Short films are as important as independent full-length features. They don’t supplant the latter, rather most budding filmmakers use them as their stepping stone to bigger things including their material being picked up and expanded by big studios, having local and even international exposure, and creating an impressive portfolio.
Most neophytes would agree that creating short films is as tedious as doing a long feature. The challenge is, you have to craft a cinematic material and tell a story as fast as possible with breakneck pacing, sharp editing, defined characters, and logical story.
Now here comes Get Reel Mobile Shorts Film Festival 2019. Presented by McJim Classic Leather, the film fest aims to be a venue for budding filmmakers to showcase their work. With phones becoming smarter, with HD recording capabilities, the film fest tapped a few filmmakers who wanted to tell interesting stories while being exceptionally resourceful and creative.
On Aug. 30, in a ceremony at the Fisher Mall, Get Reel Mobile Shorts Film Festival 2019 unveiled the winners from among seven incredibly inspiring, heart-rending, and relatable mobile shorts entries shot solely with smartphones. The use of a device that almost all Filipinos have access to leveled the playing field for aspiring filmmakers who were asked to share their stories depicting the modern Filipino gentleman and the values he holds dear.
Get Reel is understandably proud to have provided an avenue for such filmmakers who rose to the challenge and turned out truly remarkable and impressive works.
Among scores of creative entries, seven films were chosen as finalists with Dylan Ray Talon’s Walang Hanggang Ligaya Sa Una Mong Ngiti and James Edward Golla’s May Love Life Na Si Pepito Jr. bagging most of the coveted awards.
Talon’s Walang Hanggang Ligaya Sa Una Mong Ngiti won the grand prize for the festival, the McJim Prize for Best Mobile Short Film, winning P50,000.
The film also bagged Best Director for Dylan Ray Talon, worth P25,000, and Best in Cinematography, worth P10,000.
Meanwhile, May Love Life Na Si Pepito Jr. by Golla won Best Screenplay and Best Comedy, with prizes worth P20,000 and P25,00 respectively.
Mark Jason Sucgang’s Pitaka won P25,000 for the Get Reel Viral Shorts Award; John Carlo Balasbas Tarobal’s Champion won P10,000 for Best Inspirational Story; and Roy Robert Rusiana’s Kabilin bagged P25,000 for Best Drama.
The judges also gave acting citations to actors and actresses in the film for their noteworthy performances.
Citations were awarded to Russel Ian Paguia for May Lovelife Na Si Pepito Jr.; Jorrybell Agoto for Walang Hanggang Ligaya Sa Una Mong Ngiti; Jonathan Oraño for Pitaka; Marialyn Tamarra for Cotard Syndrome; Philip Carlo Ty and King Richard Visto for Kabilin; and James Lohoman, Shawn Villete, and Carlo Tarobal for Champion.
McJim Classic Leather presented this cutting-edge event to give aspiring filmmakers a chance to share their content with a massive audience in the digital age where short films have become a way to spread meaningful and timely messages, and mobile devices have become a tool for creating relevant content.
The brand has garnered recognition in international film festivals for viral and unforgettable short films like Bag, Sinturon and Pitaka, which were created and produced in collaboration with award-winning filmmaker Chris Cahilig, Get Reel Mobile Shorts Film festival’s director.
With intent to affirm the uniqueness of Filipino artistry and excellence before a global audience, McJim continues to innovate through efforts such as the Get Reel Mobile Shorts Festival, which showcases the very same values that the brand pursues when creating McJim products.
Closer to home, however, the brand believes that it can prove to Filipinos that local products are of world-class quality and that Filipino values are truly worth emulating.
All film genres were allowed in the mobile shorts film festival, as long as McJim leather products like bags, belts, and wallets were used as organic parts of the narratives.
Winning entries will be uploaded in the official McJim Classic Leather Facebook page.
