"Idolo" director Daniel Palacio receives the Best Director award from Cannes Film Festival 2009 Best Director Brillante Mendoza during the Brillante Mendoza Film Festival III culminating program.
Cannes Film Festival 2009 Best Director Brillante Mendoza poses with his directing and acting students during the Brillante Mendoza Film Festival III culminating program.
Cannes Film Festival 2009 Best Director Brillante Mendoza poses with his acting students during the Brillante Mendoza Film Festival III culminating program.
Filmmakers Vanju Alvaira, Dexter Macaraeg, Conviron Altatis and Gabriel Oblefias along with actors Lito Capina and Mikee Lim attend the Brillante Mendoza Film Workshop III culminating program at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura Premier in Taguig, Metro Manila.
Actor Rick Sanchez poses with filmmakers Dexter Macaraeg, Conviron Altatis, Gabriel Oblefias and Daniel Palacio during the Brillante Mendoza Film Workshop III culminating program at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura Premier in Taguig, Metro Manila.
"Strawberry Girl" stars Rona Mae Lallana and Lloyd Ara pose with filmmaker Conviron Altatis during the Brillante Mendoza Film Workshop III culminating program at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura Premier in Taguig, Metro Manila.
The Brillante Mendoza Film Workshop III directing class students include Conviron Altatis, Adrianne Mendoza, Dexter Macaraeg, Martin Andanar, Amen Clavio, Daniel Palacio, Vanju Alvaira, Gabriel Oblefias, Nimrod Sarmiento and Noel Perez.
Daniel Palacio and wife pose with Brillante Mendoza and the cast and crew of "Idolo" during the Brillante Mendoza Film Workshop III culminating program at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura Premier in Taguig, Metro Manila.
Philippines’ National Commission for Culture and the Arts vice head Teddy Co and filmmaker Joselito Altarejos pose with the Brillante Mendoza Film Workshop III awardees and sponsors.
The Brillante Mendoza Film Workshop III awardees include Vanju Alvaira, Nimrod Sarmiento, Rona Mae Lallana, Elijah Filamor and Daniel Palacio.

Seven short films by the Brillante Mendoza Film Workshop III students were screened at the Samsung Hall of SM Aura Premier in Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines, on April 28, Thursday. The facilitators of the workshop were Cannes Film Festival winner Brillante Mendoza for the directing class with Ruby Ruiz and Jojo Atienza for the acting class.

Like Us on Facebook

Aside from directing and acting, the intensive seven-day film workshop, which took place from March 28 to April 3 at the Center Stage Productions office in Mandaluyong City, also included introduction to editing, production design and cinematography. Along with CSP, the workshop was sponsored by Samsung, SM Supermalls, Goldilocks and Max's Restaurant.

The seven short films screened during the culminating program were "Balitok" by Dexter Macaraeg, "Ang Guro" by Vanju Alvaira, "Sara" by Gabriel Oblefias, "Idolo" by Daniel Palacio, "Repleksyon" by Nimrod Sarmiento, "Channel 8" by Amen Clavio and "Strawberry Girl" by Conviron Altatis. Philippines' National Commission for Culture and the Arts vice head Teddy Co and award-winning director Joselito Altarejos also attended the event.

"Strawberry Girl" star Rona Mae Lallana and "Idolo" star Elijah Filamor won the Best Actress and Best Actor awards, respectively. Palacio won the Best Director award for "Idolo," which tied with Alvaira's "Ang Guro" for the Best Film award.

It was the first time for the Brillante Mendoza Film Workshop to have two Best Film winners. "Ang Guro" also won the SM's Choice Award while Sarmiento's "Repleksyon" won Samsung's Noteworthy Film award.

Along with Lallana and Filamor, the Brillante Mendoza Film Workshop III students were Lloyd Ara, Lito Capina, Dominic Carpio, Mica Jao, Mikee Lim, Red Martin, Gay Quililan and Onyl Torres. Weeks before their culminating program, it was announced that Mendoza is returning to the Cannes Film Festival for his film "Ma' Rosa" starring Jaclyn Jose, Julio Diaz, Andi Eigenmann, Felix Roco and Jomari Angeles.

Also competing in the 69th Cannes Film Festival in the short films competition is "Imago" by Raymund Gutierrez, the only Asian filmmaker in the category. Gutierrez was a student of the Brillante Mendoza Film Workshop I in 2014.

In 2009, Mendoza won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival for "Kinatay" starring Diaz, Coco Martin and Maria Isabel Lopez beating "Inglourious Basterds" director Quentin Tarantino and "Taking Woodstock" director Ang Lee. The award-winning Filipino filmmaker's other films previously screened at the festival were "Serbis" starring Jose, Coco and Mercedes Cabral in 2008 and "Taklub" starring Diaz, Nora Aunor and Aaron Rivera in 2015.

Here is a clip from the Brillante Mendoza Film Workshop III: