Bianca Balbuena
SHE’S the first from the Philippines to receive this prestigious film award.
Manila-based film producer Bianca Balbuena is the recipient of the International Federation of Film Producers Associations FIAPF award for outstanding achievement in film during the 11th Asia Pacific Screen Awards held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia last Thursday.
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards, in its Facebook page, has posted a video of Balbuena’s acceptance speech.
“Thank you Asia Pacific Screen Academy for always hearing our voices of struggle, of fear, of pain, of dreams, and our hope.Thank you to the International Federation of Film Producers Associations FIAPF for making me believe that a small little girl from a small island in the Philippines like me, can actually face film giants like you guys, and accept this award,” Balbuena said.
Balbuena is a producer, writer, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Epicmedia Productions Inc.
She has produced over 25 films, including the 2009 Venice Film Festival’s Best Film “Engkwentro” directed by Pepe Diokno and Lav Diaz’s “A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery” which won the Berlinale 2016 Silver Bear.
Balbuena is also one of the producers of the 2015 hit film “That Thing Called Tadhana” which starred JM de Guzman and Angelica Panganiban.
She also produced the Cebuano comedy,”Patay na Si Hesus,” “Mystery,” “Those Long Haired Nights,” “Miss Bulalacao,” and “Walang Forever.”
Balbuena took to Facebook on Friday to express how she felt after receiving the award.
“To be the youngest and first ever Filipino to receive the Asia Pacific Screen Awards FIAPF Achievement in Film and hold that vessel in front of filmmakers that I look up to at the age of 31 is quite surreal and unbelievable!”
“As always, I was nervous and had too much bubbly before I was called on stage that I ended up forgetting my speech and started talking spontaneously ‘from the heart’ that I, at some point wanted to tear up,” part of her post read.
According to Asia Pacific Screen Awards Facebook page, the awards are the “region’s highest accolade in film, celebrating cinematic excellence and cultural diversity.”