A SHORT Film produced by the students of the Visayas State University bagged awards at the 2020 Klima Film Festival held recently.

The film entitled “Verdant,” produced by Ang Maharlika Productions, was hailed as the first-runner-up under the Best Film category. The film also claimed the Best Director, Best in Cinematography, Best in Production Design, and Best in Musical Scoring Awards.

“Verdant” was nominated for the Audience Choice Awards, Best in Screenplay, Best in Performance, and Best in Research and Content.

It was among the top 10 best short films from 50 teams from 14 regions across the Philippines.

The teams who joined the competition underwent a four-month training and mentorship from science and film experts.

“Verdant” follows the journey of Pete Bolfango, the last environmental scientist on Earth, and his twin brother Noah, a mission captain on Mars, as they try to find a new home for humankind and a new beginning following the downfall of planet Earth.

Mikone Joshua Calungsod, a VSU Environmental Science freshman, directed, edited, and portrayed the main protagonist in the film. Leila Amore Galvez, a VS UHS alumni, and Darwin Palermo, an Agriculture freshman, were the film’s writer and cinematographer.

“As the director of Verdant and at the same time an Environmental Science Student, I had a vision. It is a vision about the future of a Verdant paradise. That’s how we came up with the title of the short film. I still do believe in humanity uniting and doing the necessary steps in order to save this planet. We have had a lot of catastrophes because of the drastic effects of climate change, it was our basis and our inspiration for the short film,” Calungsod said.

Calungsod expressed hopes that the film will spark awareness of the climate crisis.

“We want to send a message and a warning to Filipinos. The short film portrays a scenario about the future, a possibility that will happen if we will not act now,” Calungsod said.

The Klima Film Festival was organized by the Climate Change Commission and the Oscar M. Lopez Center.