UN Philippines recognizes young Filipino filmmakers' aspirations for post-pandemic Philippines that leaves no one behind

The top three winners of the United Nations (UN) in the Philippines' 2021 short film competition called "CineSilip: Mga Kwento ng Pag-Asa sa Gitna ng Pandemya" [Glimpses through Film: Stories of Hope in the Midst of a Pandemic] were announced by UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez during the UN Day celebration in the Philippines on 25 October 2021.

The Grand Prize winner was "Akyat," or in English, "Climb," by Jason Codilla, 22 years old, from Cebu. Akyat explores the issues that have emerged after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, from the perspective of a young man struggling to adapt to the online learning setup and reach his dreams.

Ernest Carlo Guiuntab, 21 years old, took second place for "Jared: Ang Batang Sabik sa Signal" [Jared: A Child Eager to Connect], which portrays the determination of young learners to continue their education in places with poor internet connection.

Finally,  FJ Salcedo, 24 years old, took third place for "Ang Liham ni Inday" [Inday's Letter], which tells the story of a young girl who loses both parents to COVID-19 but persists in making them proud by advancing in her education. 

The UN Philippines received close to 190 entries across the country from Filipinos 12 to 24 years old to the film competition. Twenty-nine percent (29%) of the filmmakers were from Mindanao, 37 percent, from the Visayas, and 34 percent, from Luzon. All entries that were submitted reflect the filmmakers’ difficulty in coping with the changes forced upon them by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

All the entries were shared on the UN Philippines Facebook Page. The top 10 entries were included in the CineSilip Film Festival that was available to anyone, anywhere, free of charge, from 25-31 October 2021.