The multi-awarded European debut film of Filipino filmmaker Maria Diane Ventura, “Deine Farbe (Your Color),” continues to reap honors as it clinched its most recent wins — Best German feature at the Berlin Film Festival (Filmhaus) and Best Director at the International Film Festival Manhattan (IFFM).
Note that Best Actor recognition was also given to film star Nyamandi Adrian at the IFFM while a Best Supporting Actor citation was also awarded to his co-star Jannik Schumann at Filmhaus.
As of the latest count, “Deine Farbe” has already won 22 awards from film festivals across Asia, Australia, Europe and America.
These include: Best German Feature and Best Supporting Actor from Filmhaus Berlin 2021; Best Director and Best Actor from IFFM, New York 2021; Debut Award from Diorama International Film Festival, New Delhi, India 2021; Best Feature Drama, Best Director and Best Actor from Queen Palm International Film Festival, Palm Springs 2021; Best Performer and Best Editing from G Biennale, Australia, 2020; Best Director and Best Actors from Calella Film Festival Barcelona, 2020; Best Woman Filmmaker and Best Narrative Feature from Vegas Movie Awards, 2020; Best Ensemble Cast from Couch Film Festival, Los Angeles 2020; Best Cinematographer from the Canadian Cinematography Awards, 2021; Best Feature from Canadian Cinematography Awards, 2021; Best Picture, Best Lead Actor and Best Supporting Actor from Skiptown Playhouse Int’l Festival, Hollywood 2021; and Ani ng Dangal recipient, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Philippines 2021.
“Deine Farbe (Your Color),” written, directed and produced by Ventura, is a tale of friendship between two young men who leave their German hometown for a freer life in majestic Barcelona, where fate and choices threaten their once unbreakable bond.
The movie stars established German actors Jannik Schümann (“The Aftermath” and “Monster Hunter”) as Karl; Nyamandi Adrian (“Tribes of Europa”) as Albert; Juan Carlos Lo Sasso (“Another Cloudy Day”) as Julio; and Romina Küper (“Baby Bitchka”) as Kristina.
The film premiered last year at Hofer Filmtage in Germany, and was a finalist at the JellyFest in Los Angeles early this year.
It was included in the list of official selections at the following prestigious international film festivals all over the world: Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, 2021; European Cinematography Awards, 2021; L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain 2021; New York Cinematography Awards, 2021; Amerta Film Festival, Turkey 2021; Soho International Film Festival, New York 2020; Cardiff International Film Festival 2020; Festival Internacional de Cinema de Lleida Visual Art, Spain 2020; Lonely Wolf Film Festival, London 2020; New York Movie Awards, 2020; Gold Movie Awards, London 2020; Lift Off Los Angeles; Paris Lift Off Festival 2020; and Cyrus Festival, Toronto 2020.
Of all the awards her film had been receiving, Ventura said: “If only to bring honor and pride to the country I am very grateful to represent, these awards and accolades are enough motivation for me.”
She added, “Perhaps I only speak for myself, but in this industry where pragmatism is not exactly a priority, being acknowledged for your work helps silence or mitigate deafening doubts. They encourage me to keep writing the stories I feel compelled to tell even if doing so sometimes goes beyond all reason. That there is even one person that believes in your work can make the difference between holding on or giving up altogether.”
Ventura also revealed her next film feature, “Luz Oscura (Dark Light),” a psychological drama set in Mexico, is near completion.
The new film is about a woman overcoming trauma through self-empowerment and cognizance that the past does not define who you are or who you become.
Ventura hopes to finish filming within 2-3 years while creating short films and music videos in between.
Ventura’s filmmaking goal goes beyond being recognized for her talent.
She says, “Of course as a producer my initial wish was to recoup, find an audience as diverse as our own production crew and gain profit. But if I really reflect upon it, essentially, my dream for ‘DeineFarbe’ has already been achieved, which is to open doors for opportunities to collaborate with people from different backgrounds and to find harmony despite the disparities in culture, values, language and thought processes. So I’d like to think anything else we get out of this on top is already a bonus.”
Asked which among the citations she is most proud of, she shares, “I was proud to have premiered the film at Hofer Filmtage being such a respected institution in Germany amongst more prominent directors. I was also honored to receive the Ani ng Dangal from NCCA this year. I would say that having won Best German Feature at the recently concluded Filmhaus Fest was also an affirming recognition as it was aligned with my goals as a filmmaker, which is to break barriers and unite people through storytelling. For a Philippine Production to win Best German Feature was for me not just an accomplishment for the film but a validation of the very reason I got into filmmaking in the first place.”
“Deine Farbe (Your Color)” is available for streaming via Amazon Prime Video thru this link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08W1F86FX?pf_rd_r=AHCNYPNXS5QMHV1JG9N2&pf_rd_p=89879054-2e37-4233-9fd7-bd5a93dd076a&pd_rd_r=91c21b5a-3001-4067-9c31-96e4bfe1609c&pd_rd_w=BxPVC&pd_rd_wg=MDyIy
It is set to premiere in the Philippines on Dec. 8 on WeTv and iFlix.
