Taclobanon filmmaker makes one of Korean filmfest's best selections

And Leyteños and Leyteñas in and outside Region 8, read up, listen up!

There's someone in your roots who has been taking the whole filmdom by storm.

You may or may not be a movie buff but the reality is that this fellow is a genius.

He is your pride.

His name is Carlo Francisco Manatad, a veteran of two award-winning feature films, namely "Kung Maupay man it Panahon" which, of course, is translated into "Whether the Weather is Fine," a runaway winner at the 2021 Locarno International Film Festival of the Cinema e Giovantu Prize, "Jodilerks de la Cruz, Employee of the Month," a recipient of the Shamaine de la Critique at the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival in 2017.

CF, my own christened business name on him, started in filmmaking as an editor--an award-winning one--of several fellow award-winning director Khavn de la Cruz's film projects like "Ruined Heart" and "Balangiga," Sheron Dayoc's "Women of the Weeping River," Qiu Yang's "A Gentle Night" which bagged a Best Short Film at the 2017 Cannes, among others.

Carlo Francisco is a true blue Waraynon, being born in Tacloban City.

As early as now, Manatad has been reaping the fruits of his artistic labor.

Recently, his project (a submission of any unfinished film whether in development or post-production) "Brilliant Melody" has been adjudged as one of the fourteen (14) official selections of the distinct and cutting-edge genre entries in the 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN)'s It Project search in Bucheon City, South Korea.

The It project is a component of BIFAN’s Network of Asian Fantastic Films (NAFF) that discovers outstanding genre projects from around the world.

An entrant has to submit synopsis, sequence treatment, logline, director’s and producer's statements and profiles, production budget and schedule etc. from which the selection committee selects, deliberates and decides.

If chosen, the entry is qualified to be presented by either the director or producer in business meetings with international producers, investors, marketers, press and other stakeholders.

On July 3 to 13, 2025, the timeframe of the 2025 BIFAN, NAFF will hold its pitching and consultations between July 5 to 8 in specific schedules for the Manatad project.

Waraynons all over the region, let us pray for Carlo Francisco's success for his victory is ours as well.

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