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Award-winning director Jun Lana hopes to spread awareness about the growing number of HIV positive among youth when he started conceptualizing the story of his award-winning movie Kalel, 15.

"Ngayon, napag-uusapan na siya. But I don't think we're doing enough to address the problem. And I don't think there's enough movies tackling this problem.

"We've had Dolzura Cortez before but that's a different scenario, it was a different culture.

"During that time, ang mga may HIV nasa 30s, asawa ng mga OFW. Ngayon, mga bata na," Direk Jun told GMANetwork.com in an interview recently.

The director admitted that the movie would tackle sensitive issues in Philippine society.

So, he said, "I hope people will watch this film with an open mind because it discusses so many sensitive topics -- priest fathering children, HIV epidemic among younger people.

"I know there will be people who will probably be offended, but I hope they watch this with an open mind.

"It's not an attack on their faith or whatever institution they represent.

"It's actually a cry for help. If they see it that way, siguro mas magiging bukas sila."

Fresh from its successful world premiere in Europe, where Direk Jun was awarded Best Director, Kalel, 15 is finally being screened in selected Philippine cinemas this week.

Kalel, 15 is the story of a 15-year-old son of a priest who discovers he is HIV positive. It is played by Elijah Canlas, who was also part of the award-winning Cinemalaya movie titled Edward.

Kalel, 15 caps a banner year for Director Jun. His mainstream film The Panti Sisters from last September's Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino earned PhP 213 million and is currently the 3rd biggest box office hit of 2019.

WATCH: Martin del Rosario, inuwi ang kanyang first Best Actor Award mula sa ika-3 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino

Then just a few months after, he became only the 2nd Filipino to win Best Director at an A-list film festival (the first being Brillante Mendoza at Cannes in 2009).

Prior to Kalel, 15, Jun also won Best Director at the Pacific Meridian Film Festival in Russia and at the Kerala Film Festival in India for Shadow Behind the Moon and at the Madrid International Film Festival for Barber's Tales.

According to Direk Jun, he always makes sure to do passion projects such as Kalel, 15 in between filming commercial movies.

"You know, it's important that we expose audiences with this kind of storytelling, this kind of cinema. We need to give them options.

"It's also important that we develop an audience for this kasi mayroon naman tayong festivals like Cinemalaya. Nakikita natin na sinusuportahan siya especially ng mga estudyante.

"So, it's really important, yung mga kuwentong ganito, especially stories that reflect that our status as Filipinos, stories that reflects what really happens in our society these are important.

"It's as important as the mainstream project, as the mainstream cinema, the movies that we watch for entertainment and all.

"But, you know, we need to feed our soul kaya importante ang mga ganito," he concluded.