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Negrense filmmaker wins Palanca Award

Negrense filmmaker Jonathan Jurilla *

A Negrense filmmaker won 1st Prize in the “Dulang Pampelikula” category of the prestigious Carlos Palanca Memorial Literary Awards this year.

Film director and University of the Philippines-Visayas Professor Jonathan Jurilla from Talisay City, Negros Occidental, won for his script “Love Child” in the full-length screenplay category on Tuesday, October 24.

“Love Child” is a story about a young couple dealing with their child’s Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

It is also one of the feature film entries in the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival in 2024.

Jurilla is a resident of Talisay City with roots in Pontevedra town in Negros Occidental and works as an assistant professor at UP-Visayas.

He is a two-time best picture winner at Sine Negrense: Negros Island Film Festival in 2021 and 2022 for his short films “Tiempo Suerte” and “Ang Babayi sa Suba”.

In his Facebook post, Jurilla said initially it was like a joke as he received the email that he won at 4 a.m. and it felt like he was dreaming.

He thanked film director, Arden Rod Condez, who was his former student and now acts as his producer for his first feature film.

“It is proof that it is not only the student who can learn from a teacher but the teacher can learn so many things from his student, too,” he said, adding “Thanks for believing in my story and for enriching it.”

He also dedicated the prize to the real “Nonoy”, the “true inspiration of my story, to my son with autism, Julien Sorel. I love you so much, My Boy Superman.”

Jurilla also dedicates the story and this victory to the parents and children struggling with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The filmmaker has also earned awards from Gawad CCP para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Montañosa Film Festival in Baguio City.

This is Jurilla’s 2nd Palanca Award. The first was received in 1999 for his Hiligaynon Short Story titled, “Ulan sa Bulan sang Abril,” which won 3rd place in the Hiligaynon Short Story Category.*

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