Hiligaynon feature ‘Candè’ adds Italian award to global run
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
ILOILO CITY – Ilonggo filmmaker Kevin Pison Piamonte’s “Candè” has added another international recognition to its growing list of honors after winning Best Feature Film at the 2026 Apulia Web Fest in Italy.
The festival, held Sept. 11 to 13 in the Puglia region of southern Italy, recognizes international digital and independent cinema, with Best Feature among its awards for the 2026 edition.
Written and directed by Piamonte, “Candè” is his first full-length narrative feature and stars JC Santos and Sunshine Teodoro, alongside Ilonggo actors Gian Pomperada, Jan Junash Delima, and JP Larroder.
The film follows Timothy, a successful Filipino chef in New York who returns to Iloilo following the death of his childhood best friend.
His homecoming forces him to confront memories, guilt, and a tragedy that fractured their friendship decades earlier.
“Candè,” short for Candelaria, draws heavily from Iloilo culture and the annual feast of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria in Jaro, celebrated every Feb. 2.
The story uses food, childhood friendship, faith, and the Jaro fiesta as the backdrop for its exploration of memory, grief, and forgiveness.
The production was filmed in Iloilo, including during the actual Jaro fiesta, to capture the celebration and community more authentically.
About 90% of the film is in Hiligaynon, with Santos, a native of Pampanga, undergoing language coaching for the role.
The Italian award continues an international run for the regional film.
At the International Film Festival Manhattan New York City 2025, Piamonte won Best Screenplay while Santos received Best Actor for his portrayal of Timothy.
“Candè” was also one of only five full-length finalists at Sinag Maynila 2025, the independent film festival founded by director Brillante Mendoza and producer Wilson Tieng, placing Piamonte’s first narrative feature alongside films by established Filipino directors.
The latest recognition adds to Piamonte’s record in regional filmmaking.
His short film “Solo” won Best Short Film at the 69th FAMAS Awards, the country’s oldest film awards body, making him the first filmmaker from Iloilo to receive a FAMAS award.
His documentary “Lugta Ke Tamama (Land from God)” was selected for the Busan International Film Festival, one of Asia’s largest film festivals.
For Iloilo cinema, the Apulia victory also gives another international platform to a feature whose story, language, actors, and cultural landscape are firmly rooted in the region.
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