Reel Asian is happy to announce the inaugural recipient of the Kalabaw Bursary, Patrick de Belen! Juried by Romeo Candido, Shasha Nakhai, and Martin Edralin, the $5,000 bursary award is presented annually to a Filipinx emerging artist with a strong voice, clear vision, artistic approach and a story to tell.
Patrick de Belen is a Toronto-based Filipinx-Canadian storyteller, arts educator, spoken word poet, writer, and filmmaker.
He is most known for his poetic collaborations with the Toronto Raptors, the NFL, CBC, his 2 spoken word EPs and multiple cine-poems he wrote and directed himself.
He was the youngest poet to win a national poetry slam championship, awarded both the national Canadian Poet of Honour and Youth Poet of Honour title, and a few more storytelling accolades throughout his career. He has shared the stage with notable performers like The Roots, Shayne Koyczan, and The Halluci Nation. PDB’s short documentary Tell Me A Story About Someone You Miss was selected as a finalist for the TVO Short Doc Competition (2023), and he is currently in post for his debut feature documentary Last Note.
When he is not writing or sharing, he is an educator and youth mentor, partnering with many institutions like addiction centres, mental health focused organizations, libraries, schools, jails and more – advocating for storytelling opportunities in as many spaces as possible.
We had the distinct privilege to be witness to the incredible depth of talent and compelling narratives within the Filipino community during our selection process. Each applicant brought something special to the table, and although we couldn’t financially support everyone, we wholeheartedly encourage all to persist in bringing your stories to life.
After comprehensive debates and thoughtful reflections, we are awarding the bursary to Last Note by Patrick de Belen. This film courageously explores a personal narrative while addressing an often-silenced issue within our community. Its innovative and experimental approach will be emotional, metal, poetic, honest and while specifically Filipino, promises to resonate beyond our own cultural spheres. Timely and topical, Last Note will bring to light an innovative new voice in Mr. de Belen.
We’re therefore pleased to award the inaugural Kalabaw Bursary to this exceptional project. Our hope is that this funding propels Last Note towards completion, reaching an audience that will be moved by it as profoundly as we have.
We would also like to announce that the focus of year two of the Kalabaw Bursary is to be a fund that will support the creation of a script. More details to come.
With much respect / Labis na paggalang,
Martin Edralin, Romeo Candido, Shasha Nakhai
Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is a unique showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and work from Asia and the Asian diaspora. Works include films and videos by artists in Canada, the U.S., Asia and all over the world. As Canada’s largest pan-Asian film festival, Reel Asian provides a public forum for Asian media artists and their work, and fuels the growing appreciation for Asian cinema in Canada.
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