PREMIER MAGAZINE PH VOL. 1 NO. 2 CNY EDITION

Pr emier SAPERE AUDE

Vol. 1

FEBRUARY 2021 CNY ISSUE

Abou t t h e Cover

Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park is in the eastern foothills of the Qilian Mountains in Gansu Province, China. The geological park has a spectacularDanxia(/dan-sshyaa/ 'red cloud') landform area that covers about 50 square kilometers (19 square miles).

The danxia landforms are a masterpiece of nature.

The colorful mountain ridges are just like an overturned palette from heaven.

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THE GREAT SILK ROAD

From the Latin word februa, ?to cleanse.? The Roman calendar month of Februarius was named for Februalia, a festival of purification and atonement that took place during this period. Just like our vibrant February issue delves into great beginnings and achievements, an homage to East Asia.

To our Chinese friends, this marks the Lunar New Year of the Metal Ox. Premier gathered relevant stories, old and new and compiled all our FAMAS Awards winner 's profile. Jury members and Lifetime Achievement Award recipients are all part of our story gems as well. Space updates continue to grace our pages.

On our cover, we featured the Zhangye(? ? ) in Gansu Province known for its unique landscape ? Danxia landform. Named Ganzhou(? ? ) in ancient China, it was one of the important stopping-off points on the Silk Road.

Marco Polo once stayed there for about a year.

The Routes Network of Chang'an-Tian Shan Corridor is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which covers the Chang'an-Tianshan portion of the ancient Silk Road and historical sites along the route.

The Silk Road was an ancient network of trade routes connecting the East and West, and was central to the economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between these regions from the 2nd century BCE to the 18th century. The Silk Road primarily refers to the land but also sea routes connecting East Asia and Southeast Asia with South Asia, Persia, the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa and Southern Europe.

The greatest value of the Silk Road was the exchange of culture. Art, religion, philosophy, technology, language, science, architecture, and every other element of civilization was exchanged along these routes, carried with the commercial goods the merchants traded from country to country.

The importance of history is once again highlighted as the modern day Silk Road continues to shape our future. A fact that shows how connected we all are.

Source: ancient.eu , chinahighlights.com

The three recipients of the FAM AS Lifetime Achievement Aw ard are deserving storytellers w ho remind us that artists have a role in society - to fight against injustice and make the w orld a better place.

Our three FAM AS aw ardees generously spent a lifetime fighting for freedom of expression and rebelling against the status quo. These three changed the broad landscape of Philippine Cinema forever.

They are our Cultural Revolutionaries.

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Th e FAM AS 2020 Lif et im e Ach ievem en t Aw ar d

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Ar m ida Sigu ion -Reyn a. A legendary actress who starred in films like ?Dung-Aw,? ?Tahan na Empoy, Tahan,? and ?Bwakaw,? Armida Siguion-Reyna also founded Reyna films, a production company that elevated local cinema back in the 1990s. Her television work is iconic: she produced and hosted the country?s longest-running musical / cultural show ?Aawitan Kita,? an important program that was instrumental in keeping alive the disappearing art of the kundiman for the new generation, and inspired the broader acceptance of Tagalog songs in television and the coming OPM movement. A fierce advocate of freedom of expression and creative liberties in film, Armida?s greatest work was her reformation of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) that had been notorious for its censorship policies before she headed the office. Her board consisted of the industry?s most credible anti-censorship personalities and her policy of protecting free expression resulted in the flourishing of independent voices during its time.

Armida?s goal of industry self-regulation is still the standard principle of the film industry to this day. For her important contribution to film and local culture, and determined resolve to fight censorship, the FAMAS grants Armida Siguion-Reyna a much-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDEE FOR INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT

Rick y Lee gave birth to some of the greatest Filipino films ever written; Brutal (Abaya ?81), Salome (Guillen ?81), Cain at Abel (Brocka ?82), Relasyon (Bernal ?82), Himala (Bernal ?82), Moral (Abaya ?82), Karnal (Abaya ?83), Sinner or Saint (Chionglo ?84), Private Show (Rono ?85) Macho Dancer (Brocka ?88) Gumapang Ka Man Sa Lusak, (Brocka ?90) The Flor Contemplacion Story (Lamangan ?95), Madrasta, (Lamasan ?96), Miguel/ Michelle, (Portes ?98), Jose Rizal, (Abaya ?98), Pusong Mamon, (Lamangan ?98) Burlesk King, (Chionglo ?99), Muro-Ami (Abaya ?99) and Anak (Quintos ?00). More than classics, these are films that became allegories of the Filipino?s continuing struggle for equality and freedom.Apart from committing his words to the screen, he generously mentored thousands of new voices with his free Scriptwriting Workshops that began in 1982. The graduates of his workshops are a veritable who?s who in filmmaking and are changing the landscape of cinema themselves. For his vital contribution to scriptwriting, and generous spirit in mentorship, FAMAS grants Ricky Lee a deserving Lifetime Achievement Award.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDEE FOR SCRIPTWRITING

Rox Lee, The co-creator of the renowned comic-strip ?Cesar Asar ?, Rox Lee is an original voice and pioneering animator of the independent film industry.

He is one of the founding members of Animahenasyon, the country?s largest group of the animators.Acclaimed internationally, his body of work, from the line drawing ?The Great Smoke? to stop-motion live shorts like ?Juan Gapang? are canonical works of the alternative movement and have influenced filmmakers of the new generation. Also a famed painter, his philosophical approach to cinema? of irreverence, non-linearity, biting humor, and social consciousness, continues to inspire filmmakers and storytellers up to this day.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDEE FOR ALTERNATIVE CINEMA

Director Paolo Villaluna receives the best feature film award for "Pedicab" during the awarding ceremony of the 20th Shanghai International Film Festival in Shanghai, east China, June 25, 2017. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

The FAMAS Awards 2020 Jury Chairman is PAOLO VILLALUNA, President of DGPI - Directors' Guild of the Philippines, Inc. The Nomination Committee is composed of other internationally-acclaimed filmmakers? the 48th Berlin IFF Awardee, Carlitos Sigiuon-Reyna, respected director and educator Sari Lluch Dalena, and the 66th Venice IFF Orizonti recipient Pepe Diokno.

