12th Cinemalaya fest winners announced
“PAMILYA Ordinaryo” by Eduardo Roy Jr. topped the 12th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival Awards Night last Aug. 14 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater. The film, a compelling portrait of teenage street dwellers and their desperate search for their kidnapped baby, scooped five major awards while veteran actor Tommy Abuel was named best actor for his role as a man tormented by his past in “Dagsin” by Renato “Atom” Magadia Jr.
“Pamilya Ordinaryo” won best film, best direction, best actress (Hasmine Killip), best editing (Carlos Francisco Manatad), and the Netpac (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) Award for the full length category. It bested eight films in the full length feature category. As best film winner, “Pamilya Ordinaryo” won P350,000 cash award and the Cinemalaya Balanghai trophy.
“Mercury Is Mine,” by Jason Paul Laxamana, garnered the Special Jury Prize and best screenplay awards. The film was cited for its “deft balance of comedy, drama and dark satire” and its screenplay, written by the director Laxamana, was praised for exploring multiple themes of acceptance and rejection of the other within a delicious context of food and film. Pokwang stars in the film as Carmen, the cook and owner of an eatery at the foothills of Arayat in Pampanga while her Mercury, played by Bret Jackson, is the young American who waits on tables.
“Tuos,” by Roderick Cabrido, which stars Nora Aunor, won five awards for best cinematography (Mycko David), best production design (Steff Dereja), best sound (Monoxide Works), best original music score (Jema Pamintuan), and Audience Choice.
Lollie Mara of “Ang Bagong Pamilya ni Ponching” tied with Elizabeth Oropesa of “I America” for the best supporting actress award.
The best supporting actor award was given to the ensemble cast of “Hiblang Abo,” consisting of Lou Veloso, Jun Urbano, Leo Rialp and Nanding Josef. The jury decided that “no one actor is better than the others—they all build a group.”
In the Short Feature category, the awards were dominated by Isabel Quesada’s “Pektus” and Ramon A.L. Garilao’s “Fish Out of Water.” The best film and best screenplay awards went to “Pektus,” while “Fish Out of Water” won Special Jury Prize, best direction. The Netpac Award was garnered by “Ang Maangas, Ang Marikit, At Ang Makata” by Jose Ibarra Guballa, while the Audience Choice Award went to “Forever Natin” by Cyrus Valdez.
Members of the Netpac Jury were Yasu Tanaka, Axel Estein and Nestor O. Jardin. Members of the Main Competition Jury were Hubert Niogret, Philip Cheah, Jerrold Tarrog, Lav Diaz and Ma. Rosario “Charo” Santos-Concio.
Now on its 12th year, Cinemalaya has supported and promoted the production of 127 full feature independent films and 106 short films. Many of these films have won awards in local and international competitions and festivals. Through the annual festival, Cinemalaya has showcased over 1,000 works by independent filmmakers including full feature films, shorts, documentaries, Filipino film classics and art films.
Cinemalaya this year was held at the CCP and in Ayala Theaters in Greenbelt 3 and Glorietta, Makati City, Fairview Terraces, TriNoma, and UP Town Center, Quezon City, Solenad Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, and Ayala Center Cebu.
Cinemalaya is a project of the Cinemalaya Foundation, the Cultural Center of the Philippines in partnership with Ayala Malls Cinemas.
Established in 2005, Cinemalaya is an all-digital film festival and competition that aims to discover, encourage and honor cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers.