Cinemalaya 2012 Winners Bared

The storm Gener was battering the metropolis on Sunday when the 8th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival held its awards night to honor the best

films and performances. But the heavy downpour failed to dampen the spirits of the indie filmmakers who braved the rains to witness the ceremony.

It was the night “Diablo”, directed by Mes de Guzman, towered high and above the competition in the New Breed Full Length category, taking four awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for “Diablo’s” lead star Ama Quiambao and Tristan Salas who won Best Cinematography.

“Diablo” is a film about an ageing mother who wrestles with the disturbing visits of a ghostly figure in the night and keeping her broken family together. The movie was cited “for a narrative that is able to transform a common story to an interesting account of a broken family consisting of an ageing mother who ties together the separate lives of her five sons with only an old radio that keeps spouting sacred platitudes that make emptiness and loneliness bearable.”

In the Directors Showcase category, veteran film actor Eddie Garcia was named Best Actor for his role as an ageing gay in the film “Bwakaw” by Jun Robles Lana. He earned the nod from the jurors for his “poignant depiction of an ageing gay who opens up his repressed gayness and finds himself foiled by his object of desire” in Bwakaw.

The Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards were shared by Judy Ann Santos, Iza Calzado, Janice de Belen and Agot Isidro for their ensemble performance in “Mga Mumunting Lihim” by Jose Javier Reyes. This was a first for Cinemalaya to give an ensemble acting award for actresses although years ago, the jurors also awarded an ensemble acting award to the male cast of “Tribu,” a film directed by Jim Libiran.

“Posas” by Lawrence Fajardo won Best Film in the Directors Showcase category while “Victor” by Jarell M. Serencio won Best Film in the Short Feature category.

Best Direction awards went to Sheron Dayoc for “As He Sleeps” in the Short Feature category and to Raymond Red for his “Kamera Obskura” in the Directors Showcase category.

“Kamera Obskura” also won the Special Jury Prize in the Directors Showcase category. Raymond Red, a pioneering indie filmmaker in the Philippines, was cited “for a film that displays for the first time in full play the social consciousness of a man who in the past was content to simply peek at the world through a tiny hole in the wall and when the hole becomes big enough for him to crawl through, he discovers through a camera what the real world is like.”

Special jury prize awards were given to “Manenaya” by Richard Legaspi in the Short Feature category and “Requieme” by Loy Arcenas in the New Breed Full Length category.

Other winners of acting awards were: Kristoffer King (Best Actor, “Oros”, New Full Length Feature category), Joross Gamboa (Best Supporting Actor, “Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino”, New Breed Full Length Feature category); Anita Linda (Best Supporting Actress, “Sta. Niña”, New Breed full Length Feature category), and Art Acuña (Best Supporting Actor, “Posas”).

The Best Screenplay awards went to Sigrid Bernardo for “Ang Paghihintay sa Bulong” (Short Feature), Rody Vera for “REquieme” (New Breed Full Length Feature) and Jose Javier Reyes for “Mga Mumunting Lihim” (Directors Showcase).

Best Sound awards went to “Aparisyon” (New Breed Full Length Feature) and Ditoy Aguila for “Kalayaan” (Directors Showcase).

Best Original Music Score awards were given to Mikey Amistoso, Diego Mapa, Jazz Nicolas for “Ang Nawawala” (New Breed Full Length Feature) and Diwa de Leon for “Kamera Obskura” (Directors Showcase).

Best Editing went to John Wong and Rona Delos Reyes for “The Animals” (New Breed Full Length Feature) and Vanessa de Leon for “Mga Mumunting Lihim” (Directors Showcase).

Best Production Design awards were given to Benjamin Payumo of “Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino”, (New Breed Full Length Feature) and Adolfo Alix Jr. of “Kalayaan” (Directors Showcase). Albert Banzon won Best Cinematography for “Kalayaan” (Directors Showcase).

Winners of the Audience Choice awards went to “Ruweda” by Hannah Espia (Short Feature category), “Ang Nawawala” by Marie Jamora (New Breed Full Length Feature category), and “Bwakaw” by Jun Robles Lana (Directors Showcase Category).

The Best Film awardees won P125,000.00 (Short Feature category), P250,000.00 (New Breed Full Length Feature category), P375,000.00 (Directors Showcase Category). NETPAC awards were likewise won by “Diablo” (New Breed Full Length Feature Category) and “Bwakaw” (Directors Showcase Category).