A photo posted by Paolo Ballesteros (@pochoy_29) on Dec 16, 2016 at 6:26am PST

Paolo Ballesteros' portrayal of a transgender woman in ''Die Beautiful'' earned him a special mention at the 21st International Film Festival of Kerala in India on Friday.

It is his second international recognition following his Best Actor win at the Tokyo International Film Festival last month.

"Die Beautiful," which was the only Filipino film in competition for the Indian competition's top prize, follows the story of Trisha Echevarria (Ballesteros), a transgender woman who suddenly dies after winning a beauty pageant. Directed by Jun Robles Lana, it is also one of the eight entries to this year's Metro Manila Film Festival.

According to its website, the Kerala film festival, organized annually by the Motion Picture Academy of the Kerala State, aims to recognize films that "contribute to the complete development of the human being, both as an individual and as a social being."

Other Filipino films screened at the festival include Eduardo Roy's "Pamilya Ordinaryo" and Roderick Cabrido's "Tuos" under the World Cinema category. Roy's other film, "Quick Change," was shown as part of the Gender Bender section.

Ballesteros was unable to personally receive the award, but expressed his excitement on Instagram. He thanked the jury, headed by award-winning Israel-born filmmaker Michel Khleifi, in his post.