagged third place.
Apart from these, the judges were impressed with Arnel Mardoquio's Mangulayon, granting it a Special Mention prize for its fresh subject matter and for being a worthy story heralding Mindanao, and being only one of two scripts that represented the Islamic region, geographically speaking.
Meanwhile, out of the scripts that made it to the short list, 20 were set in Luzon, 9 in Visayas, 3 in Spain, 1 in the USA, and 1 in the afterlife. The most common subjects, on the other hand, were the Katipunan and bio-pics or historical places, the Filipino-American war, World War II, and the Japanese occupation. All the 46 entries form a very impressive pool of historical literature and FDCP is willing to assist producers or film enthusiasts who may want to coordinate for projects with the writers/ creators of these scripts.
A deciding body of distinguished educators and industry greats was pooled to determine the winning scripts. Sen. Edgardo Angara headed the Board of Judges, with director-screenwriter Clodualdo "Doy" del Mundo, screenwriter Roy Iglesias, film archivist Teddy Co, and newspaper columnist Bum Tenorio as members.
Besides their cash prizes, there is a possibility that the winning scripts may be developed into film.
The project was launched in February 2010 in preparation for the year 2011's being a marker for several notable events in Philippine history, such as Jose Rizal's 150th birthday, the country's 65th year of independence from America, and the People Power Revolution's 25th anniversary.
The contest aimed to find the most captivating yet unknown story, in the form of a full-length screenplay, using Philippine history as a springboard.