'Jay' Wins in Switzerland's Black Movie Filmfest Award

The independent film 'Jay' became the first Pinoy movie to win an award in the 6 year history of the Black Movie Film Festival in Geneva, Switzerland.

Besting 76 entries from different countries around the world, the Francis Xavier Pasion opus captured the Audience Award and a cash prize of CHF5,000 (P20,000) from Geneva�s Department of Culture.

Other Filipino entries that participated in the said festival were Brillante Mendoza�s �Serbis� and �Tirador�, Auraeus Solito�s �Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros�, Sherad Anthony Sanchez�s �Huling Balyan ng Buhi� and Jim Libiran�s �Tribu�.

The Black Movie film festival, which took place from January 30 to February 8, 2009, describes itself as an event that goes against the trend of conventional movies, featuring upcoming talents from Africa, Asia and South America.

Previous winners are:

2002: Ali Zaoua by Nabil Ayouch (Morocco)
2003: Rachida by Yamina Bachir Chouikh (Algeria)
2004: Al�l��ssi by Rahmatou Keita (Nigeria)
2005: Old Boy by Park Chan-wook (Korea)
2006: Le chien jaune de Mongolie by Byambasuren Davaa (Mongolia)
2007: The Violin by Fransisco Vargas (Mexico)
2008: Xiaolin Xiaoli by Zhang Miaoyan (China)