MANILA, Philippines?Calling from Hollywood, Dante Garcia relayed the good news to the Philippine Daily Inquirer: He won Best Director on Dec. 10 for ?Ploning? at the Asian Festival of First Films held in Singapore.

Garcia said he couldn?t wait for the awarding rites because he was flying to Los Angeles to meet up with lead star Judy Ann Santos for screenings of the movie, which is also the country?s entry to the Best Foreign Language Film category of the Academy Awards.

?I left Singapore immediately after my film?s screening, a day before the awarding,? he recalled. ?But [filmmaker] Tikoy Aguiluz [was there, and he] told me that the applause for me was louder than for Nandita Das who won for Best Screenplay and Best Film (?Firaaq?). When I Googled Nandita?s name, I found out she?s a superstar in Bollywood!? Garcia edged out filmmakers from China and India, including Das.

In the same regional festival, Auraeus Solito?s ?Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros? won Best Film in 2005. ?Auraeus was also nominated for Best Producer for ?Pisay? this year,? Garcia noted.

It is his first solo trophy, Garcia pointed out. Last year, he shared the Cinemalaya Best Production Design award with fellow ?Pisay? artists Martin Masadao, Regie Regalado and Endi Balbuena.

He said he regards the trophy as inspiration as he and the ?Ploning? team work to clinch the country?s first Oscar nod. ?It?s a reassurance,? he explained. ?Hopefully, this will push me to work harder, with the right perspective, as we present our film to different people in the US.?

Garcia said he would stay in California until the announcement of the final nominees for Best Foreign Language Film next month, and to attend the Santa Barbara, San Rafael and Palm Springs Film Festivals where ?Ploning? has been invited for screenings.

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