Inang Yaya Wins Jury Award in Tel Aviv Film Festival

September 30, 2008

Unitel Productions’s Inang Yaya (Mother Nanny) on Sunday won the Children’s Jury Award in the 4th International Children’s Film Festival held in Tel Aviv, Israel.

A statement from the Foreign Affairs Department said that the film starring Maricel Soriano was chosen by the children who composed the official jury of the festival.

The child jurors explained they gave Inang Yaya the award because they were able to identify themselves in the movie.

Inang Yaya was the featured film at the opening ceremonies of the film festival at the Tel Aviv Cinemateque on September 24.

A special screening of Inang Yaya for the Filipino community was held after the closing ceremonies on September 27. The Filipino community in Israel came in droves to show their support for the film.

Michal Matus, festival director, hailed the Filipino film as one of the best films shown in the four years of the festival.

“The exposure to content dealing with children and families combined artistic and educational value is an important milestone, both currently and in the future,” Matus said.

The Tel Aviv International Children’s Festival is aimed at increasing awareness of the needs and dreams of the younger generation, to deepen their viewing grasp and contribute to the lively cultural dialogue among countries in the world.

The Festival likewise awarded two individual prizes during the conclusion of the event to films from Germany and the Netherlands.

Max Minsky and Me from Germany received the Adult Jury Award while Dunya and Daisy from the Netherlands received the Cisej (A Canadian Organization supporting Children’s Welfare) Award.

On behalf of Unitel Productions, Philippine Ambassador to Israel Petronila Garcia accepted the award from Gila Almagor, First Lady of the Israeli Theater and Cinema.

Source: GMANews.TV

IY (Mother Nanny) @ Tel Aviv and Chicago

4th TEL AVIV INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S FILM FESTIVAL

Screening schedules:

September 24, 2008 Hall1 8pm

September 25, 2008 Hall1 8pm

September 26, 2008 Hall1 6pm

September 27, 2008 Hall1 9:30pm

The ANNUAL 25TH CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S FILM FESTIVAL

Screening schedule:

October 27, 2008 Kerasotes Showplace14 10:15am

‘Inang Yaya’ takes the bronze in Cairo

By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:08:00 03/17/2008

MANILA, Philippines - Unitel Pictures’ “Inang Yaya” won the bronze prize at the 18th Cairo International Film Festival for Children on March 13.

The movie, directed by Pablo Biglang-awa and Veronica Velasco, competed with eight feature films from Sweden, the Netherlands, India, Finland, Japan, Greece, Croatia and Austria.

Finland’s “Mystery of the Wolf,” directed by Raimo O Niemi, won the gold prize; the silver went to Japan’s “Boy Meets Ghosts,” directed by Nobuo Mizuta.

The International Jury Prize went to India’s “Care of Footpath,” directed by 12-year-old director/actor/editor Kishan Shrikanth Shylaja.

In an e-mail to Inquirer Entertainment, the directors said that they had traveled to Egypt “not expecting anything.”

“Overwhelming” was how they described the response to the film.

The screening, held at the Small Theater of the Cairo Opera House on March 10, was “packed … [with the audience consisting mostly] of Egyptian children,” said Biglang-awa, adding that, in spite of the language and cultural differences, “they got it. Even the kids understood the film’s message.”

At a press conference held after the screening, a child participant told the filmmakers that he had picked up the importance of “equality” from the film.

The Maricel Soriano starrer is about a nanny who struggles to give equal love and care to her ward and her own child.

A children’s book writer from Egypt said parents can learn a lot from the movie, said Biglang-awa. He noted that the entire Philippine embassy, led by Ambassador Oscar Valenzuela, came in full force.

“Feedback here is instantaneous,” Valenzuela told the Pinoy directors.

“We hope our own government can also organize a children’s festival, to encourage future generations of Filipino filmmakers,” said Biglang-awa.

Last November, “Inang Yaya” won three awards—silver for Live Action Feature, silver for Direction, and Child Jury Award Gold Plaque at the Golden Elephant International Children’s Festival in India.

The filmmakers thanked Unitel and the Film Development Council of the Philippines for making the Cairo trip possible.

“When we made our movie, we never imagined it would be screened in Egypt,” Biglang-awa said.

IY wins 3 awards at The International Children's Film Festival in India

Inang Yaya wins 3 Awards at the recent International Children's Film Festival presented by the Children's Film Society of India held last November 2007. Inang Yaya was the only multi-awarded entry in the International Jury section of the festival. Inang Yaya was awarded the:

- Silver Elephant Award for Second Best Live Action Feature Length Film

- Silver Elephant Award for Best Directors

- Child Jury Award Golden Plaque

IY: somewhere in the blogosphere 2008

Car's Multiply Site
Makoy's Memoirs
Sexy Tsokolate

Inang Yaya (Mother Nanny) @ the 18th Cairo International Film Festival for Children