Award-winning Benilde film “IAMANNIKA” bags international prize

Wazzup Pilipinas!

A short animation from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde film department took home the Southeast Asia Audience Award of the third CRAFT International Animation Festival.

“IAMANNIKA,” directed by Dan Verzosa, bested 19 other short films from host country Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, among others, for the said award in the Southeast Asia Competition of Short Animations of this year’s CRAFT AnimFest.

In the film, a 10-year-old student named Annika comes across a school requirement about women while she is attending her online class during the pandemic. As she works on it, she ponders upon society’s expectation of women with her mother, whom she highly looks up to.

Verzosa, who is currently pursuing a degree in filmmaking at DLS-CSB, shared that she and her team from Tuklaw Films worked on the advocacy film “with the purpose of promoting gender equality and empowerment of all women because we all know that we still experience discrimination, social inequality, and unrealistic expectations toward women.”

“The whole team behind ‘IAMANNIKA’ believes that this issue is worth addressing. Actually, if you will look closely at the title of our film, it is not just about the name of our character but also a statement on how many people still treat and look down on women,” she stressed.

CRAFT AnimFest, which ran from October 25 to 30, is “a celebration of craftsmanship and talent, but also to commune with authenticity, diversity, and physicality.”

The film festival, which received more than 1,800 entries from 97 countries, took its viewers on “an unforgettable journey through a diversity of techniques, styles, emotions, and amazing artistic personalities in the contemporary animated world.”

“IAMANNIKA” previously won Best Film Editing, Award of Virtue, and Best Animated Film at the Realifilm inter-school filmmaking competition organized by Adamson University’s Silip@Lente.

The short film also got the top prize in the Safe Communities category of the Safe Spaces Campaign competition by the Global Peace Foundation and Consuelo Zobel Alger Foundation.

“IAMANNIKA” was also part of the official selection of the 16th International Student Animation Festival in Brazil and the ninth Seoul Guro International Kids Film Festival in South Korea.

Verzosa is also behind the award-winning “Malapit Na, ‘Nay!” (Almost There, Mother), a short film on extrajudicial killings which she directed at Far Eastern University Senior High School, the Metro Manila Film Festival finalist and Manila Student Film Festival winner “Sala, Salin-Laway” (Living Room Banter), and “Ang Awit Na Lipos Sa Pangungulila” (A Song of a Yearning Soul).  

Another Benilde film, “CITSALP” by Jean Evangelista, Verzosa’s co-writer for “IAMANNIKA,” also made it to CRAFT AnimFest’s SEA competition. “CITSALP” is a short animation on the negative effects of plastic in the world and the responsible consumption and production of plastic.

Half Circles: Grace Tagum Orbon-Emmelot collection

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Born and raised in the Philippines, Grace Emmelot is now based in Norway.

Having begun her journey in her homeland, she continues to explore the many genres photography—portrait, street, documentary, corporate, landscape, travel, and product. But her forte lies in these four: portraits, events, documentary and corporate photography.

Back in the Philippines, she established her own studio. With her art now ever evolving in Norway, she is in the exciting process of launching Emmelot Grace Photography very soon.

Aside from being a professional photographer, Grace is also a multimedia designer and teacher, passionate about both documentary and film production. She brings with her over two decades of experience in various yet interconnected fields of industry, such as events, film production, marketing, branding, and multimedia design.

HALF CIRCLES

A collection of Grace Emmelot’s photographic work in her motherland, the Philippines, and other places all over the world. It is the story of life at large, peoples, cultures, and her art.

This exhibition has a twofold objective: To showcase Grace Emmelot works as an artist and

professional photographer, and to hope to relate to the immense courage of immigrants who have moved across the globe. Most, if not all of these people, still have half their hearts and souls in their native Philippines, and half in the place where they now live.

Half Circles is a migration journey of sorts, complex and nuanced, with the excitement arriving in your new homeland and the loneliness of being apart from what you left behind.

Half Circles. Finding half of your own space.

A limited number of Grace’s photographic prints are available for purchase on-site of the exhibit at the Philippine Embassy Oslo and online through her website www.emmelotgracephotography.com.

Through this exhibit, Grace would like to reach out and collaborate with fellow artists and photographers by creating a common ground for organizing workshops in the field of arts and photography, best practice sharing, online forums, and photo walks, as well as help organize local exhibitions for other artists too.

As a photographer, Grace has been shooting freelance since 2012 for her personal studios, freelance and corporate jobs in the Philippines, and has also shot overseas for several projects.

