Niño’s origin story leads winners

Two films that explore history and the future won several major and minor awards in this year’s Sinulog video documentary and short film festival.

“The Boy From Mechelen,” a video documentary entry of contest veteran Remton Siega Zuasola, won best picture, best editing, best direction, and best production design.

The film is a story about the origin of the Holy Child Jesus’s image, which was believed to be one of the many ancient statues built in the City of Mechelen in 15th Century Belgium.

It also shows how, like its American narrator, the Sto. Niño found a home in Cebu.

“Crossing Jordan,” a documentary about an overseas Filipina worker who did not lose faith despite being maltreated by her foreign bosses, won second best picture.

Directed and written by Vicente Gloria Ozamiz, the film also won best screenplay, and best sound engineering and musical scoring.

GMA 7 reporter Alan Domingo’s “Tokhangyo Niño” won third best picture and the people’s choice award.

In the short film category, “Portal 40,” written and directed by Philip Lapinid IV, bagged first place. “Sugilanon ni Lukas” by Niño Justin Tecson won second place, while “Sa-ad” by Franz Arogante won third place.

Arogante also earned the awards for editing, cinematography, sound engineering and musical scoring, and production design.

Tecson also won the people’s choice award, best playbill and best packaging. Lapinid, on the other hand, bagged the best screenplay and best direction awards.

Set in the year 2020, “Portal 40” tells the story of a remorseful man whose faith was restored after he found closure in dealing with the death of his mother.

Niño Baldevino of “Sugilanon ni Lukas” won best supporting actor; Reynalda David of “Lola Luz” won best supporting actress, while Choi of “Portal 40” won best actor and Ligaya Rabago of “Milagros” won the best actress prize.

In the music video category, “Balaang Bata” of The Freeman photojournalist Aldo Nelbert Banaynal bagged the people’s choice award, best editing, musical scoring, cinematography, production design, story, direction, and best music video awards.

“Balaang Bata” interpreter Jan Michael Banaynal also won the best performer award.