Sheron Dayoc’s ‘The Gospel of the Beast’ Named Best Film in Bali

BALI HIGH

“The Gospel of the Beast,” a film from The Philippines director Sheron Dayoc, was named the best narrative feature at the Bali International Film Festival (aka Balinale) which concludes Friday.

The film features a 15-year-old boy who accidentally kills a classmate, runs away and sets up an unlikely relationship with a man he barely knows. In his company he learns the harrowing realities of life, death and beasthood. The festival jury praised the film’s cinematography, script and direction, noting that the protagonist’s difficult choice was “compelling and deeply resonant.”

Other prizes included a the best feature documentary award, which went to “No More History Without Us,” by Brazil’s Priscilla Regis Brasil, and a special jury award in the same section, which went to “Porcelain War,” by U.S. directors Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev. The committee choice award for best feature went to Sean Devlin’s much-awarded “Asog,” while the U.K.’s Rebecca Coley received the committee award for her feature documentary “Point of Change.”

The festival’s Gary L Hayes Award for Emerging Indonesian Filmmaker was presented to Kezia Alexandra for “Huma.” The festival described her as “A burgeoning director and multifaceted artist whose distinctive style and visionary storytelling are reshaping Indonesia’s cinematic landscape.

The festival kicked off on June 1 with a screening of emerging…