Filipino documentary 'Delikado' nominated for an Emmy

The Philippine film industry marks another milestone as local docu Delikado has been nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Documentary.

The team behind the docu-film announced the news on their social media accounts, thanking its partners such as PBS, POV, and ITVS, as well as the Palawan NGO Network Inc. which is the subject of the documentary.

"What a smashing validation of the legendary, inspirational land defenders of Palawan," it wrote.

The film is up against HBO Max's Escape from Kabul, Netflix's FIFA Uncovered and I Am Vanessa Guillen, and Prime Video's Flight/Risk.

Helmed by filmmaker and award-winning journalist Karl Malakunas, who also spent his time in the country as Agence France-Presse's Manila Bureau Chief, Delikado follows the tribulations of environmental crusaders Bobby, Tata, and Nieves on saving the island of Palawan. It chronicles the efforts of these environmental defenders as they try to stop politicians and businessmen from destroying the island, which the film describes as the country's “last ecological frontier.” The battle over the island was called by Asia Pacific Screen Awards a "David versus Goliath-style struggles."

Human rights attorney Chel Diokno, meanwhile commended the film and said the nomination was "well-deserved." 

"Napakagandang docu na sumasalamin sa panganib na sinusuong ng ating environmental defenders para protektahan ang ating kalikasan. A well-deserved nomination," Diokno wrote. 

In 2022, the docu-film also received $10,000 or more than P500,000 after winning the Sustainable Futures award at the Sydney Film Festival. It was also nominated for the 2022 Asia Pacific Screen Awards for Best Documentary Film. 

This year's Emmy Awards, which was scheduled to take place in September, is postponed due to the ongoing Hollywood strikes. Reports say it could take place in January 2024.