Tombstone Pillow Sweeps Chicago Film Fest, Taking Home “Best of the Fest”

Christel Payseng
3 min readJan 23, 2025

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CHICAGO — The critically acclaimed short film, “Tombstone Pillow,” continues its winning streak, securing the coveted “Best of the Fest” award at the inaugural Girls Inc. of Chicago ICFilm Festival.

Starring and produced by Lourdes Duque Baron, “Tombstone Pillow” tells the poignant true story of a wealthy woman’s transformative experience in a Manila cemetery community. Directors Daniel Lir and Bayou Bennett masterfully capture the essence of the story, leaving a lasting impact on audiences.

The festival, held at 625 N. Kingsbury St., showcased eight short films from across the globe. Following the screenings, a lively Q&A session and luncheon allowed attendees to engage directly with the filmmakers. Notably, the event incorporated a unique educational component, teaching young viewers how to critically analyze and appreciate films.

“Tombstone Pillow” resonated deeply with the youth audience, sparking meaningful discussions about social change and the true meaning of wealth. One young viewer, Maya, praised the film’s immersive quality, stating, “The movie made me feel like I was there, in that cemetery. I saw people were kind and generous even though they had so little.”

This latest accolade further solidifies “Tombstone Pillow’s” position as a powerful and thought-provoking film that transcends cultural boundaries. With its compelling narrative and exceptional filmmaking, “Tombstone Pillow” continues to inspire audiences worldwide.

The short advocacy film was shot on top of graves and mausoleums, together with a generation of poor families who have been living there since the 50’s.

Tombstone Pillow Director of Photography is Mycko David who made the Oscar entry for the Philippines. Mycko David is a cinematographer and Director of Photography known for movies like Birdshot, Eerie and Clarita, all top-grossing films in the Philippines.

Cast includes Lourdes Duque Baron, Kendra Sison De Mesa, Ian Taylor Ignacio, Tunisian actor Akram AL Hamandi Yesmine, Cedric Escobar and “The Young Great Profile” Blake Salcedo grandson of the legendary Leopoldo Salcedo.

Dream Team Directors Duo Bayou Bennett and Daniel and also welcomed Hagay Mizrahi for the musical score.

Watch it on Amazon Prime:

Tombstone Pillow is a short film shot in a graveyard in the Philippines where 6,000 people literally sleep on gravestones, with tombstones for pillows — hence the title. The film, which follows a wealthy widow (Lourdes Duque Baron) helped to flee an angry mob by a poor graveyard girl (Kendra De Mesa) who teaches her what has real value in life, was shot and produced by the same team who made Birdshot, the Oscar entry for The Philippines in 2018. — Esteban Steven Escobar

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Christel Payseng
Christel Payseng

Written by Christel Payseng

Writer, PR Media, Literature Hobbyists, Digital Marketer

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