THE PHILIPPINES, AUGUST 1, 2012: Every year since 2004, avid fans and filmmakers of indie movies flock to the Cultural Center of the Philippines to watch and support the awarding of the year’s best indie films. Despite the strong winds and torrential rains, the closing of the 8th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival was still well-attended.
Winners
Hannah Espia’s “Ruweda” emerged as the audience favorite in the Shorts category. Other winners of the Audience Choice award were “Bwakaw” and “Ang Nawawala” in the Directors Showcase and New Breed categories respectively.
“Mga Mumunting Lihim”, which starred Iza Calzado, Judy Ann Santos, Janice de Belen, and Agot Isidro, emerged the big winner in the Directors Showcase category, winning four Balanghai trophies. The film by Jose Javier Reyes won Best Editing, Best Screenplay, and both the Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress awards for the performance of Calzado, Santos, de Belen, and Isidro.
Still in the Directors Showcase category, Art Acuna was awarded for his performance as a supporting actor in “Posas”, while Eddie Garcia was recognized Best Actor for his performance of an old gay man in Jun Lana’s “Bwakaw”, receiving a standing ovation as he walked to the stage. In his speech, he thanked everyone behind Cinemalaya saying, “Binuhay ninyo ang naghihingalong cinema Filipino.”
Mes de Guzman’s “Diablo” also won four Balanghai trophies, winning Best Cinematography, Best Film, Best Actress for Ama Quiambao’s performance, and de Guzman got a nod as Best Director. The film was also recognized by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC).
Aside from “Diablo”, “As He Sleeps” and “Posas” won the Best Film awards for the Shorts and Directors Showcase respectively.
“We will all live Cinemalaya…”
In his speech, Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco, Cinemalaya Foundation Inc. chairman, said that despite the controversies that surrounded the film festival, the eight-year-old event will go on. “Cinemalaya will survive… It will live on in our budding and seasoned filmmakers, in our audience and in all those who have been exposed to Cinemalaya – its experience in one form or another – this past eight years. The Cinemalaya spirit will invade the local film industry, the homes and media devices of our audience, and the Internet.”
Furthermore, Cojuangco also said that the foundation will be inviting four to five of this year’s filmmakers to enter their films in the Rome Film Festival this November. Cinemalaya has agreed to foot travel expense as the Rome Film Festival will graciously take care of board and lodging, he added.
Here are this year’s winners:
Audience Choice Award
Shorts, Hannah Espia’s “Ruweda”
Directors Showcase category, Jun Lana’s “Bwakaw”
New Breed category, Marie Jamora’s “Ang Nawawala”
(Winners also brought home cash prizes—P20,000 for Shorts, P60,000 for Directors Showcase and P40,000 for New Breed)
Special Jury Award
Shorts, Richard Legaspi’s “Mananeya”
Directors Showcase, Raymond Red’s “Kamera Obskura”
New Breed, Loy Arcenas’ “Requime!”
(Winners also brought home cash prizes—P20,000 for Shorts, P60,000 for Directors Showcase and P50,000 for New Breed)
Best Screenplay for Shorts, Sigrid Andrea Bernardo for “Paghihintay sa Bulong”
Directors Showcase category
Best Sound, Ditoy Aguila for Adolfo Alix Jr.’s “Kalayaan”
Best Original Music Score, Diwa de Leon for “Kamera Obskura”
Best Editing, Vanessa de Leon for Jose Javier Reyes’ “Mga Mumunting Lihim”
Best Production Design, Adolfo Alix Jr. for “Kalayaan”
Best Cinematography, Albert Banzon for “Kalayaan”
Best Screenplay, Jose Javier Reyes for “Mga Mumunting Lihim”
Best Supporting Actor, Art Acuna for Lawrence Fajardo’s “Posas”
Best Supporting Actress, Ensemble of Iza Calzado, Judy Ann Santos, Janice de Belen and Agot Isidro for “Mga Mumunting Lihim”
Best Actor, Eddie Garcia for “Bwakaw”
Best Actress, Ensemble of Iza Calzado, Judy Ann Santos, Janice de Belen and Agot Isidro for “Mga Mumunting Lihim”
New Breed category
Best Sound, Addiss Tabong and Mike Idioma for Vincent Sandoval’s “Aparisyon”
Best Original Music Score, Mikey Amistoso, Diego Mapa, Jazz Nicolas for Marie Jamora’s “Ang Nawawala”
Best Editing, John Wong and Rona delos Reyes for Gino Santos’ “The Animal”
Best Production Design, Benjamin Payumo for Lem Lorca’s “Intoy Siyokoy ng Kalye Marino”
Best Cinematography, Tristan Salas for Mes de Guzman’s “Diablo”
Best Screenplay, Rody Vera for Loy Arcenas’ “Requieme!”
Best Supporting Actor, Joross Gamboa for “Intoy Siyokoy ng Kalye Marino”
Best Supporting Actress, Anita Linda for Emmanuel Palo’s “Santa Nina”
Best Actor, Kristoffer King for Paul Santa Ana’s “Oros”
Best Actress, Ama Quiambao for “Diablo”
NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) Awards
Directors Showcase, Jun Lana’s “Bwakaw”
New Breed, Mes de Guzman’s “Diablo”
Best Director
Shorts, Sheron Dayoc for “As He Sleeps”
Directors Showcase, Raymond Red for “Kamera Obskura”
New Breed, Mes de Guzman for “Diablo”
Best Film
Shorts, Jarell Mahimay Serencio’s “Victor”
Directors Showcase, Lawrence Fajardo’s “Posas”
New Breed, Mes de Guzman’s “Diablo”
(Winners also brought home cash prizes—P100,000 for Shorts, P300,000 for Directors Showcase and P200,000 for New Breed)
