NEWSFLASH

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'SA PUSOD NG DAGAT' TO THE OSCARS

Quezon City, Nov. 7, 1998 - The cinematic arm of GMA-7 is so proud to learn that GMA Films' SA PUSOD NG DAGAT has been selected as the country's official entry to the Best Foreign Language Film Award category in the 71st annual Academy Awards.

The film about a boy's coming-of-age in a mystical island was chosen by a Film Academy of the Philippines of committee over seven other films, including ANG LALAKE SA BUHAY NI SELYA, CURCHA, KRIMINAL NG BARRIO CONCEPCION, BABAE SA BUBUNGANG LATA and BATA, BATA PAANO KA GINAWA.

The committee was composed of Mel Chionglo (chairman), Gina Alajar, Mario Hernando, Nicanor Tiongson, and Racquel Villavicencio, (members).

SA PUSOD NG DAGAT was directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya from the Palanca award-winning script by Jun Lana. It stars Jomari Yllana, Elizabeth Oropesa and Chin Chin Gutierrez.

Known abroad as "In The Navel of the Sea," it premiered last February at the Berlin Film Festival and has been exhibited in several international film festivals since then. The film is now winning raves at the Tokyo International Film Festival, according to a source at GMA Films. Already negotiations are going on for the theatrical distribution of the movie in Tokyo in the year 2000.

SA PUSOD NG DAGAT has already been invited to 47 festivals, including the Singapore Film Festival where it won the prestigious FIPRESCI (Federation Internationale de la Presse Cinematographique), Toronto International Film Festival, Fukouka International Film Festival, among others. It is also scheduled to be exhibited at the Hawaii International Film Festival this month. Marilou Diaz- Abaya will serve as one of the jurors in the festival. The movie is set to appear in at least nine more festivals until April.