International Film Festival Manhattan Awardees 2025
Dr Jose Rizal Filmmaking Contest
5th Place: “Overwhelmed Hope” Dir: Ashley Hernandez (Philippines)
4th Place: “In The Shadow of History” Dir: Ashley Hernandez (Philippines)
3rd Place: “Rizal Reloaded” Dir: Mike Magat Prod: Kate Brios (Philippines)
2nd Place: “Ang Gamu Gamu” Dir: Michael Magsombol Prod: Joselito Cayabyab (USA)
Grand Prize: “Pedro Katipunero” Dir: Michael Magsombol and Jessica Magsombol Prod: Knights of Rizal Astoria Chapter
Honorable Mention:
“Iris” Dir: Elisabetta Lazzerini (Italy) from Caorle Film Festival
“Un Motivo Violento” Dir: Gianfranco Luigi Pellegrini (Italy) from Caorle Film Festival
“Rapture” Dir: Tristan Reginato (USA)
“Fences” Dir: Bryan Chadwick (USA)
“The Third Estate” Actress/Producer: Elaine Joy Edaya Degale (Philippines)
“Stalked” Actress: Lia Fietz (USA)
“Stalked” Dir: Tanya Huston (USA)
Additional Honorable Mentions TBA
Independent Achievement Award “UnfAIthful” Dir: Floyd Roald Actress: Rand Rose (USA)
3) Best Student Film
“Elephant in the Room” Dir: Xavier Frank Gonzalez (USA)
4) Best Cinematography
“Earthquake” Underwater Dir of Photography:
Brett Stanley (USA)
5) Best Screenplay
“Whispers” Writer: Ming Fen Congdon (USA)
6) Best Director Short Film
“La Paura Di Vincere” Dir: Roberta Pazi (Italy)
7) Best Director Feature Film
“Haligi” Dir: Nestor Malgapo Jr (Philippines)
8 ) Best Actor Short Film
“Dolldays” Actor: Patrick Hilmar Ingvaldsen (Norway)
9) Best Actor Feature Film
“Haligi” Actor: Christopher Roxas (Philippines)
10) Best Actress Short Film
“Whispers” Actress: Kate Surinskaya (USA)
11) Best Actress Feature Film
“L’ Algoritmo Della Felicita” Actress: Alessandra De Rosario (Italy)
12) Best Ensemble in Acting Short Film
Cast of “Convenient Circumstance” (USA)
13) Best Ensemble in Acting Feature Film
Cast of “Haligi” (Philippines)
14) Grand Prixe Best of the Best Short Film
“Dolldays” Dir: Morten Hansen
Prod: Maria Erdal Rotvoll (Norway)
15) Best Documentary
“The Eukranian” Dir: Viktor Nordenskiöld
(Belgium, France, Sweden and Ukraine)
16) Best Feature Film
“Haligi” Prod: CEBSI Films (Philippines)
17) Best Female Filmmaker
In celebration of the theme of the Festival
Fierce Women Filmmaker
Jessica Magsombol “Convenient Circumstance” (USA)
18) Professional Category
Silver Achievement Award Music Video
“Earthquake” Artist: Magnus Riise
Dir: Monika Felice Smith (USA)
19) Professional Category
Silver Achievement Award Music Video
“We Are The Descendants” Dir: Steven Chesne and Nayip Ramos (USA)
20) Junior Achievement Award – Dance, Movement and Performance
Miss Universe Norway Leonora Lysglimt-Rødland
(Norway)
21) Lifetime Achievement Award –
Visual Arts – Painting
Romeo “Ronald” Ratio Cortez Jr (USA)
22) Lifetime Achievement Award –
Screenwriting
Pedro Lopes (Portugal)
23) Lifetime Achievement Award –
Film Distribution
Manymore Films
Ole Georg Østevik (Norway)
PRIDE & PULCHRITUDE 