MANILA, Philippines— (UPDATE 4) A period film that depicts the last stand of Spanish forces amid the fall of colonization by the end of the 19th century bagged the most number of creative, acting and technical awards in the Metro Manila Film Festival awards night on Saturday.
Viva Films’ "Baler," which aims to retell a contentious event of the Philippine revolution that happened in the church of San Luis de Tolosa in Baler, Aurora from July 1998 to June 1899, won ten awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Anne Curtis, Best Director for Mark Meily, Best Screenplay for Roy Iglesias, Best Supporting Actor for Phillip Salvador, Best Cinematography for Lee Meily, Best Production Design for Aped Santos, Best Editing for Danny Anonuevo, the Gender-Sensitive Award and the Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award.
Curtis won her first-ever acting award for her portrayal of Baler lass Feliza Reyes in love with a Spanish-Filipino trooper Celso Resurreccion (Jericho Rosales) in the historic siege.
"The fact that I was up against veteran actresses, who have won numerous awards in the past, made this trophy even more meaningful," Curtis said. She competed with veteran actresses Ai-Ai delas Alas ("Ang Tanging Ina N'yong Lahat"), Maricel Laxa, Dawn Zulueta (both for "Magkaibigan"), among others, for the Best Actress title.
"This is also for Echo (Rosales' nickname), who also worked really hard for this film. He's one of the best actors I know," Anne told the Philippine Daily Inquirer shortly after the awards ceremony held at the Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City.
Meily earned his second MMFF Best Director award after winning the same plum for “Crying Ladies” in 2003. His wife Lee also took home her first MMFF award.
Christopher de Leon, meanwhile, received his eighth festival Best Actor award, the most by any artist in its 34-year history, for a role inspired by the late Rudy Fernandez in the Maverick Films drama “Magkaibigan” opposite last year’s awardee Jinggoy Estrada.
Comedian-TV host Manilyn Reynes pulled a surprise when she was named Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal as a lesbian talent coordinator in Canary Films’ sex comedy “One Night Only,” which also won Best Original Story for its director Jose Javier Reyes. "She's a last minute replacement," said Reyes, who accepted the award in Manilyn's behalf. "I did not regret asking her to be a part of this film."
Newcomer Robert Villar, better known in the fantasy series “Dyesebel” as the mermaid’s trusted child friend “Buboy,” won Best Child Performer in Regal Films’ horror franchise “Shake, Rattle and Roll X.” Regal’s other festival entry, “Desperadas 2,” on the other hand, also won one award—Best Make-Up for Noli Villalobos.
The entry with the second most number of awards was the festival’s first-ever animated film, “Dayo Sa Mundo ng Elementalia,” which won four awards—Best Visual Effects (Robert Quilao), Best Musical Score (Jessie Lasaten), Best Theme Song (“Lipad” written by Jessie Lasaten and Artemio Abad Jr. and performed by Lea Salonga), and Best Sound (Albert Idioma and Wally Dellosa).
This year’s box office top grossers, Star Cinema’s “Tanging Ina N’yong Lahat” and the OctoArts Films-M-Zet Productions-APT Entertainment collaboration “Iskul Bukol: 20 Years After” won second and third festival Best Picture awards respectively.
The fantasy film about robots made from recycled material battling evil forces copped the coveted 2007 Metro Manila Film Festival Best Picture plum during the Awards Night Saturday at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
Imus Productions and Ignite Media’s “Resiklo” bested eight other entries in the annual filmfest, including the favorites “Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo” (2nd place) from Star Cinema and “Enteng Kabisote 4: Okay Ka Fairy Ko (The Beginning of a Legend)” (3rd Place) from M-Zet Productions/OctoArts Films.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, meanwhile, won Best Actor for Maverick Films’ “Katas ng Saudi” a story of the plight of returning Overseas Filipino Workers. Maricel Soriano, on the other hand, won the Best Actress award for her stellar performance in Regal Entertainment’s “Bahay Kubo.”
First-time director and GMA-7 news reporter Cesar Apolinario won Best Director for his maiden project, “Banal.”
Jose Javier Reyes, meanwhile, won Best Screenplay for “Katas ng Saudi.” Roi Vinzons bagged the Best Supporting Actor plum for “Resiklo.” Eugene Domingo, on the other hand, won Best Supporting Actress for “Bahay Kubo”.
The Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award was given to Regal Entertainment’s “Bahay Kubo” and Maverick Films’ “Katas ng Saudi.”
“Resiklo” led all in technical plums, with Best Visual Effects (Ignite Media), Best Cinematography (Jay Linao), Best Editing (Jay Halili), and Best Sound (Ditoy Aguila).
Meanwhile, the creative awards were spread almost evenly among entries. Mae Cruz and Cesar Apolinario won Best Story for “Banal,” while Nash Aguas won Best Child Performer for “Shake, Rattle and Roll 9.”
Von de Guzman won Best Musical Score for “Bahay Kubo” and Rusty Fernandez composed the Best Original Theme Song, “Wala Na Bang Pag-asa?” for “Anak ng Kumander.”
Rodel Cruz won Best Production Design for “Resiklo” and Rosalinda Lopez took home Best Make-Up for “Desperadas.”
