Huber of the Vienna Cinmathque included Lino Brocka´s 1974 film "Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang" in a special retrospective list of "15

Bertolin, a contributor to the newspaper Il Manifesto and the magazine Cineforum, dubbed Diaz´s three-hour work-in- progress, "Heremias"-which was previewed in Torino, Italy in November and is slated to premiere in Fribourg, Switzerland this month-as "the most eagerly awaited film of 2006."

Bertolin also included "Masahista" and "Idol" in his list of the year´s best.

De la Cruz´s two other films were chosen by Brazil´s Jorge Didaco ("Mondomanila") and Thailand´s Jit Phokaew ("Pamilyang Kumakain").

"It was unexpected," Mendoza said of this latest honor. "A great bonus."

De la Cruz, who first heard the news in Rotterdam, The Netherlands in January, said this renewed interest in Pinoy films is a sign "that the country is slowly going back on the map."

Humbling

From Rotterdam, De la Cruz proceeded to Clermont Serrand, France, where he was a jury member in the laboratory/experimental section last February. He reported that a Filipino short film competed in the narrative section-Pam Miras´ "Blood Bank," a Cinemalaya Best Screenplay-Short winner last year.

"It´s humbling," Diaz said of the accolade. "This is good for Philippine cinema." It´s more than an award, he added, because it meant "that our country is once again being recognized as part of the discourse on world cinema."

The country´s presence on the list is made all the more significant, he explained, because it acknowledged "that there is a young and dynamic movement of filmmakers in the country, who are making movies for the aesthetics, not just for entertainment."

Mller wrote in the New York-based Film Comment magazine last year that Lav´s "Ebolusyon" is "a labor of love made from the passing of time and echoes reverberating faintly across history´s vast plains."