Paolo Ballesteros wins another international award for “Die Beautiful.”
Paolo Ballesteros transgender portrayal has bagged another international award at the 21st International Film Fest in Kerala in India.
Paolo’s transgender portrayal in the indie film “Die Beautiful” wins another international award.
The winning streak of Filipinos in international competitions has been putting the Philippines in the limelight.
At the recent 21st International Film Fest in Kerala in India, Paolo Ballesteros who plays transgender beauty queen Trish Echevarria in the indie film “Die Beautiful” was awarded.
In a recent news report of Inquirer.net, Paolo Ballesteros has bagged another international award for his portrayal of a transgender whose only wish was to be dressed as his idol, Katy Perry, when the time comes that he’ll breathe his last.
Paolo took to Instagram and made a confirmation by announcing that he had been accorded the Special Jury Award for Outstanding Performance in the Indian tilt, and he thanked the jury for the honor.
The festival’s jury was reportedly led by Belgium-based Arab filmmaker Michel Khleifi.
This is Ballesteros’ second award after he was also awarded as the Best Actor Award at the recent 2016 Tokyo International Film Festival for his transgender portrayal.
Just one month after, the film, “Die Beautiful” by Jun Robles Lana, which was quick to win the hearts of the audience. Aside from the Best Actor award, the film itself won the Audience Choice Award at the 29th Tokyo International Film Festival where the same film competed.
Ballesteros received his award at the Toho Cinemas located in Roppongi Hills, Japan. Out of the 16 films that were entered into the competition, only “Die Beautiful” was from the Philippines.
Furthermore, Director Jun Robles Lana also thanked the festival’s jury for their majestic victory.
“Even though there are no acting awards at the Kerala International Film Festival in India, the jury was so moved by his performance that they decided to give Paolo a Special Jury Award for outstanding performance,” he captioned his post.
According to a report, Ballesteros was unable to attend the festival but was represented by producer Ferdy Lapuz.
The Hindu, a local newspaper featured the film and became well known in the south Asian country.
There are other Filipino films that were screened at the film fest, includingR oy’s second entry, “Quick Change,” that was featured at the festival’s Gender Bender category.
Eduardo Roy Jr.’s “Pamilya Ordinaryo” and Roderick Cabrido’s “Tuos” under the World Cinema section.