“Astig,” the lone Filipino entry in the New Currents category, won a Special Mention Award in the 14th Pusan International Film Fest (PIFF) held Friday in South Korea.

“Kick Off” by Shakwat Amin Korki of Iraq and “I’m In Trouble” by So Sang-Min of Korea were adjudged co-winners of the New Currents competition.

The official PIFF website cited “Astig” for its boldness in form and narration as well as its courage to approach without concession the hard life of young Filipinos struggling to survive in an unequal society.

Astig, which tells about four stories of four characters, shows how people cope with social and economic difficulties in the heart of Manila. The story is similar to the recent Piolo Pascual-produced film “Manila” – having two separate stories in one film and practically having the same locale.

Astig Director GB Sampedro likens Astig to a survivor rather than a toughie. He approaches the sexual commerce as a means to survive. His images are harsh and poignant.

Sampedro was all smiles even before Astig received the Special Mention award, saying it was already a privilege just to represent the country in what is considered the biggest film festival in Asia. A total of 355 films from 70 countries were shown. There were 173,516 attendees, which included fans and film lovers from all over the world.

Last year, two Filipino films won awards in their respective categories at the same prestigious fest. Milo Tolentino won the Sonje award for his short film “Andong.”
Chris Martinez’s “100,” which stars Mylene Dizon and has Eugene Domingo in the supporting role, won the KNN Movie (audience choice) award. All three Pusan winning films were Cinemalaya entries funded by the Film Development Council of the Philippines.