Alon! (Wave), an expertly-curated documentary on plastic waste written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Gabby Fernandez, bested nine other nominees and took home the Science and Education Award at the recently concluded 2020 London International Film Festival.
The film projects the issue through the lenses of the local surfers from the six leading surfing communities, namely, Siargao, La Union, Baler, Mati in Davao, Gubat in Sorsogon, and Sabang Daguitan in Leyte.
They are eco-warriors who, in their own ways, are thriving to help save their breathtaking views, as resurfaced pieces of trash in form of packaged commodities hold proof of the extensive presence of plastic from Luzon to the Visayas and Mindanao.
“I am just humbled to be able to give glory to the country and I hope that the succeeding publicity coming from this international win attracts more people to see the film in order to raise awareness of the utter environmental disaster that the plastic pollution problem has created,” Fernandez expressed.
“It is a catastrophe whose dire effects our children and succeeding generations will and in fact already are reaping. As I always say, plastic waste pollution is not just drowning our oceans or killing our planet; it is doing more than that. The crisis is literally killing us, mutating our genes, causing damage to our physical systems we have yet to identify but are clearly related to the micro-plastics that are now saturating our environment,” he continued.
Alon! was likewise nominated as the Best Foreign Language Documentary and Best Director of Foreign Language Documentary.
The London International Film Festival is an annual week-long series of events celebrated the global independent film industry through a series of professional lectures, workshops and seminars.
With premieres and screenings in recognition of the year’s most promising independent and studio films from around the world, it likewise serves as an ideal platform for networking among the participating like-minded creatives and potential investors in a collaborative community setting.
Alon!, which was produced by the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) through the Office of the Vice President for Advancement, aims to create awareness on the immense impact of plastic pollution by presenting the contrast between the wonders of the Philippines’ growing surf tourism and its relationship with the looming environmental problem.
It had a premiere at the Lola Sayong Eco Surf Camp in Gubat, Sorsogon, and then started its pilgrimage to the featured surfing communities to honor the eco-warriors. The film has already been screened in various schools, to include the Jaime Hilario School-De La Salle Bataan, La Salle Green Hills and De La Salle Lipa,
The organizers will continue to schedule for more screenings around the country in pursuit of their advocacy.