PH joins film fest in Iraq’s Kurdistan region

Chargé d’Affaires Elmer G. Cato of the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad (left) joins producer Joseph Israel Laban and members of the Filipino Community following the screening of “Children’s Show”—the sole Philippine entry in the 3rd Duhok International Film Festival in Iraq. The highly acclaimed movie, directed by Roderick Cabrido, is the first Filipino film to be screened in competition in Iraq in decades. It is also the only entry from Southeast Asia. PH EMBASSY PHOTO

DUHOK, Iraq—For the first time in decades, Philippine cinema made its presence felt in Iraq with the participation of an award-winning Filipino entry at the 3^rd Duhok International Film Festival currently being held in the country’s northern autonomous Kurdistan region.

The Philippine Embassy in Baghdad said the Philippines made its debut in the Iraqi film festival with its entry, “Children’s Show,” the Grand Prize winner at the recent Gwangju International Film Festival in South Korea.

The only entry from Southeast Asia, “Children’s Show” is the story of two young brothers who are forced to take part in semi-legal boxing matches to support themselves and their grandmother.

Directed by Roderick Cabrido, the film is in contention for the Yilmaz Guney Award for Best International Feature-Length Film and for the New Talent Award for the Best First or Second International Feature Length Film.

The film previously won the Special Jury Prize, Grand Jury Award for Best Screenplay and Fantastic Cinema Emerging Filmmaker Award for Cabrido at the Fantastic Cinema Festival of the Film Society of Little Rock in Arkansas and the Special Jury Prize in the Orient Express Section at the 35th Oporto International Film Festival in Portugal.

“We hope that “Children’s Show” would open the door for the participation of more Filipino films in Duhok and in the other film festivals in Iraq in the future,” said Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Elmer G. Cato.

Cato joined producer Joseph Israel Laban during the opening ceremonies attended by Kurdistan Autonomous Region Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and other officials on September 9. He also attended the first screening with members of the Filipino Community in Duhok at the Mazi Mall Plus on 10 September

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