The Jury for the Documentary Section are pioneering broadcast journalist Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, acclaimed documentary filmmakers Ditsi Carolino and multi awarded composer Erwin Romulo. While the Jury for the Short Film Section are Canne Palme D?or Winner, Raymond Red, Vancouver IFF Dragons and Tiger Awardee, John Torres and experimental filmmaker Jon Lazam.

MEET THE PIONEERS OF THE FUTURE.

THE

68th

FAMAS A W A R D

R E C I P I E N T S

FAMAS BEST PICTURE, ASWANG

Alyx Ayn Ar u m pac is a Filipino documentary filmmaker.

She studied at the Docnomads Joint Master (in Portugal, Hungary, and Belgium) and the University of the Philippines and is an alumna of Berlinale Talents, IDFAcademy, and Talents Tokyo. Her debut feature Asw an g won over a dozen awards, including the grand prizes at RIDM, DMZ Docs, FFD Jogja, Corsica Doc. It is t h e f ir st docu m en t ar y t o be aw ar ded Best Pict u r e an d Best Docu m en t ar y by t h e Filipin o Academ y of M ovie Ar t s an d Scien ces in it s 68 year s.

FAMAS BEST DIRECTION, VERDICT Raym u n d Ribay Gu t ier r ez is an internationally acclaimed award-winning Filipino director and screenwriter. Despite graduating with a Bachelor 's Degree in Multimedia Arts, he still pursued a career in filmmaking by joining a workshop which gave him an opportunity to work with the award-winning director, Brillante Ma Mendoza.

He was trained well throughout of his career by Brillante and became his protege. As a screenwriter, he is guided by the founder and teacher of the "Found Story", Armando Bing Lao. It is a unique storytelling theory that is applied in both his and Brillante's films.

Gutierrez's first short film was "IMAGO" (2016), which received a nomination for the Palme d'Or Best Short Film in Cannes (2016) and wins such as Best Short Cuts in Toronto International Film Festival (2016), Best Short Film Award in Stockholm International Film Festival (2016), Best Short Film in London Short Film Festival (2017), and Best Film in Minimalen Short Film Festival (2018).

In 2018, his second short film, "JUDGEMENT", received again a nomination for the Palme d'Or Best Short Film in Cannes (2018). Gutierrez, age 25, is the first Filipino director to compete for the Palme d'Or twice in the short film category.

His debut feature "VERDICT" won the Orizzonti Special Jury Prize at the 76th Venice International Film Festival.

- IMDb Mini Biography By:Mikki Garcia

FAMAS BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR, ACTRESS BABAE AT BARIL

Jan in e M ar ie Elizabet h de Leon Gu t ier r ez (born October 2, 1989) known professionally as Janine Gutierrez, is a Filipina actress, television host and commercial model. A graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in European Studies, she is currently an exclusive talent of ABS-CBN, albeit the issue involving its legislative franchise. She was a former GMA Network actress.

The eldest of four siblings, Gutierrez comes from a family of actors. Her parents are Ramon Christopher Gutierrez and Lotlot de Leon. Her paternal grandparents are Pilita Corrales and Eddie Gutierrez. Donald Olson and Eva Rodriguez are her biological maternal grandparents. Actors Christopher de Leon and Nora Aunor are her adoptive maternal grandparents. She attended St Paul's College, Pasig, an all girls' school.

She is the recipient of the 62nd FAMAS German Moreno Youth Achievement Award and the most recent , 68th FAMAS Best Actress Awardee for the movie Babae at Baril.

FAMAS BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR, ACTOR KALEL, 15 Elijah Lu iz M adiclu m Can las (born August 16, 2000) is a Filipino television, film and theater actor and commercial model. His lead and title role in the film Kalel, 15 paved the way for more acting opportunities in his career and earned him a Famas Award for the Best Performance of the Year by an Actor last year.

This film also bagged its director,Jun Robles Lana, the best director award at the Tallinn International Film Festival in Estonia, and Elijah's first Best Actor award at the 17th Asian Film Festival held in Rome, Italy.

In May 2020, he was casts as one of the main actors in the YouTube series, Gameboys. Produced by The Idea First Company, it is a boys love (BL) series in the Philippines that tackles the story of two young men who found each other online amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Along with Kokoy de Santos as Gavreel Alarcon, Elijah starred in the thirteen-part web series as Cairo Lazaro, an up-and-coming online game streamer.

In late 2020, Netflix released a re-cut version of the series titled Gameboys Level-Up Edition.

Second of three siblings, he is fondly called Jelo by his older brother Jerom, and younger brother JM. The Canlas brothers are all actors who played various roles in film, theater and television. With their mother being a theater actress in Bacolod, they were exposed to theater at a very young age.

FAMAS BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR, ACTOR VERDICT

Ch r ist oph er Reyes in real life, Kristoffer appeared in Masahista, Foster Child, and Tirador. He was also in the movie Captive in 2012 and appeared in the long-running TV show, FPJ's Ang Probinsyano, which stars his good friend Coco Martin. His passing last February, 2019 was unexpected.

He was with Mendoza and Martin (who also starred in "Tirador ") for 2008's "Serbis," the first Filipino movie to compete in the prestigious Cannes Film Festival since 1984.

His portrayal of Dante Santos in the film Verdict won him a FAMAS Award for the Best Performance of the Year by an Actor last December.

