CLEFT organization Smile Train’ short film, Aldrian, won Best Documentary at the LA Under the Stars Film Festival 2019 on Feb. 23. The film is about Aldrian, a six-year-old boy living with an untreated cleft lip and palate in Metro Manila, and his journey to his forever smile. Aldrian’s greatest wish was simply to eat with ease. His grandmother, who is raising Aldrian and works as a street vendor to support her family of five, barely makes enough money to feed her family, let alone enough to pay for Aldrian’s cleft surgery. Things change when a local Smile Train social worker reaches out to help and Aldrian’s dream comes true. The LA Under the Stars Film Festival is an international film festival considered one of the best showcases for independent films. Last August, Aldrian was also awarded the Best Production/Producer at the CKF International Film Festival, a monthly film festival designed for independent filmmakers. The short film was premiered at the festival last November in Swindon, England. To watch the film, visit smiletrain.org/lp/aldrian. For more information about Smile Train’s global efforts and for donations, visit smiletrain.org. To learn more about Smile Train’s local programs in the Philippines, follow Smile Train Philippines on Twitter and Instagram@SmileTrainPh, and Facebook at @SmileTrainPhilippines.

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