Jonathan Jurilla’s “Love Child” clinched the 1st prize in Dulang Pampelikula Category at the 71st Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. He will receive the award in a formal ceremony to be held at the Philippine International Convention Center on November 27, 2023.
“Love Child” is a simple and heartfelt relationship story about a young couple dealing with their child’s Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The film Love Child from this screenplay, which Jurilla will also direct himself, is also a finalist in the upcoming 20th Cinemalaya Film Festival, which will be held in August 2024. The film will start to shoot next year for the 20th anniversary of Cinemalaya and is looking for co-producers from Western Visayas.
This is Jurilla’s 2nd Palanca Award. The first was received in 1999 for his Hiligaynon Short Story titled, “Ulan sa Bulan sang Abril,” which won 3rd place in the Hiligaynon Short Story Category.
Jurilla is a faculty member of the UP Visayas Division of Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences, a writer, as well as a rising filmmaker. His short films have received several awards in regional and national festivals. He holds two Best Picture awards from Sine Negrense: Negros Island Film Festival. His film "Tiempo Suerte" has received a Special Jury Citation for Regional Drama at the 34th Gawad CCP para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video. His short film "De-Lata" also received a Grand Jury Prize for Independent Cinema at the 2022 Montañosa Film Festival.
Assoc. Prof. Jurilla is also set to release his first short documentary film “My Boy Superman,” which is a finalist in the 3rd Montañosa Film Festival which will be held in Baguio City next year.
