Photo / Iti Mapukpukaw
Iti Mapukpukaw is the Philippines’ official entry to the 96th Academy Awards, more popularly known as the Oscars.
If nominated, it will compete in the Best International Feature Film category.
Last year, the country’s official entry was On the Job: The Missing 8. The German film All Quiet on the Western Front won the award.
Preliminary voting for film submissions runs from December 14 to 18, 2023. The shortlist is announced on December 21 and the official nominations are announced on January 23, 2024.
This year’s Academy Awards will be held on March 10, 2024, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
Cinemalaya darling
Iti Mapukpukaw made history at this year’s Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
It is the first full-length animated film to screen in the festival’s 19-year run.
The film won the most recognitions, taking home Best Film, the Best Supporting Actress trophy for Dolly de Leon, and the NETPAC Award.
Additionally, Iti Mapukpukaw was the highest-grossing film among this year’s entries.
Here’s the official synopsis of the film:
“Eric lives a rather normal life working as an animator in the Philippines He has a nice but dirty apartment, a good paying job, and a guy he likes. One thing glaring about Eric though is he does not have a mouth, literally. One day, he receives a call from his mother Rosalinda, asking him to check up on his seemingly lost uncle. Only to find out that his uncle has been dead for days. While still in shock, a familiar alien arrives wanting to take Eric away from Earth. Iti Mapukpukaw is Filipino-Ilocano rotoscope animated film that follows Eric’s life as it twists and turns after the arrival of the familiar alien, and the death of his uncle; both of which triggers Eric to remember his past and untangle his memories.”
The film stars Carlo Aquino, Gio Gahol, and Dolly de Leon. It is directed by Carl Joseph E. Papa.
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