The Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) director general Leo Martinez announced on Monday afternoon that they have chosen Jerold Tarog’s “Heneral Luna” is the country’s bet to the 2016 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film in the world’s most prestigious award-giving body.
Filmmaker Mel Chionglo heads the committee tasked to pick the Philippine representative to the Oscars. Its members are actors Lorna Tolentino and Michael de Mesa, cinematographer Lee Meiley, directors Joe Carreon and Boy Vinarao, and academician Rolando Tolentino.
The Oscar Award is handed out annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to full-length feature films produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue.
According to committee, a total of six films were shortlisted to be the country’s bet in the 2016 Oscars, among the top contenders were Brillante Mendoza’s “Taklub” and Carlitos Siguinon-Reyna’s “Hari ng Tondo.”
In the movie Antonio Luna, veteran actor John Arcilla portrays the role of General Antonio Luna who led the fight against Spanish colonizers under the revolutionary government of Emilio Aguinaldo. According to reports, the movie was produced with a whopping P80 million production cost.