FILIPINO HIGH SCHOOL FILMMAKERS WIN IN INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL

Three Filipino high school students won the grand prize for the international leg of the 2018 Asian International Children’s Film Festival which was held in Kitami City, Hokkaido, Japan.

Bea Maureen Cayone, Catherine Anne Roa, Christine Anne Roa,

and grade 12 students from International Christian Academy, were hailed as the grand winners during the awarding ceremony on Nov. 24, 2018. They took home the Ryotaro Sugi Special Award—the highest award for the competition—for their film entry I Did It.

“We were very surprised when they announced us as winners. We weren’t expecting it at all!” the students said.

The Asian International Children’s Film Festival is organized by the Asian International Children’s Film Festival Executive Committee and is cosponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Film entries under this year’s theme “Self Responsibility” were submitted by high school students from Southeast Asian countries and various parts of Japan. The top three entries from each country were selected to compete in the final leg of the competition.

Bea, Catherine, and Christine were among the eight student filmmakers who were sent to Japan to represent the Philippines in the competition. Activities connected to the competition included a school exchange program and cultural site visits in Hokkaido. All expenses for the trip were borne by the Government of Japan through the JENESYS2018 Program.

The JENESYS Programme was launched by the Government of Japan to promote friendship among the youths of Japan and Southeast Asia. It has continuously fostered international relations among the youths through various cultural and academic exchanges since 2007 until today.

To watch the film I Did It, please visit https://youtu.be/m7pbcREgB5I.

For more information on the JENESYS Programme, please visit the following link: https://www.mofa. go.jp/p_pd/ep/page23e_000516.html