Inspiring story of the enduring Filipino spirit wins grand prize in UFC Reel Life short film competition

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The first ever UFC Reel Life: Nagsasama-samang Sarap Short Film Competition, an event meant to celebrate UFC’s 50^th anniversary as well as highlight the talents of local filmmakers, has officially selected its top three winners.

 

UFC Reel Life Best Film “Cancelled” about how ordinary Filipinos rise up and find hope despite the odds

The competition focused on sharing stories about how ordinary Filipinos rise up and find hope despite the odds. Together, UFC celebrates these special moments of triumph, inspirations of courage, and resiliency for the coming year.

The daunting task of selecting the prize-winning films from the 57 entries that came in fell upon an esteemed panel of judges. This panel included Kip Oebanda, writer and director of Liway, Bar Boys, and Nay; Noel Teehankee, a prolific cinematographer from blockbuster films including The Hows of Us, A Second Chance, and Crazy Beautiful You; Victor Kaiba Villanueva, the director behind films Patay na Si Hesus, My Paranormal Romance, and Ang Nanay ni Justin Barber; and representatives of UFC marketing.

Crismel Gida won Best Film, Best Director, and Best Cinematography for his short film “Cancelled”

Directed by Crismel Gida, “Cancelled,” a hopeful story of two resilient Filipinos working their hardest to make ends meet after their livelihoods were affected by recent events, took home the P100,000 grand prize for Best Short Film. Gida also took home the P15,000 Best Director Prize as well as the P5,000 Best Cinematography award.

In second place, and winning P50,000, was Ken Leviste’s “How’s my Driving,” which tells the engaging narrative of a jeepney driver turned deliveryman. Meanwhile, the third place prize of P20,000 went to Marco Paulo Castro’s “Budjoy,” a light hearted story about a forgetful boy who misses his OFW mother as his family tries to make ends meet.

“How's My Driving” is UFC Reel Life's second best film

Director Ken Leviste's “How's My Driving” bagged the contest's second best film

Aside from the top winners of the competition, excellent performances both on and off screen were given special credit. Acting citations were given to outstanding performers from the competition’s entries. The Best Actor prize of P5,000 goes to none other than young talent Sean Angelo Tutanez for “Budjoy”. Meanwhile the Best Actress prize of P5,000 goes to Andrea del Mundo for “Prank” (directed by James Edward Golla), a short film that tells the story of an innocent prank between husband and wife that takes a dramatic turn.

“Kambal” by Yves Publico is among the competition's honorable mentions

The competition likewise gave recognition for technical skills to highlight the immense talent that filmmakers showed behind the scenes. The Best Screenplay prize of P5,000 went to Jojo Livelo and Miko Livelo for “Anana”, a comedic tale of cheesy dad jokes made real.

“Ma,” by Dexter de Jesus won Best Mobile Short Film, Best Editing, and honorable mention

The Best Editing prize of P5,000 went to Dexter de Jesus for “Ma,”, a beautifully animated film about a young man missing the comfort of his mother’s home cooking.

Special awards were also given in response to the overwhelming amount of talent on display during the competition. Best Mobile Short Film was given to the filmmaker who made the best use of simple equipment such as their very own cell phone cameras. The People’s Choice Award rewards the most popular film in the competitions as determined by the number of YouTube views. Seven honorable mentions were also selected from the shortlist of 30 as their skill and quality could not go unrecognized. 

The winner of Best Mobile Short Film was Dexter de Jesus for “Ma,”. The awardee will receive a mobile filmmaking kit that includes a Kase Four Lens Kit V2, a Zhiyun Crane M2, a Kase Phone case, a Phone Cage 2990, and a Synco Shotgun Mic M1. Lexter Taganas’s “Uli” snagged the People’s Choice Award and the P15,000 prize for getting over 22,000 views.

UFC also awarded a P10,000 consolation prize to each of the seven honorable mentions: “Ma,” by Dexter de Jesus; “Kambal” by Yves Publico; “Rico” by Ronald John Mendenilla-Teodosio; “Tatalon” by Don Ralph Diaz; “Bato-Bato Pik” by Alejandro “Bong” Ramos; “Uli” by Lexter Taganas; and “Anana” by Quentin Tolentino.

Prize winner or not, however, each and every entry in this contest placed the prodigious talents of local filmmakers on full display. The organizers of UFC Reel Life: Nagsasama-samang Sarap Short Film Competition takes great pride in having been able to shine a spotlight on these excellent works. Congratulations go out to all the winners and to the rest of the filmmakers who showcased their abilities for the competition.

All thirty short films that were shortlisted as finalists can be watched right now on YouTube.

 

Cash prizes await winners of the first UFC Reel Life short film competition

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Deadline looms for filmmakers interested in joining the UFC Reel Life: Nagsasama-samang Sarap Short Film Competition. A highlight of UFC’s 50th anniversary celebration, the ongoing competition serves to shine a light on the prodigious talents of local filmmakers known for creating inspiring and meaningful stories that Filipinos can relate to. 

The Filipino creative spirit has always endured, reflecting the same resiliency and strength our country has shown in the face of tremendous challenges. This competition celebrates filmmakers whose stories highlight the positivity and hope that UFC has provided for the last 50 years. 

Filmmakers from all over the country only have two weeks to turn in their entries as the competition closes on November 25. From all the entries received, 30 finalists will be announced on December 3 and winners will be awarded on December 7, 2020. 

All entries must creatively depict the above-mentioned values of optimism and positivity that Filipinos of all ages manifest in times of difficulty. These should also portray the integral role of UFC products in empowering Filipinos to create nagsasama-samang sarap moments every day. 

Thus, all submitted videos should use at least one UFC product as an organic part of the narrative. UFC products include: UFC Tamis Anghang Banana Catsup, UFC Sweet Chili Sauce, UFC Tomato Sauce, UFC Gravy, UFC Hot and Spicy Banana Catsup, UFC Hot Sauce, UFC Spaghetti Sauce, UFC Ready Recipes, and UFC Fresh Selections. 

The festival is open to all filmmakers in the Philippines. Entries must have a maximum length of five (5) minutes, including the opening and closing credits. All videos submitted should be recorded in horizontal format, and edited in not less than 720 HD format. Using 1080 HD, however, is highly recommended. 

Submissions will be screened by a panel of judges, which will determine the finalists and winners through a deliberation. Thirty finalists will be chosen based on the following criteria: Thematic Storytelling (40%), Creativity and Originality (40%), and Technical Execution (20%). The results will be final and irrevocable. 

Each of the 30 finalists will automatically receive a gift pack from UFC. Likewise, they will be eligible for the following prizes: 1st Prize (P100,000); 2nd Prize (P50,000); 3rd Prize (P20,000); Best Actor (P5,000); Best Actress (P5,000); Best Cinematography (P5,000); Best Screenplay (P5,000); Best Editing (P5,000); Best Director (P15,000); and People’s Choice Award (P15,000). 

All entries must be emailed to ufcreellife@gmail.com and must include your name, title of the film, contact number, names of cast and crew, and a photo of the director. For larger files, you may use wetransfer.com to create a shareable link that you can include in your email. 

No film entry shall be an imitation or plagiarized version of any copyrighted work. UFCine Presents: Nagsasama-samang Sarap Short Film Competition and its organizers will not be responsible for any copyright infringement committed by the participants. 

The organizers reserve the right to post all entries on their various social media accounts, namely Sarap UFC, Sarap Pinoy, NutriAsia, and its agency, Insight 360 Consultancy Services, Inc.