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BRITISH
Ambassador Peter Beckingham, ever the champion of
world-class Filipino talent, was delighted when he
learned that another Filipino was off to London to
accept a prestigious international award.
Filipino
photojournalist Vicente Jaime “VJ” Villafranca bested
172 photographers from all over the world to win the
prestigious 2008 Ian Parry prize. Villafranca’s
portfolio of 12 black-and-white images followed the
lives of gang members of the Chinese mafia crew living
in downtown Manila.
Last
year, Villafranca also won the “Everyday Islam” photo
competition sponsored by the British Embassy and
Newsbreak. The competition
aimed to depict Muslim life in the Philippines,
following the example set by UK-based and
internationally renowned photographer and Muslim convert
Peter Sanders.
“VJ is a
talented artist, and we knew that in time his work would
be recognized by some of the world’s experts in
photographic art. The award has highlighted the work of
some of the industry’s finest emerging talent. And to
have his work on exhibition at the world-famous Getty
Images Gallery in London is indeed an honor,” Beckingham
said.
Villafranca was a staff photograper of Philippine
Graphic magazine and the BusinessMirror.
The Ian
Parry Scholarship was created by the friends and family
of slain photojournalist Ian Parry in order to build
something positive from such a tragic death. Each year’s
winner is automatically accepted by the World Press
Photo onto its final list of nominees for the Joop Swart
Masterclass in Amsterdam. |
