Filipino filmmaker and actor Epy Quizon’s short film Bukal (Wellspring) won Best Film and Best Director at the Emirates Film Festival awarding ceremony held at a hotel in Dubai on July 26, 2026.
The two wins came a day after the film was screened among the festival’s entries on July 25. Bukal had entered the festival with nominations across several categories, including Best Cast Ensemble, Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay (Original and Adapted), and Best Actor.
Released in 2021, the Mindanao-set drama follows soldiers and members of a Muslim community drawn into conflict over a natural spring, exploring themes of reconciliation and shared humanity. Quizon wrote, directed, and produced the film under EPYQ Films. Ahead of its Dubai run, Bukal had already gathered more than 140 international awards and festival laurels, including recognition at the Cannes World Film Festival and the Indie Short Fest in Los Angeles.
The Global Filipino Magazine served as media partner for Quizon’s Dubai activation. The organizers extended their thanks to the event’s partners and sponsors: media partner The Global Filipino Magazine (TGFM), Boatelli Jetcars, Flexx Evolve, CuLab Global Investment L.L.C, and Managing Great Lifestyle (MGL); with food sponsors Off The Hook Seafood, Infinity Drinks (Abu Dhabi), Agemono, Ichiryu, Bravo Cakes, and Naimas.
