'Quezon’s Game' shines at Canadian film fest
“QUEZON’S Game,” a film that tackles former Philippine president Manuel L. Quezon’s efforts to rescue over a thousand Jewish people seeking refuge from the Holocaust, won 12 awards at the Autumn Selection of the Cinema World Fest in Canada.
A joint venture production of Star Cinema and iWant, ABS-CBN’s streaming service, the movie earned an Award of Merit for Drama Feature while its lead actors, Raymund Bagatsing, in the titular role of Manuel Quezon, and Rachel Alejandro, who played his wife, Aurora, won the Award of Excellence for Actor and Actress, respectively.
American actor Billy Gallion, who played the American businessman Alex Frieder who helped Quezon in the historic undertaking, took an Award of Excellence for Supporting Actor.
Winning an Award of Recognition for Directing is Mat- thew Rosen, an award-winning TV commercial and music video director and pioneer in the data post-production field.
Matthew Rosen and Leo Santos were given the Award of Excellence for Lighting; Dean Rosen, the Award of Excellence for Original Score; Janice Perez and Dean Rosen, the Award of Excellence for Produced Screenplay; Rowella Talusig and Set Construction Group, the Award of Excellence for Set Design; Anglea Pereyra, the Award of Excellence for Sound Design; and Rowella Talusig and her costume team, the Award of Excellence for Costume Design. Meanwhile, Antonette Gozum won the Award of Merit for Color Treatment.
“Quezon’s Game” will go on to compete with other quarterly winners in a screening to be held at the Heron Amphitheatre in Ottawa, Canada this year, where audiences will pick their favourite film, awarding it with the prestigious CWFA Trophy.
The Cinema World Festival runs four quarterly online competitions: Winter Selection (December – February), Spring Selection (March – May), Summer Selection (June – August), and Autumn Selection (September – November).
“Quezon’s Game” will make its Philippine premiere this year in theaters and will also be available on iWant after its theatrical run.