ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Southern Lantern Studios’ The Gospel of The Beast was awarded Best Feature Narrative at the 17th Bali International Film Festival – Balinale on Friday, June 7.

The Gospel of the Beast is a coming-of-age drama based on the story of a hired killer for a vigilante group in the southern Philippines. It stars Jansen Magpusao and Ronnie Lazaro.

The Filipino movie was praised for its “strong direction, well-written script, and impressive cinematography.” “The narrative arc, where the protagonist grapples with a moral dilemma before ultimately choosing the right path, is particularly compelling and resonated deeply,” the jury citation added.

Director Sheron Dayoc told Rappler that he, along with the producers, cast, and crew, thanked the jury for the recognition as well as the festival organizers for sharing the Filipino film with the Indonesian audience in Bali.

“This journey brings continuous learning experiences in both the creative and business aspects of filmmaking, which we hope to apply to our upcoming projects. As everyone knows, our industry is navigating unique and challenging times. However, I truly believe that something exciting, meaningful, and fruitful will emerge from this,” Dayoc stated.

The film also earlier bagged the Golden Star Award for Best Feature Film and the Young Critics Award at the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival.

Other Balinale winners include Asog for the Committee Choice Award for Narrative Feature and Porcelain War for the Special Jury Award for Feature Documentary. Meanwhile, Kezia Alexandra, who helmed Huma, was awarded the Emerging Indonesian Filmmaker title. – Rappler.com