He shares the title with Elijah Canlas as the jury decided to extend one of the most coveted award to both exceptional actors.

FAMAS BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR, ACTRESS VERDICT

Before crossing over to film, radio, television, and streaming platforms where she?s performed in over 30 productions, Dolly De Leon is first and foremost an actor of the theater. She?s performed a wide range of parts from the likes of Olga in Three Sisters, multiple parts in Sepharad Voces de Exilio to Maria Clara, Juliet, Portia, and Beth in Tribes where she was nominated for Best Featured Performance in a Play by Philstage?s Gawad Buhay in 2016.

She was also among the recipients of the Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a Play by Gawad Buhay for Tribes. In 2020 she was nominated twice for Best Supporting Actress in Raymund Ribay Gutierrez?s acclaimed film, Verdict by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) and received the nod by FAMAS Digital.

Dolly is set to be featured in Ruben Ostlünd?s Triangle of Sadness in 2021.

FAMAS BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR, ACTOR FUCCBOIS Rick y Davao portrayed a closeted town mayor who tries to blackmail two male bikini pageant contestants (Royce Cabrera and Kokoy de Santos) with a video scandal in Fuccbois. ?I?m an actor so I practice what I preach. Whatever is required of you as an actor, you have to do it, either you do it or you don?t. Kung hindi mo kayang gawin na tumalon sa swimming pool na walang tubig at una ulo then huwag mong gawin. Pero kung kaya mo, then do it wholeheartedly para buong-buo.?

As for the catch phrases, ?Come to Mommy, boys? and ?Party! Party! Party!? that defined his most memorable moments in F#* @ BOIS, Ricky said he just followed the script but was surprised when the crew all laughed and screamed with joy right after his first take when he said those lines. * Part of his interview on PEP. Ph on the movie Fuccbois Photo credit: Ph.Star

Ricky Davao is a seasoned actor and has received numerous awards and citations for his works. He received the FAMAS Best Supporting Performance of the Year by an Actor for the movie Fuccbois.

FAMAS BEST SHORT FILM TOKWIFI

TOKWIFI is a magical but very convincing depiction of how women are boxed into stereotypes by television and how cultural communities are reduced into backward primitivism by the media. According to Car la Pu lido Ocam po, the culture of indigenous Filipinos has always been set aside and even now, are still misunderstood. She offers her awards as a gift for those in the said situation. Her blessings kept coming with a FAMAS Award for Best Short Film in December last year. ?I have a favorite Bontoc folktale about a star who went down from heaven to take a bath in a lake ? a Bontoc man fell in love and married her,? she narrated.

On her Preen PH interview, Ocampo said that she placed a twist in this story to reflect that she was an outsider who knew little of their culture. She wanted to symbolize her insecurities as an outsider by creating a ?manila version? of a star.

Her romantic fantasy film is based on a Bontok Igorot folktale. It follows the story of a mestiza actress from the 1950s who?s stuck inside a television set that falls from the sky. She dreams of going on a romp in the rice terraces with a Bontok Igorot man who doesn?t how to kiss. If Ocampo?s name rings a bell, she wrote the screenplay for the 2014 film ?Walang rape sa Bontok.?

FAMAS BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY ASWANG

Tan ya Hau r ylch yk is a Belarusian cinematographer and filmmaker. She was born and lives in Minsk, Belarus. She graduated from Belarusian State Academy of Arts with BA in camerawork in 2009 and Doc Nomads joint master with MA in documentary filmmaking in 2015. Having gained big experience as a video journalist, she slowly shifted her professional focus to reflective and thoughtful human stories. This interest transformed into passion in documentary filmmaking.

She is known for her works in documentary short films, The square of Blaha Lujza in 2016 and Tiny Little Delicate Foreign Castles in 2014.

Tanya won her first FAMAS award last year for the documentary Aswang which gained international citations and streamed in major platforms worldwide.

FAMAS BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY BABAE AT BARIL Tey Clam or is a Manila based cinematographer with a focus on making feature films that champions the visual narratives of her country. She received a BA in Film from the University of the Philippines Film Institute and has participated in the Berlinale Talent Campus in 2006, the International Documentary Masterclass, Serbia in 2017 and Arri Lighting Academy 2019.

Tey started primarily as a camera operator in local films. She received her first break as a DP in 2015 with the film, SLEEPLESS and since then completed 18 local feature films including recent films, TAYO SA HULING BUWAN NG TAON, METAMORPHOSIS, ISA PA WITH FEELINGS and BABAE AT BARIL which earned her a FAMAS recently.

Her first international nomination came in 2018 for the film, Maestra (Teacher) in the Philadelphia Independent Film Awards. She has also been collaborating as a DP for international documentaries for WHO, Unicef, HBO, ESPN and has recently worked with Emmy-award winning documentary director, Lauren Greenfield as additional cinematography for THE KINGMAKER that premiered in the Venice International Film Festival last year.

Tey is pioneer member of the Philippine?s Cinematographer ?s guild LUPON NG PILIPINONG SINEMATOGRAPO and also a member of the International Collective of Female Cinematographers. Tey is currently under the American Society of Cinematographer ?s Vision Mentorship Programme.

FAMAS BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN BABAE AT BARIL Eer o Yves Fr an cisco is a production designer and art director, known for Babae at Baril (2019),Utopia (2019) and Gatilyo ng Baril (2015).

Maraming salamat sa bumubuo ng FAMAS Digital Philippines, sa jury. Sa aking mga kapwa Production Designers, mga katuwang sa Art Department at sa lahat ng film workers, I offer this award to you.

Walang tao, walang kwento, walang pelikula.

I offer this award to all the art departments out there who are deprived and experiencing unjust treatment at work. As I?ve been telling repeatedly, an irony to the art of film - we tell stories of people yet this craft is the very source of untold deprivation and abuse of its own industry?s people.

