ALUMNI and students from the Far Eastern University bagged awards in two film festivals in Spain and the United States.

Ramri Rivota’s film titled “Dalaw” (The Guest) won the Honorable Mention in Art Direction for Melbrick Morillo at the Festival de Cinema Internacional de Merdə de Sueca in Spain.

“We hope to stimulate countercultural audiovisual initiatives to spotlight independent productions which focus on creativity, medium love and sheer fun over technical requirements leading to a ban from commercial mainstream,” CIM Sueca organizer Eugeni Alcañiz said.

“We aim to establish the CIM as a meeting venue for the unassimilated, the rebellious, and the free minds of the audiovisual underworld,” he added.

Aside from Rivota and Morillo, the film also got support from producer/production manager Shaina Legaspi; assistant director Patricia Rigodon; director of photography/editor Andrew Aquino; assistant director Audrey Vicencio; scriptcon Angelica Altera; casting manager Yvonne Salazar; sound designer Val Manalo; wardrobe/makeup artist Cyrus Barros; and production assistants Donita Borre and Maurich Macatangay.

Organized by the Cultural Association for the Second Law of Thermodynamics in Sueca, Valencia, Spain, C.I.M. Sueca is a global competitive event of “low-budget, independent, or noncommercial cinema.”

“Dalaw” also received the Honorable Mention award at the Student World Impact Film Festival 2022 in the United States.

“We loved the technical creativity and impactful message of your film, Dalaw (The Guest),” SWIFF Director Mark Leschinsky said.

Other FEU student films such as “Agam” by Rose Anne Abellar; “Debut” by Reyna Nicole Paner; “Hutik Sang Mga Kuliglig” by Luke del Castillo; “Kumari” by Angela Aguila and One Carlo Diaz; “On the Shepherd’s Warning” by Lily Gomes, “Pua Iyam” (Coming Out) by Juan Pablo Pineda III; and “Retrospektib” by Daryll Jameson Apaga also received Honorable Mention prizes and were nominated for multiple awards, including Best Short Film and Global Impact Grand Prize.