Write a short summary of what happens in the film.

This campaign set out to redefine Filipina hair beauty in the Philippines. Focused on proving that long, black, straight hair is not the only standard of beautiful hair, we set out to find real women from across the country with diversified, beautiful hair to tell their stories. 100% real and unfiltered, the women detail the struggles they faced in making their brave hair choices while ultimately celebrating how proud they are of having their hair reflect their true selves. Throughout the film, the women speak in their own native dialects representing their distinct provinces – a first for a nationally-televised campaign in the Philippines. Along with un-stereotyping what beautiful hair means in the country, we wanted to show that this fresh, inclusive view of Filipina hair beauty truly can be found everywhere.

Cultural / Context information for the jury

For Filipinas, the standard of beautiful hair has traditionally been long, black and straight. This is so ingrained in the culture that anyone who dares to step out of this norm is usually ridiculed and worse, judged. Because of this, women go to great lengths to keep within the beauty standard – straightening or rebonding their hair, shying away from edgier hairstyles, and generally reluctant to color their hair in standout colors. That is why it was crucial for us to showcase hair diversity through women who are proud of the hair choices they have made to reflect their identity. Not only do we show that women are bravely making hair choices already; we prove that these women are all over the Philippines already through meticulous casting that helped bring together a diversified, truly inclusive group in the hair they have, the dialects they speak, and the provinces they represent.

Tell the jury anything relevant about the direction. Do not name the director.

The films are all about real women and their inherent confidence. The approach was to build a world where these real women - none of them actors or having experience in front of a camera - felt confident enough to let their personalities shine. This freedom and positivity create a genuine bond with the audience. This freedom is reflected in the camera movement as we always moved in tandem with the women. Our lighting was mostly natural so we found beautifully bright places that reflected positivity and life. We wanted to bring each woman to life in an authentic way, so we focused on each of their unique details - through our interview questions and the visual details captured. Our goal was to feature confident women across many different styles and that our camera, locations, wardrobe, and even light play into each of their stories.