The winning flick of Lance Katigbak have touched and inspired not just the judges but the audiences as well; making him the winner in the said film fest in New York.
MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos rejoiced for another victory earned by fellow Filipino as Lance Katigbak, an 18-year-old filmmaker bagged the People’s Choice award at the Manhattan International Film Festival in New York for a short film titled ‘Fine Dining’ he simply made for a workshop requirement.
Katigbak, a freshman at the University of the Philippines, bested 14 finalists from over 50 submissions around the globe, countries like
such countries as the United States, India, Belgium and Rwanda.
Lance Katigbak in a stolen shot.
In an interview, Lance simply says, “I just wanted to get across a message of love to an audience.
“I wanted to be able to inspire others and show them that your dignity as a person is not dependent on your financial status in life.”
The 5-minute film showed how a man prepared a full course meal for a special guest using inexpensive and practical household items.
“It all started when we were in this fancy restaurant. I was looking at the table setting, the knives, the forks, the different [dishes], and I thought to myself, ‘What if I recreated these things using cheap items?’” he adds.
Jill Ramos, Katigbak’s film professor shares, “Biruin mo, para sa summer workshop lang siya. In school terms, parang project lang siya (Imagine, it was just intended for a workshop. It was like a school project) and it turned out to be something that the whole country can be proud of.”
Katigbak also shares tips to aspiring filmmakers, “You should always start with a great story. Tug on heart strings, pull emotions, and make people cry. That's when they'll really remember your work. Other than that, just go out there and do it. Don't stop at the drawing board!”
