A SHORT documentary film on Filipino voters won for Seymour Barros Sanchez, a special lecturer at the Lyceum of the Philippines University Manila, a Special Mention award at the 3rd Dreamanila International Film Festival.

“Maria Leonor,” written and directed by Sanchez, bested 56 entries to claim the title.

The film is in a form of an open letter that delves into the Filipino voter’s psyche as it trains its sight on a government office’s pandemic response efforts.

It is an offshoot of Sanchez’s ongoing full-length project “Leading Lady,” which was partially funded by the Centre for Global Business of the Monash Business School of Monash University in Australia.

“Collaborating with him on ‘Maria Leonor’ are voice talent and producer Eloisa Espino Sanchez, creative consultant Richard Soriano Legaspi, sound designer, graphic artist and editor John Lanbert Rafols, composer Tonton Hernandez and singer Jaycee Belmonte (‘Tuloy ang Laban’), sound recordist Darwin Novicio, camerapersons Ariel Alarcon, Charles Cajayon, and production manager Kristin Joy Bactad Jor,” LPU-Manila said in a statement.

“Only 56 films were selected to compete out of more than 500 submissions to the Dreamanila film fest, which had International Full Features, International Short Features, Philippine Shorts, and Screenwriting Division as its main categories,” it added.

Established in 2018, Dreammanila International Film Festival aims to provide screening venues and support young filmmakers and established directors.

The festival’s Jury Panel and Board Members this year are composed of award-winning filmmakers Joselito Altarejos, Lemuel Lorca, and film scholars Jerrick David and Robert Cerda.