Filipiñana, winner of this year’s Special Jury Award for Creative Vision at Sundance, was introduced by moderator Aleš Stuchlý, who described Rafael Manuel’s feature debut as “a film of masterfully composed, long static shots that embodies the tension between oppression and luxury.” The stylised auteur film, rooted in the tradition of slow cinema, unfolds in the gleaming setting of a luxury golf resort.
“A touch surreal and absurd – a class struggle on the golf course,” Stuchlý continued before inviting producer Omar El Kadi to the stage. Filipiñana is a co-production between Singapore, the United Kingdom, the Philippines and France, with El Kadi representing the French side.
“We worked on the film for four years. It’s an adaptation of the director’s earlier short film of the same name. We saw it at the Berlinale in 2020, immediately fell in love with it and began developing the feature version,” the producer said, recalling the project’s origins. The short went on to win the Silver Bear for Best Short Film at the festival that year.
“We wanted audiences to experience the film with all their senses – hearing, smell, touch and emotion. Enjoy the film,” El Kadi told the Karlovy Vary audience.
