Two Filipino short films win at 2025 Norwescon Speculative Film Fest in US
Two Filipino short films won at the 2025 Norwescon Speculative Film Festival held in Seattle, Washington, in the United States!
"Sulayman" won the Jury Award for Best Short-length Short Film (under 10 minutes), while "Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang: Ang Mahiwagang Bantay ng Bundok Arayat" (The Tales of Grandmother Basyang: The Mysterious Guardian of Mount Arayat) won Best Fantasy Film.
The animated adaptation of "Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang: Ang Mahiwagang Bantay ng Bundok Arayat" was directed by Nelson "Blog" Caliguia Jr. in collaboration with Dr. Christine Bellen-Ang, an expert on Lola Basyang tales under the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
It follows the story of a young boy who finds a magical world within Mount Arayat.
"Sulayman" is also written and directed by Caliguia. This eight-minute animated short film is based on a Maguindanao folktale, "Indarapatra and Sulayman." It follows Sulayman, a hero who protects his hometown from harm.
"Sulayman," which also won Best Animated Film at the 2024 PENSACON Short Film Festival, was made possible through the CCP's Innovation Grant Program.
The Norwescon Speculative Film Fest is a film festival that celebrates science fiction, fantasy, and horror films. It also champions new voices in the genre, including women; Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); and LGBTQ+ filmmakers.
—CDC, GMA Integrated News
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