DFA: Pinoy movie tops Iran intl film fest

Multi-awarded filmmaker Brillante Mendoza has been recognized yet again at a recently concluded international film festival in Iran. The Department of Foreign Affairs cited a report from the Philippine Embassy in Tehran that Mendoza's film "Lola" won the Crystal Simorgh Award for Best Film in the 29th Fajr International Festival Awards Night. "The main casts, Anita Linda and Rustica Carpio, also won and tied for the Best Performance in the International Competition," the DFA said in a news release posted on its website. In Lola, cinema icons Anita Linda and Rustica Carpio are two grandmothers each doing what grandmothers do best, which is to lavish their grandchildren with love. However, tragic fate places them in the aftermath of a robbery-homicide where their grandsons are the victim and the accused. This is not the first time Mendoza's 9th full-length feature has won in an international festival. Last year, the picture won Best Film in the Rome Asian Film Festival. It also won the Grand Jury Prize at the 27th annual Miami International Film Festival. The film was also an Official Selection at the 2009 Venice Film Festival, and won the Best Feature Film award at the 2009 Dubai Film Festival. In March last year, "Lola" bagged six awards in one weekend. Apart from the Golden Lady Harmiguada grand prize, Best Cinematography and Best Actress awards at the 11th Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival in Spain, the film was also given special mention as well as the Ecumenical Jury Award and the Don Quijote Award during the 24th Fribourg International Film Festival in Switzerland. "Lola" was among 13 foreign films which had competed for awards in the Iran film festival. The other films included:

• Cosmos (Turkey and Bulgaria),
• Honey (Turkey and Germany),
• The Arbor (UK),
• The Judge (China),
• Medal of Honor (Germany and Romania),
• How I Ended this Summer (Russia),
• Haru's Journey (Japan),
• Portrait of the Fighter as a Young Man (Romania),
• Blades of Blood (South Korea),
• Bibinur Story (Russia, Tataristan),
• The Blacks (Croatia) and
• Son of Babylon (Iraq, UK, France, Netherlands, Palestine, Emirates, Egypt).

Cultural Attache Emelyn Cosino received three certificates and one glass plaque from the Fajr Festival on behalf of Mendoza, Linda and Carpio during the closing ceremony. Iran's annual film festival, the Fajr International Film Festival, is held every February in Tehran during the anniversary of the Iranian revolution. Started in 1982, the festival is held under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture. This year, the film festival was held from February 5 to 15. All entries, including the foreign films, can be viewed in different cinemas in Tehran.—With Carmela Lapeña/JV, GMA News