MANILA -- Epi Quizon is grateful for the unexpected honors he reaped recently at the Indie Short Fest in Los Angeles (ISF-LA), California with his movie “Bukal” about the search for peace in Mindanao.

Aside from clinching the best producer and outstanding achievement award for a first-time director, Quizon and the Philippines team were conferred the Award of Excellence (Special Jury Mention), Best Drama Short, Best Original Score for Ira Cruz, and Outstanding Achievement Award (Ensemble Cast) for Alvin Anson, Ronnie Quizon, Christian Vasquez, and Archie Alemania.

“Bukal,” with its international title “Wellspring,” competed with entries from over 20 countries in the August 2021 edition of ISA-LA which, according to its mission statement, “advocates the promotion of independent projects from all genres, particularly low or no-budget ones, as well as from all countries, especially from those traditionally underrepresented in the global film industry.”

Quizon told ABS-CBN News Wednesday the awards qualify him for a semi-finalist slot in the shorts competition in the 2022 Cannes World Film Festival, an affiliate of ISF-LA.

Quizon dedicated his awards to his parents, departed comedy king Dolphy and Pamela Ponti ( Alice Smith), his family, and the Philippines.