Colorful award trophy shaped like a clock with a vibrant yellow, red, and blue design. It features a film strip and star motifs in the background.
A promotional banner for the Cuesta California Awards featuring a skyline with tall buildings, a drawing of a woman's profile, and vibrant colors.

The Design of the Crisostomo Ibarra Awards, the Award Trophy

The Crisostomo Ibarra Awards were designed to embody the transformative heroism and enduring ideals of the iconic character from José Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere.

The 2023 Crisostomo Ibarra Award Winners

Reflecting the mission of the Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival, the name, identity, and trophy symbolize the journey of Crisostomo Ibarra as he transforms from an educated, idealistic ilustrado to the passionate, revolutionary Simon. This transformation highlights the attributes of the Filipino hero: a deep passion for education, unwavering love of country, and commitment to nationalism. The awards honor filmmakers who, like Ibarra, challenge the status quo and inspire change through their art.

The multi-awarded creative duo, Joel and Olivia Enriquez, of Luna Design International, undertook the Naming and Branding Identity Design System for the Ibarra Awards and the Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival. Their work reflects a deep commitment to promoting Filipino culture and heritage, using design as a powerful tool to elevate and amplify the Filipino identity and voice on the global stage.

A trophy with a black and silver design, featuring line art of a woman's face and the text 'Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival 2023, The Custodial Sara Awards'. 
The coveted Crisostomo Ibarra Award trophy

AWARDS & PRIZES:


a. The festival jury will determine award categories and winners.

b. Winners of the Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival will receive the "Crisostomo Ibarra Awards" trophy, recognition certificates, and gifts from sponsors for the following categories:

  • Best Screenwriting

  • Best Cinematography

  • Best Editing

  • Best Musical Score

  • Best Director

  • Best Female Performer

  • Best Male Performer

  • Best Short Film

  • Audience Choice Award. This award is determined by audience voting.

c. Winners will be announced and awarded during the festival's Awards Night.

FIL-AM SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION & OUTREACH SERVICES, INC.:
a. A portion of the proceeds from the festival will be dedicated to supporting the Fil-Am Scholarship Foundation and Outreach Services programs.

b. The festival organizers will coordinate with the beneficiaries to ensure the proper allocation and utilization of the funds.

FESTIVAL PROMOTION:


a. The festival reserves the right to use film stills, promotional materials, and excerpts from submitted films for promotional purposes.

b. Filmmakers may be requested to provide additional promotional materials, including posters and trailers, for the festival's marketing efforts.

FILMMAKERS ATTENDANCE:
a. Filmmakers with selected films are encouraged to attend the festival.

b. The festival may offer a limited number of tickets to the filmmakers for the Awards Night at no cost to them.

MISCELLANEOUS:


a. The festival organizers reserve the right to make changes to the rules and terms if necessary.

b. By submitting a film to the festival, filmmakers agree to abide by the rules and terms outlined herein.

c. A nudity scene should have a clear artistic or narrative purpose that contributes to the overall story or theme of the film. The use of nudity should not be gratuitous or exploitative. Actors involved in nudity scenes must be of legal age (18 years or older) as per the applicable jurisdiction. Proper documentation and verification of age may be required.

We kindly request all participants to carefully read and understand the rules and terms before submitting their films to the Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival. For any inquiries or clarifications, please contact the festival organizers at info@lvshortfilm.org.

Award emblem with a laurel wreath and film reel, with the text "Audience Choice" and the logo of LVFSFF.

AFTER INANG

When Inang passes away right before Christmas, her youngest daughter Maria, who's hostedfamily holidays year after year has decided her hosting days are over now that her mother is no longer present to help her. Maria's headstrong child, Jess, believes they can step in to keep the family together like their grandmother had done all her life. Can the family still be held together after Inang has died?

Award emblem with orange laurel wreath, text 'Best Screenplay', film reel icon, and 'LVFSFF' on ribbon.
Award badge with red laurel branches, black text 'BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY', and a film reel icon at the bottom.

ALLY 3000

The CEO of a tech firm has to make a decision about a new product designed to alleviate white guilt. The film deals with race and privilege in an “elegant and clever way”.

FATHER FIGURE

An African-American step father tries to build a relationship with his Cambodian-American step-son through teaching him how to fish.

Award badge with orange laurel wreath, text 'Best Short Film', film reel icon, and stars on a white background.

JERICK PADSING

A well made training docu of Jerick Padsing, a Filipino American boxer from Las Vegas, Nevada. His rigorous training is set against his humble beginngs and his desire to connect with his Filipino way of life.

A black award badge with a red laurel wreath, the text 'Best Film Editing,' and a film reel icon at the bottom.

WHO ARE YOU

A history professor meets with a department chair ready to accept a faculty position, but the only question remaining is how to define her identity in the application's check-box.

Award badge with orange laurel wreath and text 'Best Director' at the center, featuring a film reel and star icons at the bottom.
Poster for the Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival and the Crisostomo Ibarra Awards, featuring colorful cityscape of Las Vegas, palm trees, a film reel border, and a stylized line drawing of a person's face.

THE HOUSEGUEST

This Filipino-American comedy follows the Mahusay family when a mistaken identity brings about ongoing misadventures.

