I-Witness docu wins Gold Camera Award at US International Film and Video Festival

An I-Witness documentary by the team of Howie Severino won the Gold Camera Award in the United States International Film and Video Festival.

The documentary titled "Busal,"  which first aired on October 22, 2016 on GMA-7, tells the story of poor people affected by the spate of killings in their communities.

"We're grateful for the Gold Camera Award won by our documentary, Busal ('Muzzled'), at the US International Film and Video Festival. The best part of the recognition is it helps amplify the voices of the urban poor in the documentary who are victims in the government's drug war," Severino wrote on his Facebook account.

"The award is also for the colleagues who pour their hearts into long-form journalism in an era dominated by short bursts of information, and for GMA Network that has bravely supported documentaries since the 1990s, and keeps advancing the genre in the Philippines," he added.

Also part of the team are executive producer Isel Caringal, director Jazel Kristin Villamarin, writer Janus Victoria, researcher Icia De Guzman, cameraman Christian Carreon, and video editors Tin Macatulad-Chua, Isabelle Estein, and Fredie Abril.

Meanwhile, the following shows also won honors at the filmfest:

• FRONT ROW - SILVER for "Mga Barya ni Lola Maria"
• FRONT ROW - SILVER for "Bata Sa Bintana"
• MOTORCYCLE DIARIES - SILVER for "Lason Sa Paraiso"
• I-WITNESS - SILVER for "Body Collector"
• REEL TIME - SILVER for "Maling Akala"