“Desperadas” was also named the festival’s Most Gender Sensitive Film.
It may not be the Rose Bowl or Disneyland's Main Street parades, but it has become an annual tradition in local show biz.
On Christmas Eve, while the rest of the city prepared for the noche buena and Midnight Mass, the Metro Manila Film Festival's Parade of Stars, now on its 33rd year, gathered the local entertainment industry's brightest stars.
There were also the scene-stealing crowd pleasers, like a fake Pope played by bit player Rey Bayona and rock icon Pepe Smith.
The "Pope" and Pepe rode the "Banal" float, together with a real-life SWAT (special weapons and tactics) team and actors Christopher de Leon, Alfred Vargas, Paolo Contis and Paolo Paraiso. It was the first MMFF parade for both the Pope and Pepe.
As expected, the star of "Enteng Kabisote 4," Vic Sotto, simply clad in red T-shirt, elicited the loudest cheers from the crowd gathered in front of the Shrine of Jesus church and the SMX Convention Center.
Sen. Bong Revilla, in full futuristic warrior costume, led his movie's youthful cast on the "Resiklo" float, which hewed closely to the film's "recycled robots" theme. According to Andrea Bautista-Ynares, Imus producer and Revilla's sister, the float cost almost P500,000.
The "Banal" float, which boasts a faux police helicopter, cost roughly P300,000. "We got a good discount," said Ina Alegre of ComGuild, producer of "Banal."
"Up for grabs were cash prizes for Best Float, said Ric Camaligan, chair of the MMFF parade committee. "The first placer gets P500,000; second place, P300,000; and third place, P100,000," explained Camaligan. "Top prize will go to the float that best depicts the movie's theme and the one with the most impact on the public."
Best float went to "Resiklo," while second place was awarded to "Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo." Third place was "Bahay Kubo."
Lily Monteverde of Regal Entertainment, producer of "Bahay Kubo" said the movie's float only cost P250,000. "It's a simple nipa hut. Very Pinoy," she said. "Bahay" could have won the top prize but its lead stars Maricel Soriano and Eric Quizon were no-shows, costing it valuable points, explained Camaligan.
Conspicuously absent was Manny Pacquiao, producer and star of "Anak ng Kumander."
Learning from past film festivals, the parade route was considerably shortened this year, said Camaligan.
"Last year, we covered 26 kilometers. We started at the Quezon City Circle and ended at the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex. This year, the parade began at the SM Mall of Asia and ended at the Quirino Grandstand, via Roxas Boulevard. That's roughly eight to nine kilometers," Camaligan noted.
The festival committee decided on a shorter parade to prevent problems encountered in the past.
"Last year, the float of ‘Zsazsa Zaturnnah' overheated, while the float of ‘Super Noypi' ran out of gas," Camaligan recalled.
He related that some stars had to go down the floats, midway during the parade, to answer the call of nature. "That caused delays," he pointed out. "We've learned from past mistakes."
In spite of the hassles, stars seem to look forward to the annual parade.
"It'll be a long day for us," said Vargas, "Banal" star. "But the parade seems more organized this year."
He said he was always excited to attend the parade. "This is my chance to personally greet our fans."
"I don't mind the hassles for as long as I get to see the smiles on the faces of our fans," agreed Judy Ann Santos, star of "Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo," sequel to last year's top grosser, "Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo."
"It feels great to be able to touch the hearts and lives of Pinoys this Christmas season," concurred Ryan Agoncillo, Santos' leading man in "Sakal" and real-life boyfriend.
"This is really for the Pinoy masses to enjoy," said Lorna Tolentino, who plays an overseas Filipino worker's wife in "Katas ng Saudi."
"Apart from helping us promote our movies, it helps us reconnect with our fans and friends in show business. This parade allows us to give back to the movie industry," said Revilla, "Resiklo" star. "Since I'm on break from the Senate, I can spend time with my colleagues from the movie industry."
"This is our chance to get together," said Gina Pareño, Santos' co-star in "Sakal."
For Pareño, Santos and Agoncillo, the parade was like deja vu. "We were together last year. I hope we will be together again next year," Pareño quipped.
For Vargas, it is his third film fest parade. "Every year, my films get good reviews and positive ratings from the Cinema Evaluation Board."
Vargas' co-star, Christopher de Leon, said he had lost count of the number of festivals he joined in the past. "I've had film fest entries since the 1970s," De Leon said.
He did not mind the long hours spent under the sun, he insisted. "It helps me get a good tan," he joked.
Turning serious, he noted that the film fest "is for the small people of the movie industry."
A Retz
Parallel Universe
Lino Cayetano
RetzTV Forum
Filipino folk songs
A SassyLawyer
Angela
angelatin
Bugsy
Click-mo-mukha-mo
Expectorants
Gelo Ancheta
Jobert
Jon Limjap(Kapelattex
KiwiPinay
La Vida Lawyer
Linnor
lost photogrph
luchie
Manny Viloria
Manuel Quezon 3
Pansitan ni Ate Sienna
Pau
pinayexpat
Pinoy sa KSA
Jade-n-mom
Jaypee
The Great Apol
Titorolly
Unlawyer
victor/bikoy
Watson on Line
Worldclasscuiscene
Writings on the wall
