By ATRIA PACAÑA
The animated Filipino-Ilocano film “Iti Mapukpukaw,” written and directed by Carl Joseph E. Papa, was chosen as the Philippines’ official entry to the 96th Academy Awards, which will be held on March 10, next year, at the Dolby Theatre in Ovation Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.
This was announced by the Film Development Council of the Philippines on Sept. 29, stating that it will give ₱1,000,000 to the film’s team through its Oscars Assistance Program.
“Iti Mapukpukaw,” produced by Manila-based company Project 8, won a slew of awards at the 19th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival last Aug. 13, including the Best Supporting Actress for Dolly de Leon, the NETPAC Jury Award, and the Balanghai trophy for Best Film Full-Length Category.
It is the 34th film and the 1st animated film in Philippine history to make it to the Oscars.
Starring Carlo Aquino, Dolly de Leon, and Gio Gahol, the rotoscope film tells the story of Eric, a mouthless young man with a crush on his coworker, and his day-to-day life at his regular animation job, until he met a familiar alien.
Production required the actors to perform in the studios with green screens in just four days, but over 90 animators worked for 19 months to finish the animation aspect.
Since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) requires the submitted films to have theatrical releases between December 1, 2022 to October 31, 2023, “Iti Mapukpukaw” or “The Missing” is slated for a re-release in cinemas this year.
