By Brithney Nichole Raguindin, STRATCOM Intern

Ryand Angelo Ugalde, a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts in Communication student of Mariano Marcos State University, clinched the Best Documentary Film award in the Interschool category at the 17th Sinepiyu, Far Eastern University’s national student film festival.

His winning entry, Shutdown, topped four other finalists from different universities. The documentary delves into the impact of ABS-CBN’s closure on regional journalists in North Luzon. Once the country’s largest broadcast network, ABS-CBN was forced off-air by the National Telecommunications Commission, leaving a significant void in free TV and radio.

“I grew up watching the network, and it deeply inspired me to pursue journalism. Its closure affected millions of dreams, including mine,” Ugalde said in an interview.

As a best documentary and best director awardee of the Y2Cinema 2025, the in-house film festival of the Young Communicators’ Circle of the university, the production team consisted of communication students: John Bryan Dela Cruz, Mariya Agnne Atud, Trisha Cabual, Janna Butay, Laura Tabia, Don LJ Martinez, God-g’ven Acab, Davie Jean Mamadil, and Ritchelle Quilala. Economics student Gniro Vinz Pablo served as the cinematographer.

MMSU President Virgilio Julius P. Manzano, Jr. congratulated the communication students for their achievement at the prestigious national student film festival. “I hope more students and alumni will join various student and professional film competitions to further prove that we also stand out in the creative industry,” he said.

This is not the first time that Ugalde joined SinePiyu. In 2023, his documentary film “Arapaap” became a finalist, while in 2024, he brought home the Honorable Mention award for his film “Byukon” in the same category. “Shutdown” was also a finalist at the recently concluded CineMapúa 2025, the national student film festival of Mapua University.