“Dinig Sana Kita,” which won the special award in deaf cinema in the recently concluded 36th Brussels International Independent Film Festival, will have special screenings on Nov. 16 at the College of Saint Benilde and at the SM North Edsa.

This is according to the movie’s director, Mike Sandejas, who will also give a talk prior to the 6 p.m. screening at Benilde.

He told Manila Bulletin Entertainment Online on Nov. 12 that he would share what he’s learned from his Brussels experience and what can be done for the development of deaf cinema in the country.

Sandejas recalled being awed by the high level of deaf awareness and the sophistication of deaf cinema not only in the Belgian capital but also in its neighboring countries as represented by some European participants.

But it was the overwhelming reaction to “Dinig” that stunned him more.

“Tuwang-tuwa sila,” he said of the SRO crowd that included deaf viewers who were using a sign language unfamiliar to him. ”Parang ngayon lang sila nakapanood ng gano’ng pelikula. They even hugged me after the movie.”

Still, Sandejas didn’t expect “Dinig” would win. He was clueless even when it was announced during the informal awarding ceremony held on the evening of Nov. 8.

Sandejas related with a grin how everybody was looking at him and applauding. He saw his French interpreter at the podium waiting for him to say something but he remained unconvinced until somebody thrust him into the spotlight.

“What’s happening? I don’t speak French,” he remembered telling the cheering crowd. “I told them that I came to Brussels to learn. Nahiya nga ako kasi parang sila ang natuto sa akin.”

Sandejas was surrounded by well-wishers when Lou Veloso was named best actor in the international section for his compelling performance in “Colorum.” Festival director Robert Malengreau accepted the award in behalf of the Filipino actor and explained what Veloso’s film was about.

“Dinig,” a story of how a teenage girl abusing her sense of hearing and a deaf boy are connected by their shared love for music, created quite a stir among the festival-goers that Sandejas received a slew of invitations for screenings – with French subtitles – in various countries.

“But my priority is for the deaf to make their own films,” Sandejas pointed out, adding that he hopes to see more entries in the deaf section of Cinemanila next year and in Brussels as well.

That’s why he’s appealing to the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) to reconsider its decision to cancel its accreditation to Brussels film fest, which has been vigorous in promoting Philippine cinema in Europe.

Sandejas said that the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) supported his trip to Brussels while FDCP helped make his attendance to the Toronto International Film Festival last September possible.

After its Nov. 16 screenings, “Dinig” will be shown in again in Benilde, which has a sizable population of deaf students via its School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies, on Nov. 18 and then in other schools like Assumption College and the University of the Philippines.