Award-winning film "Foster Child" opens UST Cinevita filmfest on

Brillante Mendoza's fourth full-length feature "Foster Child," which has won three international awards so far, will be the opening film in the 2nd Cinevita film festival on March 5, 9 A.M., at the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex, University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila.

The Cinevita festival, which focuses on positive, life-affirming features, short films, and documentaries, is organized by The Varsitarian, official student publication of UST, and Institute of Religion, with the UST Journalism Society, UST Literary Society, and Concilium Philosophiae. Mendoza's "Tirador" (Slingshot) will also be screened on March 7, 3 P.M.

"Foster Child," produced by Robbie Tan's Seiko Films, won the Prix de la Fiction (Prize for Fiction) at the Festival International du Film d'Environnement (International Environmental Film Festival) in Paris, France, Best Actress award for Cherry Pie Picache in the 9th Osian's Cinefan International Film Festival in India, and the Special Jury award in Eurasia (Kazakhstan) .

Picache, which has caught the attention of international film critics once again for her portrayal of a foster mother, is expected to attend the open forum after the screening. The film also stars Eugene Domingo, Jiro Manio, Alwyn Uytingco, Dan Alvaro, Kristofer
King, and Kier Segundo.

Mendoza, who also directed "Masahista" (The Masseur), "Kaleldo" (Summer Heat), and "Manoro" (The Aeta Teacher), will be attending the Las Palmas International Film Festival in Spain where "Foster Child" will vie for the Golden Lady Harimaguada award. He will also receive the "Someone to Watch" award from the Cleveland International Film Festival in the US. He will be back in the country on March 19 to shoot his next full-length feature project.

Ralston Jover, who wrote the script of Centerstage Productions' "Foster Child," "Manoro," "Tirador," and MLR Films' award-winning film "Kubrador," all under the supervision of script
consultant Armando "Bing" Lao, will be at the Fribourg International Film Festival until March 10. He is set to direct his own digital feature "Bakal Boys."

"Foster Child," which was shown in last year's Cannes Film Festival Director's Fortnight, will also compete at the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa, where Picache previously won another Best Actress award for "Kaleldo," in July. It has also been invited to screen at this year's New Directors, New Films in New York. It previously competed at the 9th Cinemanila International Film Festival and opened the 3rd Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

One of Gawad Tanglaw's Best Films for 2007, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Screenplay and the Young Critics Circle Film Desk 2007 Best Picture and Best Screenplay awardee, "Foster Child" is a narrative of the day when a Filipino family in the slums has to say goodbye to their three-year old foster child John-John because an American couple has come to adopt him.

"Foster Child" was recently released theatrically in France by its distributor Ad Vitam under its French title "John John." It will also be shown theatrically in the United Kingdom under another
distributor Peccadillo Pictures, according to Ferdie Lapuz of Ignatius Films, Canada.