Thrilled to announce that VAGABOND, a spectacular short film by Swiss filmmaker Philippe Woodtli, has been NOMINATED for the Jury Awards at the Bakunawa Fest.

BAKUNAWA FEST is the first fantastic and genre film festival in the Philippines.

VAGABOND premiered at HollyShorts in Dubai this December and will begin its North American film festival circuit in January.

Philippe Woodtli:

What I wanted to tell with this story comes from my fascination with gambling schemes, cons, and the art of misdirection. I’ve always been drawn to the idea that someone can spend years mastering a skill, not to win fairly, but to outsmart the system and take money from a mark with precision. That world has always captivated me, and it’s the kind of story I love watching. With Vagabond, I wanted to show how I would approach a con like this. Not just how to pull it off, but why the con itself is often the easy part. It’s the getaway that really decides everything.

I’m drawn to the gangster world because in that space, only one thing truly matters: trust. Who is really on your side, and who isn’t. The same is true for a card mechanic’s team at the poker table. You need total preparation. You need to know every angle. And most importantly, you need the right partner. If you don’t, things go bad fast.

That’s what I wanted to explore. The precision, the pressure, and the betrayal behind the illusion.

Stay tuned. In a few days, we will announce new developments for this magnificent European production.

#mailukifilms #shorts #shortfilm #bilbao #variety #cortos #cortometraje #thewrap #indiewire #deadline #thehollywoodreporter #movie #moviemaker #festival #film #filmmaker #sundance #flickerfest #europeanfilmawards #EFA #academyawards #fotogramas #dirigidopor #cinemania #award #premiere #oscars #premiosgoya #hollyshorts #nomination #foryourconsideration