Maraming salamat Babae at Baril. I hope that the voice of our film will resonate to everyone, especially in our current time where brutality and impunity is being normalized. #StopTheKillingsPH Maraming salamat ulit Epicmedia!!!

FAMAS BEST EDITING ASWANG

An n e Fabin i has been editing notable feature films and documentaries since 1999. Her most recent work is the Academy Award® nominated documentary OF FATHERS AND SONS by Syrian director Talal Derki. Their collaboration dates back to his 2014 Sundance Film Festival World Documentary Grand Jury Award winner RETURN TO HOMS. Anne Fabini is part of the 2019 Spirit Awards nominated editing team of Jennifer Fox?s fiction film THE TALE. She is the editor of Chad Hartigan?s MORRIS FROM AMERICA, winner of two awards at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

HOUSTON (2013) by Bastian Günther premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Drama Competition.

She is winner of the 2019 German Film Award for Best Editing for OF FATHERS AND SONS and the prestigious German Film Critics Award. Her work has been nominated several times for Best Film Editing at the German Film Awards (2009- BERLIN CALLING, 2013- MORE THAN HONEY, 2014- HOUSTON).

Passionate about passing on her knowledge, she hosts a series of lectures and talks on film editing at the Berlin film school dffb. She often works as an editing tutor at international documentary workshops and is a member of Rough Cut Service.

After living her childhood in Romania and spending five years of her adult life in Spain, she is now based in Berlin again.

FAMAS BEST EDITING ASWANG

Production company: Cinematografica Films (co-production Les Films de l'oeil sauvage, Stray Dog Productions AS, Razor Film Produktion GmbH) Director-screenwriter: Alyx Ayn Arumpac Producers: Armi Rae S. Cacanindin, Alyx Ayn Arumpac Cinematographers: Tanya Haurylchyk, Alyx Ayn Arumpac Editors: Anne Fabini, Fat im a Bian ch i Composer: Teresa Barrozo

FAMAS BEST FILMSCORING BABAE AT BARIL

Im m an u el Ver on a is a constant favorite when it comes to awards and citations. With 22 nominations and 3 wins under his belt, FAMAS included, for the film Babae at Baril , expect him to get more.

The highly regarded movie starring Janine Gutierrez, was chosen as the opening film by the the New York Asian Film Festival from August 28 to September 12 last year which brought great pride to all Filipinos.

FAMAS BEST SOUND FOR MY ALIEN FRIEND

Jet Leyco (1986) is an award-winning film and t.v director. His films were screened and exhibited in various film festivals and art galleries (Rotterdam, Montreal, Prague, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, London, United States, Australia). Jet?s thesis debut film Ex Press won a Special Jury Prize at the 13th Jeonju International Film Festival. His second feature film Bukas Na Lang Sapagkat Gabi Na won Best Picture at the 2013 Cinema One Original Digital Film Festival. Jet shot and directed more than a hundred t.v documentaries since 2010 which garnered honors from KBP Golden Dove, Catholic Mass Media, and New York International Film and Television Awards. He?s also a mentor at Asia Pacific Film Institute and Far Eastern University.

Jet is new to the advertising industry, but his experience in creating stories and imagery is top notch. In 2014, he was named Adobo Magazine?s Top 2 Editor. He has worked with clients like Globe, NutriAsia, Philippine Airlines to name a few.

An independent filmmaker, cameraman and editor, as well as being director for ABS CBN News and Current Affairs in Manila, he gained experience in filmmaking as an intern for the Filipino directors Lav Diaz and Khavn De La Cruz. His FAMAS win to date is for the Best Sound category for the film My Alien Friend which he shares with Brian Gonzales.

FAMAS BEST SCREENPLAY CLEANERS

Known for his work on Cleaners (2019), Aliens Ata (2017) and Bundok Chubibo (2014) , Glen Bar it is a filmmaker from Tuguegarao City. His short film have won a number of awards, including the MMFF Best Student Short Film Award and the Cinemalaya NETPAC Jury Award. ?Cleaners? is his first feature film and won the Best Screnplay category for FAMAS Awards last year.

"More than the awards, I?m more proud of the response the film has been getting. A lot of people have been messaging me, telling me how affected they are by it and how they also re-live their own high school experiences.

I?m also proud of my team for believing in the project, even if we had very little budget and a tight timeframe to make it work. I think we?re all still friends despite all that.

I hope the funding-people would notice the value in what regional filmmakers have been making. I hope they will give them more opportunities. I?ve noticed that it would not only benefit the filmmakers and film workers but it can tap the different regional artists (actors, musicians, etc.) as well, since filmmaking is an intersection of different art forms."

Credits: AMP

Filipin o st ar t u p r ecogn ized in addr essin g SDG's u sin g Space Tech MANILA, Philippines -- A Filipino startup is recognized globally in developing a dengue hotspot prediction system using satellite and climate data in the2020 Group on Earth Observations Sustainable Development Goals (GEO SDG) Awards for the Sectoral category, For-Profit. The GEO SDG Awards recognize the productivity, ingenuity, proficiency, novelty, and exemplary communications of results and experiences in the use of Earth observations to support sustainable development.

CirroLytix Research Services was formed to create social impact through big data. Through the application of machine learning, data engineering, remote sensing, and social listening, the Philippines-based data analytics firm hopes to help governments, researchers, non-government organizations (NGO), and social enterprises achieve positive change. The Advanced Early Dengue Prediction and Exploration Service (Project AEDES) is one of the CirroLytix?s flagship projects developed during the2019 National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) International Space Apps Challenge. It combines digital, climate, and remote sensing to nowcast dengue trends and detect mosquito habitats to help pre-empt cases of dengue. Project AEDES process leverages normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), Fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR), and normalized difference water index (NDWI) readings from Landsat and Sentinel-2 to estimate still water areas on the ground, which is correlated with dengue case counts from national health centers.

