The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) announces the recipients of the special awards given by the Agency—the Camera Obscura Artistic Excellence Award and the Gabay ng Industriya Award for the 6th Film Ambassadors’ Night (FAN) to be held this month. 

The Camera Obscura Artistic Excellence Award is the highest honor given by the FDCP to a film worker, film, or artist whose extraordinary achievements and trailblazing success in 2021 became an inspiration for the  Philippine film industry. This year’s two honorees shone on the international stage and secured a place for the Philippines in the filmmaking limelight. 

Mr. John Arcilla was the first ever Southeast Asian to receive the prestigious Volpi Cup for Best Actor from the 78th Venice International Film Festival for his outstanding performance as a lead actor in the film On The Job: The Missing 8 (OTJ). The film, on its own, is considered a groundbreaking innovation where its strategic journey in film content distribution across global cinema, international festival circuit, and digital streaming, showcased Filipino talent to a worldwide audience thus contributing greatly to PH Cinema. For their stellar global achievements, Mr. Arcilla and the film, On the Job: The Missing 8, will each be awarded this year’s Camera Obscura. 

The Gabay ng Industriya Awards—the Ilaw ng Industriya and Haligi ng Industriya—are conferred to individuals who have made outstanding accomplishments during their long careers, establishing themselves as respected pillars of the Philippine film industry. 

FDCP bestows the Ilaw ng Industriya award on veteran actress and the “original femme fatale of the Philippine cinema,” Ms. Rosa Rosal. From her days as a young actress in her memorable films such as Child of Sorrow (Anak Dalita) (1956) and Blessing of the Land (Biyaya ng Lupa), to her extensive five decades of cinematic history contributions, and to her endearing philanthropy and commitment for the people using her stature in the industry, Rosal is a national treasure and an icon of the film industry. 

Accomplished producer Jesse Ejército will be the recipient of the Haligi ng Industriya award for his prolific film producing career, dedicating a lifetime of outstanding work that spawned many notable films of both critical acclaim and box office success, mostly in the action genre. Some of which are Lagarista (2000), Eto na naman ako (2000), and Cariño Brutal (1998), to name a few. He also shared his valuable experience, talent, and wisdom to the Film Academy of the Philippines as its former deputy director-general, to being an executive board member of the Metro Manila Film Festival, and to having served as President of Philippine Motion Picture Producers Association, exemplifying prime acumen in the business of film and masterful knowledge of our film industry.

FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño shares, “It is our great pleasure to be able to showcase some of our industry’s most esteemed, most creative, and most talented minds. We’ve always been saying that it is the people who build this industry and it is with utmost pride that we honor Ms. Rosa Rosal, Mr. Jesse Ejército, Mr. John Arcilla, and all the people behind OTJ Missing 8, as some of the paragons of Philippine cinema.” 

“The 6th Film Ambassadors' Night is so very special because all these achievements have been done even through the burden of a global pandemic. There is an indomitable spirit of resilience, confidence and ingenuity that made this all happen and we proudly acknowledge and honor these through this event,” she added. 

Film Ambassadors’ Night 2022, with the addition of these special awards to the list of 2022 honorees announced prior, will be honoring a total of 77 films, filmmakers, and actors who have been recognized at various international film festivals throughout the course of the previous year. 

The Film Ambassadors’ Night, in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), has been a gathering of film workers and artists since its launch in 2016.  The pandemic caused it to shift to a virtual event in 2020. This year’s celebration will be returning to an in-person format with onsite ceremonies strictly exclusive for the honorees on  February 27, 2022 at the architectural and cultural gem, Manila Metropolitan Theater. 

The telecast date for the Film Ambassadors’ Night at the FDCP Channel will be announced at a later date. Stay tuned for more announcements through our social media page, https://www.facebook.com/FDCP.ph.