The Las Vegas Short Film Festival 2023

The 2023 Awards Night Gala

The Awards Night for the inaugural Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival was a glamorous affair held on October 20, 2023, at the Orleans’ Mardi Gras ballroom. Guests enjoyed a delicious dinner and a stylish fashion show by FilAm designer David Tupaz. The evening second part began with an impressive performance by FilAm performing artist Ehrlich Ocampo doing a wand levitation act. Presenters included Las Vegas Consulate Honorary Consul Amie Belmonte, political figure Christian Bishop, first FilAm Assemblywoman Erica Mosca, President and CEO at Parkway Media Johann Sayson, reigning Ms. Regency Nevada Cirimille Faye Paglinawan, Philippine Times of Southern Nevada Editor-in-chief Liezel Trinidad, and Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom, among other community celebrities.

For a musical intermission, Sheela Kunishige performed a stunning version of the Filipino classic "Anak Dalita" arranged by Dennis Quila on piano, earning her an enthusiastic standing ovation.

Awards were given to filmmakers, including Terrence Jeffrey Santos, who won the Audience Choice Award for "AFTER INANG." Giovannie Espiritu received Best Screenplay for "ALLY 3000." Best Film Editing went to Raymond Planas, for a documentary about FilAm boxer “JERICK PADSING”. "FATHER FIGURE" by Richard E. Haywood took home Best Cinematography, while "WHO ARE YOU" a film by Salvador Carrasco won Best Short Film, and "THE HOUSEGUEST" earned Best Director for Francis Abbey. Winners received a custom trophy featuring an artistic drawing of Crisostomo Ibarra, the main protagonist at Dr. Jose Rizal’s novel NOLI ME TANGERE.

Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival 2024

Bata Bata ka lang/ Just a Kid

"Bata, Bata Ka Lang" began with one question: how can a simple story spark big realizations? What started as a fun but challenging concept—a short musical film—blossomed into a powerful journey about friendship, hope, and finding your voice.

Created in collaboration with Francis Aben and Jeremi Quetua, this film explores the limitless imagination of children and the strength they find in standing up for what’s right. Told through song and stylized visuals, it reminds us that young people—though often underestimated—have the power to speak out, stand tall, and create real impact.

This is more than one child’s story; it’s a celebration of collective courage, a love letter to friendship, and proof that when kids recognize their rights and their voices, they can move mountains.

Winner of 4 awards in the 2024 Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival in the following categories:

•Best Musical Score - Kid, You're Just A Kid*/ Director Karl Cedrick Marquez

• Best Female Performer-Kid, You're Just A Kid/ Zoey Madison Lim

• Best Male Performer-Kid, You're Just A Kid/ Alexander Lucas Martin

• Best Short Film - Kid, You're Just A Kid

Director Karl Cedrick Marquez Best Short Film at the Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival, "Bata Ka Lang" follows a tight-knit group of young students from Barangay Malabanan as they face the heartbreaking news of their beloved school's closure. At the heart of the story is Naya—a spirited, outspoken girl—and her best friend, a kind-hearted gay boy who finds joy in school and deep admiration for his teachers. Together, they rally their classmates to speak up and take action, proving that even the smallest voices can spark powerful change. With crisp storytelling and an upbeat, heartwarming musical score, "Bata Ka Lang" is a moving celebration of friendship,

Poster for the 2024 Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival with images of three people, a man holding a camera, a woman in a lace dress, and a man in vintage sunglasses, set against a cityscape with palm trees and tall buildings. There is also an award trophy on the bottom right.

1. Best Screenwriting-Mariposa/ Director Melanie Faye

2. Best Cinematography- No One Cries Forever/ Director Rogelio Postrado III

3. Best Editing -Time Crisis/ Director Brooke Palmieri

4. Best Musical Score - Kid, You're Just A Kid*/ Director Karl Cedrick Marquez

5. Best Micro Film -Threads of Tradition: The Yakan Weavers of Mindanao/ Istorya

6. Best Director- Last Light/Koa Bayani

7. Best Female Performer-Kid, You're Just A Kid*/ Zoey Madison Lim

8. Best Male Performer-Kid, You're Just A Kid*/ Alexander Lucas Martin

9. Audience Choice - Dear Watsonville/ Director Sandra Lucille

10. Best Short Film - Kid, You're Just A Kid*/ Director Karl Cedrick Marquez

*Original Title for Kid, You’re Just a Kid is “BATA, BATA KA LANG.”

Scenes from 2024 with Senator Mazie Hirono (D, Hawaii) as Guest of Honor.

The 2024 Awards Night Gala

Group of seven smiling people at a FilipinoTOWN Magazine event, standing in front of a black backdrop with the magazine's name. They are wearing Filipino traditional and modern clothing.
A man and woman dressed in formal attire seated at a small round table with a cake, in front of a mural with a portrait and window scenes.
Two individuals dressed in traditional Filipino attire pose in front of a backdrop with a portrait of a man wearing sunglasses with guns. The backdrop features open windows and a sunset scene. The person on the left is a man wearing a barong, and the person on the right is a woman wearing a purple gown, holding a decorative fan.
Group of seven people at an event, with a backdrop featuring a large framed portrait of a man wearing sunglasses, a sunset scene, and purple banners mentioning Las Vegas, Filipino film, and other words.
A woman with shoulder-length hair, wearing a black dress and cream-colored shawl, stands beside a small table with a book and a decorative item, inside a decorative room with painted walls, window shutters, and a framed portrait of a man with sunglasses.
A woman and a man dressed in formal attire sitting in a room with framed pictures on the wall. The woman is wearing a gold dress with jewelry, and the man is in a black suit with glasses and a hat.
Two women seated at a table with a decorative backdrop. The woman on the left wears a floral-patterned cream-colored shawl, pearl necklace, and black dress. The woman on the right wears a red patterned jacket and matching jewelry. There is a large book with a white rose on top on a small round table between them.