Dominic Vincent "Doc" Ligot, co-founder and chief technology officer of CirroLytix, describes Project AEDES as an "early detection of panics from online searches, anticipating case counts from environment readings, but most importantly pinpointing hotspots from mosquito habitat detection."

The Pinoy-made dengue mapper tool won the annual international hackathon of NASA globally in the best use of data, the solution that best makes space data accessible, or leverages it to a unique application. Aside from winning last year, CirroLytix also developed an integrated public policy information portal measuring the impact of the coronavirus pandemic using Earth observation, in-country economic and human mobility data, and global infection case counts, thus winning again in the Space Apps COVID-19 Challengefor the same category in the best use of data. Named G.I.D.E.O.N. (Global Impact Detection from Emitted Light, Onset of COVID-19, and Nitrogen Dioxide), this dashboard for policy makers and economic planners shows the impact of COVID-19 on various countries and effects on the economy and environment.

With these achievements, Cirrolytix is recognized in their remarkable efforts to utilize Earth observation data to predict dengue fever cases in the Philippines in order to improve public health.

"I am glad that the GEO SDG Awards Pane lhas selected CirroLytix for an award, recognizing the importance of this work in developing an EO-integrated dengue case predictor mapping system," according to Dr. Argyro Kavvada, lead for Sustainable Development Goals of the Earth Science Division, NASA's Science Mission Directorate and executive secretary of the international Earth Observations for the Sustainable Development Goals (EO4SDG).

"These awards really could stand as an inspiration to all of us about what can be done, and what needs to be done to ensure that Earth-observations contribute to make our world a better, and more sustainable place," said Lawrence Friedl director of the Applied Sciences Program of the Earth Science Division, NASA's Science Mission Directorate and co-chair of EO4SDG.

2020 GEO SDG Awardees together with Dominic Vincent "Doc" Ligot, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of CirroLytix

The Undersecretary for Competitiveness and Innovation of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Dr. Rafaelita "Fita" M. Aldaba heartfeltly congratulates CirroLytix. "It's indeed a blessing amid this pandemic and economic crisis that we are currently faced with," she said. The award-winning startup continues to update the AEDES framework to include socio-economic risk mapping to turn it into a health and environmental policy tool. Aside from dengue, the company also supports COVID-19 modeling and response initiatives with the public health sector. CirroLytix?s current involvements include public health, human rights, fighting disinformation, education and food security. The Space Apps lead organizer in the Philippines Michael Lance M. Domagas appeals support for these Filipino winners. "How many times should these Filipino innovators and achievers need to win before being recognized and appreciated by our own country? To be recognized by not just one, but five space agencies is something has not yet been achieved by Filipinos, how much more of a multitude of countries and nations supporting the sustainable development goals of the United Nations?"

The Advanced Early Dengue Prediction and Exploration Service (Project AEDES) combines digital, climate, and remote sensing to now cast dengue trends and detect mosquito habitats to help pre-empt cases of dengue.

He added that "The dengue epidemic and the COVID-19 is a real threat to the Philippine society right now, endangering health, well-being, livelihood, and most especially businesses and the national economy. If we could only learn how to give value to science, technology, mathematics, and engineering (STEM), the possibilities are endless. Our Filipino winners of Space Apps and GEO SDG Awards have taught us on how these space technologies greatly help in addressing epidemics and economic impact of COVID-19, its time to give them recognition and respect because they are Filipinos like us." Winners shall be invited to visit NASA once travel is deemed safe, but unfortunately, travel, meals and incidental expenses, and accommodation expenses are not provided. On the other hand, Cirrolytix encourages the use of data in addressing social problems and issues surrounding the Bangsamoro region. Together with the Asia Foundation and Data Ethics PH, the online Bangsamoro Data Challenge invites ages 15 years old and above to develop data-driven solutions in helping the region. Deadline for registration is on Saturday 11:59pm, November 21, 2020 at https://barmm.opendata.org.ph/ The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is a partnership of more than 100 national governments and in excess of 100 participating organizations that envisions a future where decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations.

Abou t 2020 GEO SDG Aw ar ds The 2020 Group on Earth Observations Sustainable Development Goals (GEO SDG) awards program, in its second year, is led by the international Earth Observations for the Sustainable Development Goals (EO4SDG) initiative and recognizes excellence in sustainable development practices, analysis and reporting through the use of Earth observations. The awards honour productivity, ingenuity, proficiency, novelty, and exemplary communications of results and experiences in the use of Earth observations for the Sustainable Development Goals.

Abou t Gr ou p on Ear t h Obser vat ion s The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is a partnership of more than 100 national governments and in excess of 100 participating organizations that envisions a future where decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations.

Abou t Space Apps Now in its 9th year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) International Space Apps Challenge is an international hackathon for coders, scientists, designers, storytellers, makers, builders, technologists, and others around the world, where teams engage with NASA?s free and open data to address real-world problems on Earth and in space. Space Apps 2019 included over 29,000 participants in 71 countries. In May 2020, the virtual-only Space Apps COVID-19 Challenge concluded with over 15,000 participants from 150 countries. Space Apps is a NASA-led initiative organized in collaboration with Booz Allen Hamilton, Mindgrub, SecondMuse, and the NASA Open Innovation Applied Sciences Program.

Abou t Cir r oLyt ix CirroLytix Research Services is a social impact data analytics company. Their mission is to help governments, non-profits, researchers, international and local organizations succeed at addressing collective social problems around the world by harnessing the full power of their data. The ultimate contribution to society is in enabling social impact professionals and entities make positive data-driven change on the lives they seek to uplift.

