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Sheron Dayoc's 'The Gospel of the Beast' wins at 17th Bali Int'l Film Festival
"The Gospel of the Beast" by director Sheron Dayoc of Zamboanga won Best Feature Narrative at the 17th Bali International Film Festival - Balinale last Friday, June 7.
The coming-of-age film centers on 15-year-old Mateo (Jansen Magpusao), who runs away with Berto (Ronnie Lazaro), a man he hardy knows, after he accidentally kills his classmate Gerald (Jofranz Ambubuyog).
As Mateo and Berto forge a father-and-son relationship, Mateo soon learns about the realities of life, death, and beasthood as Berto exposes him to the drug-fueled and violent world of the syndicate.
The jury of the Balinale praised "The Gospel of the Beast" for its "strong direction, well-written script, and impressive cinematography."
"The narrative arc, where the protagonist grapples with a moral dilemma before ultimately choosing the right path, is particularly compelling and resonates deeply," the jury said.
"The Gospel of the Beast" won two awards at the recent 47th Gawad Urian Awards, with veteran thespian Ronnie Lazaro bringing home the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as Berto. Lawrence Ang, with Benjo Ferrer as co-editor, also won the Best Editing award.
The film also bagged the Best Feature Film - Golden Star Award and the Young Critics Award at the Ho Cho Minh City International Film Festival in April.
"The Gospel of the Beast," produced by Southern Lantern Studios, is a regional film featuring all-Western Visayan actors.
Director Sheron's past works include the award-winning films "Women of the Weeping River" (2016) and "Halaw" (2010), as well as the documentary "The Crescent Rising" (2015), which won Best Documentary at the 2016 Busan International Film Festival.
He has also produced Arden Rod Condez's award-winning film "John Denver Trending" and Sonny Calvento's short film "Excuse Me Miss."
— CDC, GMA Integrated News
