A DABAWENYO-produced film recently won the "Best Emerging Filmmaker" award at the Emirates Film Festival in Dubai, UAE.
Duwende Films announced the achievement in a Facebook post on Monday, January 20, revealing that they secured the title on January 15. In addition to the award, the film was also nominated for "Best Film" for their entry Hello, Daisy!
"Among 427 entries from all around the world as far as Europe, Canada, USA, Middle East, and South Asia, among others — we have been given the honor to be nominated as the 𝗕𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗠 of the entire festival with only 7 other films from different countries," Duwende Films shared.
The film also earned nominations in major categories, including "Best Actress" for Mia Cabaobao and "Best Screenplay" for Franky Arrocena.
"Hello, Daisy!" tackles the serious issue of online sexual exploitation of children in the Philippines, which Unicef has labeled as the "center" for child sex abuse material production globally.
It added, "We know our film will not be the solution to this large societal problem but I hope that through this film, we are made more aware that this is an existing problem at large and the first step to solving this problem is to actually acknowledge its existence."
Duwende Films expressed their commitment to continuing the conversation around this pressing issue, with hopes of reaching those in charge of addressing it.
"The possibility of saving even at least one single person outside of this horrifying reality is the ultimate goal of this entire film," it added.
Composed of Mindanawon and Dabawenyo cast and crew, Duwende Films has been producing projects that highlight social issues. The group also emphasized that their achievement is proof that indie filmmaking in Mindanao is now competing on the international stage, deserving local support. RGL
