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Iloilo-made short film wins at Berlin Flash Film Festival

Drive

Iloilo-made short film wins at Berlin Flash Film Festival

By Tara Yap

SELF-EXPLORATION From top: Evert Bañares as the protagonist and director of Ang May Akda: Ikatlong
Yugto; the movie poster; and a scene from the short film

Timely for Halloween, a short film shot entirely in Iloilo City during the pandemic has won a special award at the Berlin Flash Film Festival 2021.

Ang May Akda: Ikatlong Yugto (The Author: Chapter Three) by indie film director Elvert Bañares was conferred with the Extreme Scream Award for Scream Fest (Halloween Edition).

The third of a film trilogy, Ang May Akda: Ikatlong Yugto is about an author trying to fight his creative demons, but encounters his doppelganger.

“In denial of this surreal phenomenon, he tries to kill his dead ringer by rewriting his fate,” explains Elvert, who also plays the protagonist. “In many ways, we are still exorcising our own demons during these uncertain times, and through my film, I want people to help heal themselves and renew our commitment to life.”

‘In many ways, we are still exorcising our own demons during these uncertain times, and through my film, I want people to help heal themselves and renew our commitment to life.’

Unlike the first two installments of the short films, which Elvert did entirely by himself, the director and actor collaborated with fellow Ilonggo indie filmmakers Aaron Dave Escobido and Kyle Fermindoza for this third episode.

Aaron plays the onscreen doppelganger of the protagonist, while Kyle is an executioner. The former is also the film’s cinematographer while the latter is the one behind the camera and took care of the special effects.

The black and white film was shot entirely with a Samsung S10 E smartphone.

Ang May Akda: Ikatlong Yugto has also been a nominee for best cast at the Couch Film Festival in Canada and included in the official selection under one-minute short films for the Copenhagen Web Fest in Denmark.

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short Director Elvert Banares pandemic Ang May Akda: Ikatlong Yugto (The Author: Chapter Three) Panorama film

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