In the entertainment capital of America, Carl Joseph Papa promotes his film 'The Missing' for Academy Awards and Golden Globes consideration, specifically in Los Angeles.
The Philippines has made a significant mark in the world of international cinema with its submission of the animated film "Iti Mapukpukaw (The Missing)" to the Oscars' Best International Feature Film category. This critically acclaimed animated film, which won Best Film at Cinemalaya 2023, is a groundbreaking achievement as it is the first animated film to win this title in the festival’s history.
Directed by Carl Joseph Papa, "The Missing" tells the story of Eric, a young animator who has no mouth and harbours a crush on his co-worker Carlo. After the arrival of a familiar alien and the death of his uncle, Eric's life takes a dramatic turn, prompting him to recall his past and untangle memories. The film, which is a rotoscoped/2D hybrid, has gained international attention, with selections at the Osaka Asian Film Festival and the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
The film, which is filmed in Tagalog and Ilocano, the national language and a language in northern Philippines respectively, deals with themes of childhood sexual abuse and trauma and its lifetime impact. It is a well-thought-out, well-planned film that explores the life of a person who has been abused during his childhood and how he finds his voice again while battling his own demons, with the support of his lover and his mother.
Carl Joseph Papa, the director of "The Missing", obtained his US visa at the last minute and arrived just before the film's first screening in Los Angeles. During a Q&A session after the screening, he answered questions with keen insight, astute comments, and interesting anecdotes.
The broader significance of this submission lies in increasing visibility for Filipino films and animation globally, potentially influencing future entries and inspiring local filmmakers to explore animated narratives with cultural depth. It also reflects a shift in the international film community’s openness to diverse formats and stories from Southeast Asia.
Although "The Missing" did not make the shortlist for the 2024 Oscars, its critical acclaim and festival presence establish it as a landmark film for Philippine cinema. Dolly, an actress in "The Missing", found the film to be particularly sentimental as it allowed her to honor her late father, who was from Ilocano.
"The Missing" recently landed in Variety's top 25 contenders for the Oscars' best international feature from a field of more than 90 entries. Carl was surprised to find "The Missing" in Variety's top 25 contenders for the Oscars' best international feature. He describes the film as a story of love, reclaiming your own voice, and speaking your truth.
Dolly believes that if we're with a loved one or if we have someone who we care about a lot in our lives, they're going through something that we don't understand, and we don't believe, that shouldn't stop us from helping them, offering a shoulder to cry on and offering them support and love even if we can't understand what they're going through.
"The Missing" was written by Carl Joseph Papa as a coping mechanism and later developed into a film with a message to reclaim one's voice and spark conversation. The film drew a good crowd and received applause at its screening at Neuehouse in Los Angeles. Carl is back home after a short trip to the US where he promoted "The Missing". With its powerful storytelling and cultural relevance, "The Missing" continues to make waves in the international film community, setting a new standard for Filipino animation.
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