Indie filmmaker Lav Diaz becomes the first Filipino to win a major award in Venice Film Festival.
His latest movie, the genre bending opus "MELANCHOLIA" was adjudged as Best Film in the Horizons (Orizzonti) Section of the 65th Venice Film Festival. Diaz received the Golden Lion Special Mention award in the same section last year for "Death in the Land of Encantos".
Born in Mindanao, Diaz has cemented his reputation as one of the country's artistically adept filmmakers of the new decade. His 2001 feature, the 10 hour drama "Batang West Side" set a record as the longest Filipino picture of all time. The New York-set family/crime saga was a critical success for the director, who is known for his genre bending narratives and politically/socially themed films. Among its awards include Best Film in the Singapore Film Festival and the local critics' board Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (MPP).
