Ms. Natsuko Godai presents the award to
Mr. James Francis Conda and Mr. Kyle Robert Vergara
2nd Place Minister of Foreign Affairs Award winners
Mr. James Francis Conda and Mr. Kyle Robert Vergara of San Beda College Alabang
The young film makers of the Asian International Children's Film Festival 2012
The very first batch of representatives from the Philippine for the
Asian International Children's Film Festival 2012
Out of the 156 entries from Japan and 31 entries from the 11 participating countries and region, the Philippines bags 2 nd Place Minister of Foreign Affairs Award in the Asian International Children's Film Festival 2012 held in Awaji, Japan last November 24, 2012. Student film makers James Francis Conda and Kyle Robert Vergara of San Beda College Alabang are the brains and heart behind the winning 3-minute short film entitled “Footbridge ”, which bested films from Brunei, Cambodia, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Chinese Taipei, Thailand and Vietnam. Japan came in first prize with the Ryotaro Sugi Award, named after the founder and chairman of the film festival.
The Asian International Children's Film Festival was founded by Mr. Ryotaro Sugi, famous Enka singer and actor, as well as Japan's Goodwill Ambassador to Vietnam. The competition has been bringing together students with passion in story telling through film making for the past six years. This year marks the first time the Philippines participated in the festival, through the Kizuna Project. The Kizuna Project, the word kizuna meaning “bonds”, will invite more than 10,000 youths from the Asian/Oceanian regions, including 285 Filipinos, to Japan to participate in specially designed programs.
Popular singer and wife of Mr. Ryotaro Sugi, Ms. Natsuko Godai presented James Francis Conda and Kyle Robert Vergara the Asian International Children's Film Festival trophy and certificate, as well as a digital camera for winning 2 nd place in the competition.
