10-year-old child star wins Best Actress for 'Nuwebe' at Harlem film fest
Ten-year-old Barbara Miguel emerged as the youngest winner in this year’s Harlem International Film Festival where she bagged the Best Actress trophy at the festival’s conclusion in New York on September 15.
The young star was cited for her powerful portrayal of Krista, a nine-year-old child impregnated by her own father in the indie movie “Nuwebe.” Krista is considered as the youngest mother in Philippine history.
The film based on real-life accounts recently competed in the Cinemalaya new breed category.
The award is the Kapuso child star’s second acting trophy after winning Best Child Actress for the indie film “Migrante” at the 61st Film Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards early this year.
“We are of course very happy of her win. We didn't expect it because the competition was pretty tough,” director Joseph Israel Laban told Yahoo Philippines OMG! The movie was likewise nominated as Best World Film, but lost to French film "Tu Seras Un Homme" (You'll Be a Man).
The New York-based international film festival is described as “a marriage of Little Africa to El Barrio, Jazz to Dance, History to Art, and Film to one of the world's most dynamic communities.”
‘The only choice’
Laban related that Barbara stood out among the 200 child actors who auditioned for the character of Krista. The director said Barbara later became their “only choice” for the lead role.
When asked how Barbara bested older nominees, Laban said: “She was really good. She worked hard studying the script and her character.”
The indie film also stars Jake Cuenca, Nadine Samonte, Anita Linda and Manny Castañeda.
After competing in Cinemalaya, “Nuwebe” has since made the rounds of various international film fests, including Montreal World Film Festial in Canada and MovieMov Italian Film Festival in Rome.
The movie is also expected to be screened in the upcoming Vancouver International Film Festival.
