Filipino Film Festival 2019 Opens in Hawaii
HONOLULU 04 October 2019 — The Filipino Film Festival 2019 opened in Doris Duke Theater of the Honolulu Museum of Art on 14 September 2019, as the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu attended the reception and screening of the opening film, “Liway.”
The Film Festival, which ran from 14-15 September, featured four Filipino independent films, “Motherland”, “Liway”, “Respeto” and “The Day after Valentines’.”
“Liway” is a true story about a young mother who uses story-telling to protect her child from the reality of growing up in prison and the difficult life she endured. It received the Audience Award, Special Jury Commendation, and Special Jury Prize Award in the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival 2018.
Actress Glaiza de Castro, who plays the title role, received nominations for “Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” in the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards (FAMAS), “Best Actress” in the Gawad Urian Awards, and “Movie Actress of the Year” in the Star Awards for Movies 2019.
“Liway” writer and director Kip Oebanda was also present at the opening reception and post-screening question and answer portion. The screening of the film at the Doris Duke Theater also marks the film’s United States premiere.
The Honolulu Film Festival 2019 was organized by the Filipino Association of University Women (FAUW) as part of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Philippine cinema as declared in Presidential Proclamation No. 622, signed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on 08 November 2019 citing 12 September 2019 to 11 September 2020 as the Centennial Year of Philippine Cinema.
This auspicious commemoration is in honor of Jose Nepomuceno’s “Dalagang Bukid,” the first Filipino-produced and directed feature film, which was released on 12 September 1919. END
Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu officers and staff with their family members attended the opening reception of the Filipino Film Festival 2019 and screening of “Liway” on 14 September 2019. (Honolulu PCG photo)
From left: Consul Grace Bulos, Deputy Consul General Angelica Escalona, writer and director Kip Oebanda, and Vice Consul Andrea Christina Caymo.(Honolulu PCG photo)
For more information, visit https://www.honolulupcg.dfa.gov.ph,or https://www.facebook.com/PHinHonolulu/.