Filipino filmmaker continues to shine bright on the global stage

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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.

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 international film festival is Legaspi’s short documentary “Maliliit na Hakbang” (Small Steps), which follows 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. It has also received nominations for Best Short Movie and Best Short Movie Director for Legaspi from the 38th Philippine Movie Press Club, Inc. (PMPC) Star Awards for Movies.

The film has also been shown at the Lumina Film Festival in Thailand, Ahmedabad International Film Festival in India, Jaffna International Cinema Festival in Sri Lanka, FerFILM International Film Festival in Kosovo, Fankeena Film Festival in Somalia, Festival del Cinema di Cefalù in Italy, Edo State International Film Festival in Nigeria, Filipino Independent Film Festival in Netherlands, 100 Persen Manusia Film Festival in Indonesia, International Film Festival of Crete & Awards in Greece, 5th European Philippines International Film Festival in Italy, and Festiwal Filmów Przeciw Wojnie in Poland, among others.

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 and Educational Resources project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in partnership with the Negros Cultural Foundation, Inc.

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. Production manager Karr Cotamora, videographer Angeline Tabilog, musical scorer Nityaila Saulo, Valerio, Espino-Sanchez, and Sanchez provided support to Legaspi.

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.

Another Red Room production, “Caretaker” directed by Sanchez, placed second at the Short Fiction category of the 6th CAM International Festival for Short Films in 2016. The short film followed a newly hired custodian who discovers the gruesome aftermath of a fraternity’s initiation rites gone wrong.