By Agustin F. San Andres, Jr.

Far Eastern University (FEU) Department of Communication (DepComm) student films received various accolades in the recently concluded Awards Night of Silip@Lente’s REALIFILM 2023 held at Adamson University Theater last January 27. 

Student filmmaker-director Josh Van Ulric Campo and Recto Picture’s film, all the things left unsaid, bagged five awards including the Gold Award, Award of Excellence, Award of Virtue, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.

In an interview with FEU Advocate, Campo shared that winning an award is "just a bonus" for their production. 

“We already won the moment that we realized that the film has exceeded our creative visions and that it has reached the hearts and the minds of the viewers with a queer story that is personal yet all-embracing,” he explained. 

Campo also emphasized that LGBTQIA+ rights are human rights as their award-winning film centers on the struggles of queer individuals. 

“We need to continually battle against the bigoted and heteronormative society that deprives the queer community of their basic rights to live freely, be loved and accepted, and feel safe without hiding. I hope that a time will come when queer children will no longer have to go through so much pain that they will carry it until they grow old. I hope that there will come a point where queer individuals will find their inner child with joy and not agony,” he added.

Student-filmmakers Patrick Pangan’s if you leave me, please let me know by SineSibol, peliksmata and Pelikula Persona and Kaloy Cabarrubias’ save the last dance for me by SineSibol and TaraTahak Productions, were then named as the recipients of Best Editing and Best Production Design, respectively.

Moreover, SinagTala and TaraTahak Production’s film Banaag, directed by Frangiel Obien, won the Best Musical Scoring; 120 Frames Productions, Talahib Films, and Bluelight Production’s film Ang Babayi, directed by Sydney Dominic Roxas, won the Best Poster; and Project Horsemen’s film Hilahil directed by JD Mardo notched the Best Supporting Actor Award with the performance of Ron Gabriel Yu. 

Other FEU DepComm’s short films like Luke Salazar’s Akin ang Buhok ko, Ely Baculo’s Baka Búkas, Bukás Na, and Daniel John Sanchez’s Heels On were also the finalists for this year’s edition. 

FEU DepComm program chair Herwin Cabasal commended the FEU student-filmmakers for telling the stories of the unheard and exploring the gaps in today's society.

REALIFILM, ADU’s annual film festival, has the theme “Romanticizing Life and Social Issues” this year.