The team behind Cinemalaya’s breakout winner “Iti Mapupukaw” (The Missing) is ecstatic to be shortlisted by none other than entertainment giant Variety for this year’s Oscar picks.
Just a quick rewind: The film scored big as the Philippines’ official entry to the Best International Film Category. And now, Variety has shone its spotlight on the masterpiece, marking a historic moment for Philippine cinema.
Producer Antoinette Jadaone recently shared her “kilig” at the news, sharing that this is the first time ever that a Pinoy film has entered Variety’s radar.
Director Carl Papa, equally thrilled, took a moment to thank everyone for all their support not only from the Philippines but from all over the world.
“Operative word is “ecstatic.” The main goal when we made “The Missing” was to get the message across sincerely. I think (and hopefully) we did that during our Cinemalaya run. So everything that happened post-Cinemalaya were just major pluses to our goal. We did not expect to be selected as representative for the Academy Awards. And when this article came out. I was just stunned. Happy stunned though,” he said.
Despite lacking the machinery for a heavyweight campaign, Papa believes in their grassroots efforts, fueled by the love pouring in not only from the Philippines but also across borders.
“I do believe that we have a shot at this and hopefully we snag that very first nomination for the country,” he added.
