Cinemanila 2008 winners honoured

Screenplay writer-poet-journalist Jose ‘Pete’ Lacaba Jr. was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his numerous contributions to Philippine cinema during the recently conclude Cinemanila 2008.

“I’m happy not just for myself but for my fellow screenwriters. To the audience, a movie is usually all about the stars, and to critics, it’s ‘a film by’ the director. The Cinemanila Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes the major contribution that screenwriters make as co-authors in cinema,” Lacaba said on receiving the honour.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo handed out the trophies during the award ceremony of Dekada Cinemanila, marking the 10th anniversary of the annual festival.

President Arroyo was joined by Cinemanila International Film Festival (CIFF) festival director Amable ‘Tikoy’ Aguiluz VI, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) chairperson and Department of Education Undersecretary Vilma Labrador, and NCCA executive director Cecile Guidote Alvarez.

In her speech, Labrador said Cinemanila workshops would become the basis of media arts modules that will benefit media arts schools.

Aguiluz also gave a speech wherein he reminisced about the early days of Cinemanila, when they were still having difficulty choosing locally produced films that could compete with international filmmakers.

“Our aim was to show films from all over the world and at the same time, we plan to show Filipino films to the world. That has been our mission from the very beginning: to promote Philippine cinema to the world audience and promote world cinema to the Philippine audience. The face of Filipino cinema has changed dramatically over the years. Now, we have ten films and it is so hard to choose which to include in the international competition,” said Aguiluz.

“In 2001, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo graced our award ceremony in Makati and for the last three years, she has been hosting the awarding ceremony in Malacañang. And that’s a statement - it’s telling everyone that there is support for the young filmmakers. Our objective is really to help young filmmakers and create an environment so they can grow and fulfill their destiny of reviving the stature of the Philippines as the center of Southeast Asian cinema.”

Bulol trophies (which depict the Ifugao rice god holding up a film reel) and cash prizes were awarded to the winners.

Most of the winners were unable to personally receive their awards. Among those who attended were Kenneth Moraleda, winner of Vic Silayan Best Actor award for Lucky Miles and Sherad Anthony Sanchez, recipient of the Lino Brocka Grand Prize for his film Imburnal.

Two Filipino directors almost did not make it to the award ceremony because of the strict dress code at Malacañang Palace. Carnivore director Ato Bautista and Brillante ‘Dante’ Mendoza were initially forbidden to enter the Rizal Hall although they were in Barong Tagalog (Philippine national outfit) and a formal suit.

After some discussion, they were given permission to enter and Bautista ended up receiving two awards that afternoon. Bautista’s film Carnivore earned him the Best Director Award. His lead actor, Carlo Aquino, bagged the Best Actor award in the Digital Lokal competition while Jodi Sta. Maria of the period film Sisa bagged the Best Actress award. Both Carlo and Jodi were not present at the awarding.

Next Attraction by Raya Martin bagged the Lino Brocka Grand Jury Prize in the Digital Lokal competition. Adela, directed by Adolf Alix Jr., bested six other entries for the Best Actress category of the Southeast Asian competition.

Winners of Cinemanila 2008:

Lifetime Achievement Award: Pete Lacaba

Young Cinema

• Best Documentary: Marlon (Philippines) by Ralston Jover & James Amparo

• Best Short Film: Tumbang Preso (Philippines) by Antoinette Jadaone

• Surreal Random Text Messages by Christopher Gozum - Ishmael Bernal Award

International Competition

• Lino Brocka Award Grand Prize: The Band’s Visit (Israel)

By Eran Kolirin.

• Grand Jury Prize: The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela (Iceland/Philippines/France) by Olaf De Fleur Johannesson

• Vic Silayan Award For Best Actor: Kenneth Moraleda For Lucky Miles (Australia)

• Vic Silayan Award For Best Actress: Angeli Bayani For Melancholia (Philippines)

Southeast Asia Film Competition

• Best SEA Short: Frou Frou…Shh Wag Mong Sabihin Kay Itay by Michael Juat

• Best SEA Film : Confessional by Jerrold Tarog & Ruel Dahis Antipuesto

• Best Actor: Mario Maurer For Love Of Siam (Thailand)

• Best Actress: Anita Linda For Adela (Philippines)

Digital Lokal

• Lino Grand Prize: Imburnal by Sherad Anthony Sanchez

• Lino Grand Jury Prize: Next Attraction by Raya Martin

• Best Actor: Carlo Aquino For Carnivore

• Best Actress: Jodi Sta. Maria For Sisa

• Best Director: Ato Bautista For Carnivore

United Nations Millennium Development Goals Prize

• Lay-An, Candles Burning On Still Water by Rommel Tolentino

ASIAIMAGE