07/01/2025
NEWS | UPMin student-filmmakers win 3rd Best Student Short Film at MMFF 2024, advocate for sufficient funding for humanities, film workers
PNB 12-50, written and directed by Ryan Paolo Resuena of Salom Productions, seized the 3rd Best Student Short Film for 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) x Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Student Short Film Competition on December 27, 2024.
The film was nominated as one of the Top 10 finalists for the 2024 MMFF x FDCP Student Short Film Competition on November 28, 2024 and was given the privilege to be showcased alongside the full-length MMFF entry, Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital.
About the Film
PNB 12-50 was set in December 2012 during Bagyong Pablo in New Bataan, Compostella Valley. The story revolves around a single father (Dan Oldean) together with his only daughter (Kate Rabanal) trying to survive during the typhoon.
Moreover, the film also highlights the people that are still missing up to this day and the lives that were lost because of the said typhoon where the dead victims that were recovered but never identified were labeled as PNB 12-XX which explains the title: PNB 12-50.
“As inspiration, I’ve always thought about the precious lives that were lost during one of the most significant tragedies in Mindanao—Bagyong Pablo. Grabe ka-wide and deep jud ang life sa isa ka tao para i-reduce [into] a number. It saddened me na kahit gaano ka-significant ng mga buhay ng mga tao na nawala dahil sa Bagyong Pablo, na-reduce lang ilang identity into a number,” Resuena on the inspiration behind PNB 12-50.
Resuena also shared that the production process took a month and they submitted the film at the actual day of the deadline, he also expressed that being at the Top 10 finalists in MMFF 2024 Student Short Film was already enough for them and winning the 3rd Best Student Short Film was surprising for them.
“It feels fulfilling because at last, we have put a Mindanaoan narrative in the spotlight especially that it’s the most prestigious film festival in the Philippines and Mindanaoan stories are rarely showcased in the mainstream scene,” the second year Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Arts (BACMA) student-filmmaker stated.
Struggles during the Filmmaking
Behind this remarkable feat of Resuena and other student filmmakers at Salom Productions, the filmmaking journey for them was far from ‘smooth sailing.’
They encountered problems from budgeting, lack of equipment, lack of resources, and lack of support.
“Five minutes lang ang duration ng film but we faced and endured numerous of challenges just to craft and realize this story. One of the major challenges was budget gyud. We need the budget para magka-proper equipment. We need budget to have access sa right locations and to pay these people that we owe,” Resuena stated.
He also added that all the equipment in the production process were all borrowed from their professors and schoolmates.
“As student filmmakers, our budget was really limited. So, we had to source out everything that we can just to make it happen,” the director expressed.
Resuena also underscored that budget is one of the critical pillars of filmmaking and can either make or break a vision, and the lack of this would make their challenges magnified.
“If wala ang budget, even the most promising stories are left stranded. Isa ni sa fear namo as student filmmakers na makita ang potential mawala due to limitations that could have been resolved with proper funding. Sakit siya minsan isipon na it’s not the lack of talent or drive but it’s the lack of support,” he pointed out.
Lara Felescoso, the Assistant Production Head, also asserted the same regarding the lack of equipment and other challenges they faced during the production process of the film.
“Under Salom Productions or as a student-filmmaker, siyempre hindi talaga nalalayo kung ano ‘yung kinakaharap ng BACMA students sa kung ano ‘yung struggles na naranasan namin in doing ‘yung mga shoots namin for our films. So one prominent example ay lack of equipment talaga. Sa first film namin we had to use cellphones to shoot ‘yung sa Sa Ilawom sa mga Balud. Next naman sa PNB 12-50, we had to borrow equipment not under the BACMA program but sa isang BACMA professor,” Felescoso said.
Felescoso also shared that they thought of renting cameras from shops to address their problem.
“Struggle jud siya kay we also did think of na magrenta na lang og camera gud sa mga nagaparenta na mga shops, ing-ana. And makit-an jud, maka-frustrate siya kumbaga kay even though we can find solutions for these problems na naay pwede makahirman, mga BACMA alumni, mga BACMA professors, dapat in the first place, kung naay BACMA na degree program and kung enough ang funding sa Humanities and Social Sciences, dili unta siya problem,” she stressed.
She also added that under BACMA, they undergo bureaucratic processes just to borrow equipment, however these processes are also a struggle for them because it takes too much time on their part.
“Although, we acknowledge na naa juy need to adhere to “policies” or mga bureaucratic processes na gina-impose, it makes it hard for us na mag-purse na lang. Mao na, a lot of kanang mga HUMSS student dili na lang mag-try in the first place kay ngano, it’s either ang result, first, ma-reject and proposal or budget request, second, reimbursement,” Felescoso highlighted.
Amplifying
Despite the waves of challenges that the Salom Productions faced, they managed to surge through the tides and shine at the 50th MMFF.
“Na-achieve namo ang [ing-ani] kadako na achievement without any funding and support so how much more if naa?” Resuena exclaimed.
He also added that the burden affiliated from the campaign puts weight most heavily on them as student-filmmakers whose passion often goes beyond the resources that they have.
“We are constantly forced to work with less—sacrificing quality, missing opportunities, and sometimes even compromising our mental and emotional well-being—just to bring our stories to life. The brilliance of our ideas deserved to be met with the proper resources to make them real,” he remarked.
Resuena called for schools and organizations to now recognize the significance of humanities and the arts as they can bring a transformative impact on society.
“Fund the filmmakers. Fund the storytellers. Fund the dreamers who are crafting narratives that reflect our culture, challenge our realities, and spark change,” he stressed.
They also hope that their feat would be an avenue to give more publicity and more visibility to the call and also the call.
“Sa recently concluded na 50th MMFF and that we won the 3rd Best Student Short Film, ginagamit jud namo siya as a platform to absolutely boost ‘yung na call, kay in reality, sa funding jud ta magsugod og hisgot kung ma-pursue ba ang isa ka project or dili,” Feloscoso stated.
Felescoso also emphasized that as UP Mindanao students, they also hope that through their achievement, it will amplify the ‘Increase Budget Allocation to Smaller CUs! NoToBudgetCuts,’ one of the 11-Point UP Mindanao Student Demands under the campaign.
“Ang amoang experience, patunay jud na naga-exist ni na mga problems and need siya og direkta ug agaran na solution from our administration kasi we represented UP Mindanao sa tanang platforms,” she remarked.
She also reflected on how the way the ‘UP Mindanao’ is always associated with their names yet they have not received any kind of support from the university.
“So kani siya na call and ang atong pag-lobby sa 11-Point UP Mindanao Student Demands and of course ang pag-intensify sa campaign kay gina-isip namo na duties pud namo siya as someone, as the Salom Productions as people na nakakuha ani na recognition and nabutang sa ingon-ana na platform,” Felescoso highlighted.
Future Plans for PNB 12-50
According to the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), due to insistent public demand, they extended the MMFF’s theatrical run until January 14, 2024.
Accordingly, PNB 12-50 will still be showing at the cinemas nationwide until 14, the said date but Resuena confirmed that there would be a possible screening at UPMin campus for those who will not be able to watch the film at the theaters.
“As of now, we have plans for a special screening of PNB 12-50. However, there is still no definite location and date for it, but one thing is for sure–everyone will have the chance to see PNB 12-50,” Resuena stated.
Report by ZMalabute.
Photo from Salom Productions.