Her distinct flavor and style have been deeply inspired by many Filipino photographers that she holds in high esteem, as well as her writing mentor, Ricky Lee, and her batchmates in the Katorse Writers Group.

Hilton Expands Flagship Presence in Japan with Opening of Hilton Nagasaki

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The 200-room hotel offers convenient access to new large-scale convention center and popular sightseeing spots in the city

Hilton announced the opening of Hilton Nagasaki, which marks Hilton’s first hotel in Nagasaki and second property in the Kyushu region. Directly connected to the new Dejima Messe Nagasaki convention center, the hotel will provide world-class hospitality, accommodation and facilities to leisure and business travelers alike.

Conveniently located to the west of the Nagasaki Station, Hilton Nagasaki’s central location offers easy access to Nagasaki’s most popular sights and landmarks such as Mount Inasa, as well as UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the Glover Garden and Oura Cathedral.

“The opening of Hilton Nagasaki is especially significant as it marks our 500th hotel in Asia Pacific. Reaching such a milestone during this uncertain time is a testament to Hilton’s resilience and commitment to setting the benchmark for hospitality in the world’s most sought-after destinations,” said Alan Watts, president, Asia Pacific, Hilton. “Nagasaki has long represented a gateway to Japan, and we are delighted to partner with Gloverhill Inc. to bring the first Hilton hotel to the city as we continue to expand our footprint in key destinations across the region.”

Akiyoshi Matsufuji, president and the representative director of Gloverhill Inc. said, "Nagasaki is undergoing a period of great transformation — one that occurs only every 100 years. This includes the opening of one of the largest convention centers in West Japan, the upcoming launch of the West Kyushu Shinkansen which provides great access to Nagasaki, and the urban redevelopment of the site of the former Nagasaki Prefectural Government Office building. In such a time, we are honored to manage Hilton Nagasaki and contribute to Nagasaki's tourism industry. We will work closely with our local partners to offer guests an outstanding experience with hospitality that is truly unique to Nagasaki."

The 200-room hotel features expansive guest rooms, including four suites that span up to 97 square meters, all of which offer modern conveniences including Digital Key access and TVs which can be connected to smartphones, making the hotel an ideal choice for leisure and business travelers alike. Guests can also enjoy excellent facilities such as an executive lounge for guests staying on the executive floors, flexible banquet spaces, a wedding chapel, fitness center, and a hot bath to relax and unwind at.

Hilton Nagasaki features modern, contemporary designs that draw upon the rich history and heritage of Nagasaki as a trading port city. The cultural inspirations are reflected throughout the hotel’s artwork and design motifs, embracing the city’s local traditional crafts and materials. Surrounded by the sea, the hotel is also designed with a strong maritime influence and evokes a sense of being on a sailing ship, with blue design features woven throughout the hotel to symbolize the sea.

The design concept extends to the four dining outlets which include:

· Japanese restaurant “Tamatsurumi” which serves teppanyaki, tempura and sushi with carefully selected ingredients sourced locally from Nagasaki and other parts of Japan.

· Adorning an impressive red entrance, Chinese restaurant “Fukukairo”, serves modern Chinese cuisine made with local ingredients from the nearby mountains and sea.

· At the all-day dining restaurant “De Vaert”, guests can enjoy a buffet with a wide variety of seasonal delicacies and dishes that reflect Nagasaki’s food heritage, including a mix of Japanese, Chinese and Dutch cuisine.

· Lounge and bar “Seven Seas” serves afternoon tea and evening cocktails.

Alexandra Jaritz, senior vice president, brand management, Asia Pacific, Hilton, said “With its strategic location, distinctive design and unique dining concepts coupled with signature Hilton hospitality, I am confident that Hilton Nagasaki will become a key landmark for Nagasaki and redefine the travel experience for guests.”

Utmost priority is placed on safety and sanitization protocols throughout the guest experience. Hilton has introduced Hilton CleanStay, an industry-defining standard of cleanliness and disinfection, which is now present across all Hilton properties around the world.

The hotel is also part of Hilton Honors, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton's 18 distinct brands. Members who book directly on the Hilton website have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose nearly any combination of points and money to book a stay, an exclusive member discount, free standard Wi-Fi and the Hilton Honors mobile app. Members also have access to contactless technology exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton Honors mobile app, where Hilton Honors members can check-in, choose their room and access their room using Digital Key.

Hilton Nagasaki is located at 4-2 Onouemachi, Nagasaki, 850-0058, Japan.

For more information, or to make a reservation, travelers may visit https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/ngsjphi-hilton-nagasaki/ or call +81 95-829-5111.