760,000 + TOTAL VOTES

BEST ACTOR ELIJAH CANLAS, KALEL,15

FAM AS DI GI TAL 2020 NETIZEN'S CHOICE AWARD

FAM AS DI GI TAL 2020 NETIZEN'S CHOICE AWARD

BEST ACTRESS NADINE LUSTRE, ULAN

Oggs Cruz of Rappler described Ulan as "more than just fun and fantasies" and "deep and compelling". In relation to director Irene Villamor's filmography? which he described as "intriguing"? he said that the film "occupies a very important position". He went on to further describe the film's voice and perspective as "distinctly feminine" and praised the film for being "unbolted from very rigid plot structures of the genre". He further described it as "often beautifully meandering" and said that it "doesn?t easily surrender to expected emotions, evoking joy and hope out of tragedy". He went on further by calling it "utterly bewitching". He praised the performances of Lustre and Aquino and described them as "splendid". He also praised the film's production design and lighting for giving the film a look that "complements its ambitions". Ultimately, he described the film as a "solid piece of discursive entertainment despite its refreshingly odd mix of strangeness and familiarity.

BEST ACTRESS NADINE LUSTRE, ULAN

Click the City's Wanggo Gallaga rated the film 4 out of 5 stars. He gave credit to Villamor for creating "a modern day fairytale that highlights the importance of our capacity for dreams and fantasy". He went on to praise Lustre for giving a "wonderfully measured performance that allows her to shift along with the film?s transitions to its many different genres."

BEST PICTURE BABAE AT BARIL

FAM AS DI GI TAL 2020 NETIZEN'S CHOICE AWARD

I am convinced in the film, Director Rae Red is painting the audience a picture of the city more than a mere portrait of the character. There is a palpable sense of rage and pent up energy pervading through characters in this city from the protagonist herself to her store manager to the street kids. And on that, Director Red commented, ?I think the capitalist and patriarchal system in place forces us to be unkind to each other. The manager may have a lot of pressure from the higher ups. The rapist might have grown up thinking he can get what he wants and get away with it. But in the end everyone is a victim under this system but especially women and women in the lower class.?

- Sindie Review

SHORT FILM JURY

Raym on d Red is one of the pioneering figures of modern Filipino alternative cinema, and has the distinction of being the first Filipino to have won the prestigious Palme D?Or Award at the 2000 Cannes International Film Festival for his short film ANINO, and is also acknowledged for his contribution to experimental cinema in the Oxford History of World Cinema.

With a background in visual arts and photography, he established himself with ground-breaking experimental and narrative short films in the 1980s, and soon moved on to independent full-length features in the ?90s making the now classic historical films ?Bayani? and ?Sakay?.

He had by then begun to mentor, inspire and usher in a new generation of filmmakers into the independent and alternative cinema scene. Red has won awards and citations for his more recent films ?Manila Skies?(2010), ?Kamera Obskura? (2012), and ?Rebels with a Case" (2015) and has continued to do short feature and experimental films.

Red regularly serves as juror in numerous local and international film events, is a regular instructor at the MOWELFUND Film Institute, is a senior lecturer at the U. P. Film Institute, and an industry fellow at the College of St. Benilde School of Design and Arts. He also works in the tv commercials production industry as in-house director at FILMEX Inc. He is a member of the Directors?Guild of the Philippines and the LPS Lupon ng mga Pilipinong Sinematograpo. He is one of the honorees of the Sandaan Philippine Cinema Centennial celebrations as an icon of Philippine independent and alternative cinema.

JON LAZAM Jon made some of the most lauded alternative shorts to come out of the country this past decade. Among his notable works are: The Moon Is Not Ours (2011, Silvershorts Prize - MOV Triennale), Darna: A Stone Is A Heart You Can?t Swallow (2012), Pantomime For Figures Shrouded

By Waves (2013, Best Short Cinemanila) and Three Enchantments (2016). These shorts have been screened at film festivals and art venues locally and abroad, such as the Sharjah Biennial, International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Salamindanaw Asian Film Festival, Paris Festival of Different and Experimental Cinemas, and the National Art Center in Tokyo.

JOHN TORRES John Torres (b. 1975) is an independent filmmaker, musician and writer.He co-runs Los Otros, a Manila-based space, film lab, and platform committed to the intersections of film and art, with a focus on process over product. He directed and produced five feature films, including Todo Todo Teros (Dragons & Tigers Award, Vancouver IFF 2006; NETPAC/FICRESCI awards, Singapore IFF 2006), Years When I was a Child Outside (Berlinale Forum Expanded 2008), and Lukas The Strange (Art of the Real,Film at Lincoln Center, 2013). He has made more than a dozen short films, including, We Still Have to Close Our Eyes (Wavelengths, Toronto IFF 2019). His work fictionalizes and reworks personal and found documentations of love, family relations, and memory in relation to current events, hearsays, myth, and folklore.

He produced Shireen Seno?s Nervous Translation (NETPAC award, Tiger Competition, Rotterdam 2018), a project that was developed through Venice?s Biennale College Cinema, Bangkok Produire au Sud, IFP, and Cinemart. A special focus of his works was shown at the Viennale in 2013.

DOCUMENTARY FILM JURY

Kar a M agsan oc-Alik pala is a broadcast journalist and documentary filmmaker.

She co-founded Storytellers International Inc, is a contributing producer to CNN International, ARD German Radio, and a member of the jury for the News and Documentary Category of the Emmy Awards.

She is Founding President of FilDocs or the Filipino Documentary Society.

She produced the multi-awarded ?"Call Her Ganda (2018)?that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and Hot Docs.

She produced the critically acclaimed documentary?Batas Militar (1997)?for the Worldwide People Power Foundation. To date, it has been the highest rated independent documentary broadcast on Philippine Television. The documentary swept all major awards in the Philippines. It was a finalist at IDFA or the International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam and at the New York Festival.

