The newly launched, global non-profit film initiative Alternativa Film Project, founded by global technology company inDrive, announced the jury for the first edition of its Alternativa Film Awards, which will be held in December.
The awards ceremony aims to recognize the social impact of films from developing industries across local feature films, animated films, documentaries, and short films.
Brillante Mendoza (Photo provided by Alternateiva Film Awards)
It is one of the three strands of Alternativa’s new film initiative, which is dedicated to supporting emerging filmmakers from less developed screen industries, with Central Asia taking center stage in 2023 for its maiden edition.
The awards jury will be headed by Cannes-winning director Brillante Mendoza, the first Filipino to receive the Best Director award at Cannes FIlm Festival for his film “Kinatay” in 2009 and the only Filipino to receive France's "Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres" (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters).
His films have also competed and won at Venice and Berlin Film Festivals, with his credits including “Mindanao” (2019), “Ma Rosa” (2016), “Trap” (2015), “Thy Womb” (2012) and “Lola” (2009).
Mendoza is a strong supporter of young Filipino filmmakers and an advocate of film literacy in the Philippines, and has also established a film foundation, founded a film festival and conducted filmmaking workshops across the country.
The jury will also include Gita Saedi Kiely, director of the non-profit humanitarian organization FilmAid, which uses film to educate and entertain underprivileged people around the world.
Sri Lankan filmmaker, Udaya Prasanna Vithanage, who is considered one of the pioneers of third generation Sri Lankan cinema, will also be in the jury.
The Academy Award-nominated, Peabody Award winning Indian filmmaker Rintu Thomas is also part of the jury. Her recent IDA, PGA, and Grierson-nominated feature documentary 'Writing With Fire' (2021) was India's first feature documentary to be nominated for an Academy Award. Rintu is a co-founder of Black Ticket Films, an award winning production company invested in the power of storytelling.
The Alternativa Film Awards aim to provide an alternative system of recognition that honors artistic merits, filmmaking potential, and work that amplifies the social impact of cinema, as well as more mainstream films with wide audience appeal.
The jury will present winners with cash prizes to further develop their filmmaking skills. The total prize fund stands at $100,000, to be equally divided among the five festival winners, so as not to establish hierarchy.
The awards accept submissions from all Asian countries (except for the Shorts category, for which only Central Asia is eligible), with the goal of supporting cinema that brings change to the world and society through both its aesthetic and ethical impact on viewers.
Instead of the traditional “Best Picture,” “Best Director,” and “Best Actor” prizes, the ceremony will bestow awards for titles and talents exemplifying cultural, societal, and industry impact.
Evergreen awards include the “Spotlight Award,” which honors a film that shines a light on a topic or story under the public’s radar, and the “Future Voices Award,” given to a debutant filmmaker with the potential to contribute to changes in the film industry and society in general.
Other awards include the “Alter Award,” which commemorates a film that addresses critical social issues (such as human rights, migration, war crimes, and the environment), and the “Nativa Award,” which designates a film that touches upon topics of national or cultural identity.
“As we head towards the first edition of our Alternativa Film Awards, we’re delighted to welcome such an esteemed collective of industry trailblazers to our Jury, led by the inspiring creator and advocate Brillante Mendoza. They each bring a remarkable track record igniting important social conversations as well as an unwavering commitment to uplifting voices from underrepresented communities. We’ve had hundreds of submissions across 23 countries for the awards, and look forward to reviewing the projects in contention with our Jury,” said Liza Surganova, head of Alternativa Film Project.
The full Alternativa Film Project also includes educational programming in the form of “Film Labs,” including the “Teen Lab” bootcamp, which aims to cultivate young artistic talent by educating participants about the basics of cinema and the importance of teamwork, and the “Impact Lab,” designed to teach working producers how to create more impactful, sustainable, inclusive films.
The Film Labs will be held between Nov 26 and 30 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and provide training to uplift and upskill the next generation of filmmakers.