The winning streak continues
GOOD news came one after the other in recent weeks. Third-generation actor Max Eigenmann was declared Best Actress at the prestigious 2019 Asia Pacific Screen Awards. She is the daughter of model-beauty queen turned awardwinning actress Bing Pimentel and the late great actor
Mark Gil. She is the sister of two-time international best actor Sid Lucero.
Eigenmann, who bested nominees from Korea, Russia, Japan, Kazakhstan and China, won for her performance in Raymund Gutierrez’s Verdict. She accepted her award in Brisbane, Australia.
Judy Ann Santos bagged her first overseas Best Actress award at the 41st Cairo International Film Festival, where the Brillante Mendoza film Mindanao was in competition.
The film, which also was recognized with a special award for artistic contribution, is an official entry to the coming Metro Manila Film Festival this month.
With her big win in Egypt, Santos looms as the favorite to win the all-Filipino filmfest’s best actress plum. She will most likely compete with Iza Calzado (Culion), Carmina Villarroel (Sundo) and, if there won’t be any category for children, Xia Vigor (Miracle in Cell No. 7). Two esteemed filmmakers have also brought honors to the country. Jun Lana was declared Best Director at the 23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia, where his new film Kalel, 15 had its world premiere.
The jury commentary read: “Working with a large cast of mostly young actors, he has made a film which feels deeply rooted in the everyday lives of its characters. His film pulls away from the stickingplaster from the wounds of the AIDS epidemic among young people in the Philippines, and exposes the terror and violence that this crisis imposes on them. It’s a passionate and concerned film about lives we never see in the West.”
The win was a vindication for Lana and his team, which previously submitted it to the MMFF, but did not make the top 8 entries. Lana’s award came with a €5,000 cash prize.
Another piece of good news came by way of Derick Cabrido’s Best Director win at the 2019 Mirabile Dictu International Catholic Film Festival, held annually in Vatican City. Cabrido won for his wonderful work in the Jodi Santamaria-starrer Clarita. He bested the other nominees from Peru and Italy.
The Southeast Asian Games is on its final stretch and the Philippines (being the host country) is pulling away from the rest of the participating nations in the medal tally board.
And when this piece comes out, we will also find out if the winning streak of the Philippines will continue at the widely followed Miss Universe beauty pageant. Who will outgoing queen Catriona Gray pass the crown to today in Atlanta, Georgia? The hot picks for this year include the candidates from Albania, Colombia, Brazil, Thailand, Mexico, South Africa, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh and Puerto Rico.
Will Philippine representative Gazini Ganados make it to the semifinals and get to compete in the swimsuit and evening gown competitions? Maybe. Or will she pull off a back-to-back victory for the country? That’s a long shot. n