She has produced documentaries for the History Channel, ARD German Television, the Australian Broadcasting Company, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and the Probe Team.

Dit si Car olin o is a documentary director based in Manila. She studied Sociology at UP and documentary filmmaking at the National Film and Television School in London on a Chevening Scholarship. Riles an intimate film about a couple who live in the slums of Manila, is her graduation film.

Rilesscreened at IDFA, HotDocs in Toronto, won the Royal Television Award in the UK and was acquired for broadcast by BBC Storyville.

Bunso (The Youngest) 2004, her film about kids in jail won BestDirector at the One World Film Festival in Prague, the Youth Jury Prize at the Human Rights Filmfest in Nuremberg and the Grand Prize at the EBS Doc Filmfest in Seoul. This film was used extensively by child rights advocates to help pass the juvenile justice bill in the Philippines in 2007.

Ditsi continues to make creative documentaries on social issues in the Philippines.

Baby Ru t h Villar am a made history when her documentary ?Sunday Beauty Queen? (2016) won The Best Picture award at the Metro Manila Film Festival. The first for a documentary. She also directed Jazz in Love, and Little Azkals. She?s co-founder of Voyage Studios, FilDocs and Film Producers Society. She is a recipient of the British Council Global Impact Award for her impact campaigns using cinema.

Credits : MMYu

Born and based in Manila, Er w in Rom u lo is an award-winning writer, magazine editor, music producer, and creative director.

He is most known for being the founding editor-in-chief of the Philippine edition of Esquire magazine as well producing musical scores for films such as On the Job, Honor Thy Father, and Buy Bust as well as the sound design of A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery.

NOMINATION COMMITTEE

I?m a director, writer, and producer based in Manila, Philippines.

I?ve made three films: "Engkwentro", which received the Lion of the Future - "Luigi de Laurentiis" Award and the Orizzonti Prize at the Venice Film Festival; "Above the Clouds", which was given the French grant Aide aux cinemas du Monde; and ?Kapatiran?.

I also do commercials, and have worked with companies such as Jollibee, P&G, Unilever, and many others. These branded films have gone viral, and have also received local and international awards.

I studied film at the University of the Philippines, and I was mentored by screenwriter Ricky Lee under the Writers?

Studio. Prior to filmmaking, I worked as a writer and editor at The Philippine STAR and the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Together with my producer Bianca Balbuena, I co-founded Epicmedia, an independent film production studio. For advertising work, I?m represented by UxS in Manila. I?m also a member of the Global Shapers Manila, a community of young leaders initiated by the World Economic Forum.

Pepe Diok n o

Car los Sigu ion -Reyn a In his biography in the Film Academy of the Philippines?website, Armida?s only son?s qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts degree (Interdiciplinary Studies) from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1979; and Master of Fine Arts degree in film from New York University?s Tisch School of the Arts in 1986.

Two years later, Siguion-Reyna made his big screen debut as director in Misis Mo, Misis Ko (Your Wife, My Wife) starring Dina Bonnevie, Edu Manzano, Jackie Lou Blanco and Ricky Davao. Working excellently on the gifted scriptwriter and his would-be wife Bibeth Orteza?s, the newcomer bagged the 1989 Star Awards Best Director plum.

From then on, there was no stopping the young director from churning hit after hit? his last big screen outing was his 2000 film Azucena (Dog Food) won the Grand Jury Award of 2001 San Diego Asian Film Festival.

After a 14 - year hiatus, he came back and concentrated on his theater calling.

During his extended break from cinema, Siguion-Reyna never allowed his passion for directing to stop. In fact, he nurtured it even further by teaching film at New York University Tisch School of the Arts Asia in Singapore.

He made his homecoming in 2014 to head the Cinemalaya Institute and direct his comeback film, the critically acclaimed Hari ng Tondo.

Credits: Christina Alpad,TMT

Sar i Llu ch Dalen a is a Filipina independent filmmaker from Manila. She has screened her works internationally in Asia and the U.S. She is currently pursuing her Master 's degree in Film at the New York University under a Fulbright-Hayes scholarship.

She was honored as one of the Cultural Center of the Philippine's 13 Artists Awards in 2000 and received Grand Jury Prize for Best Experimental Film in 2001. She recently received the Grand Prize Starr Foundation Award from the World Studio Foundation and the Asian Cultural Council Fellowship for 2002-2003.

Other works include Attack Champion (2000), Bullet Days (2001), Kamikaze (2002), From Asia with Love (2002) and Memories of a Forgotten War (2001), co-directed with Camilla Benolirao Griggers.

Won, Best Director, Sari Raissa Lluch Dalena for Ka Oryang (2011), 7th Cinema One Originals Film Festival 2011.

Nominee, Sari Raissa Lluch Dalena for Woman of the Ruins (2013), Best Production Design (Cinema One Plus), Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival 2013.

Paolo Villalu n a is a Filipino film, television and TV commercial director. He is part of the Philippine New Wave's 'most significant digital frontliners of the indie movement (Philippine New Wave, Movfest Publishings, 2010) that emerged during the early 2000s that helped bring in a new era in local cinema.

His filmography has garnered international acclaim and awards. Together with producer, writer and journalist Patricia Evangelista, he created the highly acclaimed weekly documentary show Storyline.

In 2001, Paolo made his first short documentary,?PALUGID? (Margins) and won the Best Short Film at the 24th Urian Awards, the Documentary Prize at the 2000 Gawad CCP Awards and the Audience Award at the eKsperimento International Film Festival 2001. His subsequent short films have been screened in several international film festivals including Yamagata, Clermont-Ferrand and Rotterdam.

