Respeto, the big winner of last year’s Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, is making waves abroad. It was recently recognized as the Jury Best Film for Exground Youth at the 31st Exground Film Festival, held in Wiesbaden, Germany.
According to the festival, the film “has convinced the youth jury in many ways. It introduces us to the frightening conditions of a country where people can be shot by the police on the street on the mere suspicion of having committed a crime. The film makes excellent use of the language of cinema on all levels: camera, sound and music, effects and the authentic presentation come together to form a harmonious whole.“
As part of the prize, director Treb Montera II won 2,500 euros (roughly P148,627.46).
Respeto is described on the official Cinemalaya website as “Hendrix dreams of hip-hop greatness, but he’s spiraling down a rabbit-hole of crime and poverty until he meets Doc, an old poet still haunted by his martial law past. Can they turn each other’s lives around before they’re swallowed by their circumstance? Respeto is a celebration of the underground Pinoy hip-hop world and how we find the words to find ourselves.”
The film stars Abra, Dido de la Paz, Loonie, Kate Alejandrino, Chai Fonacier, Ybes Bagadiong, Brian Arda, Thea Yrastorza, and Nor Domingo.
During the film festival’s awards night, Respeto was awarded Best Picture, NETPAC Jury Prize, Best Supporting Actor, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, and Audience Choice.
Congratulations to the Respeto team!
