Genoveza’s ‘Balhin’ emerges as second best film at 19th Bantayan Film Festival

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The Bantayan Film Festival is the perfect avenue for the people of Guimbal town in Iloilo to display their creative prowess in filmmaking. The festival has produced countless local talents and films since its inception in 2004.

Gian Niño “Toto” Genoveza, an administrative staff of the University of the Philippines Visayas Information and Publications Office (UPV-IPO), was able to firmly secure his place at this year’s film festival amid the usual stiff competition.

His film, “Balhin” (Metamorphose), produced by Kr8tv Shots, garnered the awards “Second Best Film” and “Best in Trailer” during the 19th Bantayan Film Festival Awards Night held at the Guimbal Amphitheatre last April 13.

Starred by Scepter Eupalao and Zendy Ronilla, the film follows a man named Dansoy, who lives in a small village surrounded by a dense forest that has been the source of numerous eerie tales and legends. One day, the village is plagued by a series of unexplained events that led Dansoy to choose whether to fight the evil force that is lurking in the forest or to let it consume him.

The trailer is posted on The Bantayan Film Festival Facebook page.

The capacity crowd at the venue was glued to their seats to watch 16 short films across multiple genres as entries to this year’s film festival.

They were roaring with energy from start to finish – and rightfully so, as this marks the return of the event in a full-blown capacity after the COVID-19 pandemic restricted organizers and attendees during the recent installations of the film festival.

Organized by the Guimbal iFilm Society and the Guimbal Municipal Government, the Bantayan Film Festival is one of the main events of the town’s cultural and historical festival scheduled April 11-15 this year. (Mr. Carlson B. Alelis, IPO)