In 2005, together with co-director and animator Ellen Ramos, he began the ?Love Trilogy? a triptych of full-length films that explore the dark nuances of romantic relationships.

The first film, ILUSYON (Illusion) became the first local digital film to be Rated A by the Cinema Evaluation Board, ushering an era of industry acceptance for digital films in the Philippines. The film was also awarded with CJSelections at the 2006 Busan International Film Festival.

In 2007, their second film SELDA (The Inmate) aside from winning local awards, was the first Filipino film to be accepted in the main competition of both the Montreal World Film Festival and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. Sid Lucero and Emilio Garcia tied as Best Actors in Thessaloniki for the film.

The ?Love Trilogy? ended with 2009's WALANG HANGGANG PAALAM (Endless Farewell) which won the Best World Showcase award in Soho International Film Festival in New York in 2010.

In 2009, he made his TV directorial debut with STORYLINE for the ABS-CBN New Channel. His television work has garnered several back-to-back Gawad Tanglaw awards, a Catholic Mass Media award and several New York Film Festival medals.

In 2010, he began to work for advertising as an in-house director for the country's biggest TVC production supplier, Filmex.

His fourth and latest film is 2016's PAUWI NA (Pedicab). The film won the prestigious Golden Goblet Award at the 20th Shanghai International Film Festival. It also won six major awards in the Tofarm Film Festival including the Special Jury Prize and the Best Acting nods for leading actors Bembol Roco and Cherry Pie Picache.

Paolo occasionally writes opinion pieces and directs short documentaries for Rappler, an online multimedia website.

goodomenhome@gmail.com

I t's a fact PREMIER BEGINS THE CNY 2021 WITH A STROKE OF LUCK AND AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION WITH WETV / IFLIX' PHILIPPINE COUNTRY MANAGER, MS. GEORGETTE TENGCO.

Wh at can w e expect f r om WeTV an d if lix t h is year (2021)?

Georgette Tengco (GT):When we launched WeTV in the Philippines last year, one of our goals was to provide a platform for Filipino content creators to tell compelling stories. We announced the first salvo for 2021 during our media event in November; everyone from the press to our celebrity guests were excited about the lineup. Since then, we?ve launched our first WeTV Original series Section St. Valentine: The Disappearance Of Divine, and our second series, B&B: The Battle Between Brandy and Brody is currently in production.

That is the only the beginning, as we have other titles that are in different stages of the creative process and we cannot wait for all of you to see it.

What can our audiences and users expect in 2021? Definitely more new and original content from truly creative local and regional filmmakers alongside Asian premium content ? Chinese dramas, K-dramas, Japanese anime, Filipino movies and series with more to come.

How h ave you r au dien ces ch an ged sin ce last year ? (2020) (Or if t h er e's an y sin ce Ten cen t t ook over )

GT:The integration with and introduction of WeTV to the Philippines has definitely expanded our audience, driven primarily by the refreshed content mix.

WeTV has renewed the Filipino?s love for Chinese dramas ? judging from how well received shows likeLegend of Fei,The Untamed, andA Love So Romanticgot when we premiered them on the service. We have discovered so many C-Drama fandoms locally who are driving the popularity of these titles. They even know more about the shows and the stars than we do ? and we love that because we learn more about what they want to see.

We?ve also introduced a more diverse content lineup, with the increasing popularity of BL series and horror anthologies from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, so we?ve introduced quite a few of the more popular ones to local audiences.

As t o pr ogr am m in g, w ill you st ill m ain t ain you r f ocu s on t h e you n ger au dien ces?

GT:I wouldn?t necessarily say that we are focusing on a younger audience, although they are, admittedly, the ones who are more tech-savvy and really binge-watch. Our content cuts across a wide demographic ? based on their interests. For K-Dramas and C-Dramas, our viewers are mostly young professionals and stay-at-home-moms and then you have the anime series, which caters to a completely different set. The BL content we have released is pretty popular with both male and female viewers. The original content we will be releasing over the next few months features a romcom with older characters, a mystery-suspense teen drama, and a modern day love story ? which appeals to different market segments.

You 'r e k n ow n t o cat er t o au dien ces in Asia, ar e you plan n in g t o expan d you r r each ?

GT:WeTV is the streaming service of Tencent Video outside of China, and it is currently available inThailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. Yes, it would be safe to say we hope to widen our reach to other areas as well.

How ar e Filipin o au dien ces dif f er en t f r om ot h er Asian cou n t r ies as f ar as con t en t is con cer n ed?

GT:Filipinos are surprisingly very diverse when it comes to choosing the content they consume. The fans of both K-dramas and C-dramas not only follow their favorite stars from one show to the next, and will also quickly check-out other titles recommended by fellow fans. At the other end of the spectrum, they are very open to exploring new titles and genres ? as long as they see something interesting, whether it?s the story or the stars, or just because there is a lot of buzz around it.

It is also important to point out that this is over and above from their constant demand for local movies and series. There is no denying that Filipinos will always have a soft spot for local content.

Filipin os ar e big on st r eam in g an d social m edia con su m pt ion , an y bu sin ess expan sion s you plan f or t h e Ph ilippin es?

GT:We have some plans to grow the business locally, but it is still all in development. We will keep you posted, so watch out for that.

Your message to Filipino audiences around the globe.

GT:?Keep your eye on WeTV in 2021. Not only are we bringing you the best in Asian Premium Content ? the biggest C-Dramas, K-Dramas, Thai shows, and more ? but we are also delivering compelling stories told by the best Filipino filmmakers and content creators. Watch out for that!?

On Thursday, Feb. 18, NASA?s Mars Perseverance rover will t ouch down on t he Red Planet . Tune in t o wat ch t he landing broadcast st art ing at 11:15 a.m . PST / 2:15 p.m . EST / 19:15 UTC.