Vilma Santos wins best actress in 9th Cinemalaya Film Fest; Mayor Herbert Bautista returns to moviemaking in “Raketeros”

CEBU, Philippines - Newbie Hannah Espia was a big winner at the New Breed Full Length Feature category while Jerrold Tarog conquered the competition in the Directors Showcase of the 9th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival held Sunday night, August 4 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Main Theater.

Hannah Espia’s Transit won the award for Best Film and scooped up nine other awards in the New Breed Full Length Feature category, while Jerrold Tarog’s Sana Dati won Best Film and seven more awards in the Directors Showcase.

“Transit,” a film about the struggles of a Filipino migrant family in Israel, scored for Hannah Espia the award for Best Direction. Theater actress Irma Adlawan was named Best Actress for her role as the Filipino migrant worker while Jasmine Curtis Smith won the Best Supporting Actress award.

The cast of  “Transit,” which also included Ping Medina, Mercedes Cabral and child actor Marc Justine Alvarez also received the Special Jury Priza for Ensemble acting. It also won the NETPAC Award as well as the Audience Choice Award. It also picked up trophies for Best Original Music Score (Mon Espia), Best Cinematography (Ber Cruz and Lyle Nemenzo Sacris) and Best Editing (Benjamin Tolentino and Hannah Espia).

Winning the Best Film Award in the Directors Showcase category is “Sana Dati,” written and directed by Jerrold Tarog who was also named Best Director. This is a love story about a woman whose wedding is thrown into disarray when a mysterious person arrives and reminds her of the man she truly loves.

“Sana Dati” also won the Best Supporting Actor award for TJ Trinidad who failed to attend the awards night. The movie also won the trophies for Best Sound (Roger TJ Ladro), Best Original Music Score (Jerrold Tarog), Best Editing (Pats R. Ranyo), Best Production Design (Ericson Navarro), Best Cinematography (Mackie Galvez).

Vilma Santos was named Best Actress for her role in Jeffrey Jeturian’s Ekstra in the Directors Showcase. She was cited “for her bold decision to deglamorize herself and take on the lowly role of the TV and movie bit player, for her moving portrayal of the unsung hero of show business, for the polish and aplomb with which she essayed the role, and for her powerful cinematic presence.”

Even before Cinemalaya started, many already predicted that Vilma will win the Best Actress Award for Ekstra, her first indie film and her first Cinemalaya entry. She was unable to attend the awards night though but sent her message thru her producer Atty. Joji Alonso and Director Jeffrey Jeturian. She expressed gratitude to the indie film community for accepting her and was very grateful to the jury for giving her the award.

Ekstra also won the Special Jury Prize, the NETPAC Award and the Audience Choice Award. It is also a winner in the box-office, with its screenings all sold out whether at the CCP or in theaters like Trinoma and Greenbelt.

Ekstra also won for Ruby Ruiz the Best Supporting Actress award and for Zig Dulay, Antoinette Jadaone and Jeffrey Jeturian the Best Screenplay award.

A surprise though was the jury decided there was entry deserving to win a best actor award. There was no Best Actor award given in the Directors Showcase.

The Best Actor award in the New Breed Full Length Feature category went to Mimi Juarez for his role in Quick Change, a story about a middle aged transsexual looking for his niche amidst the complexities of the world he is in. It won Special Jury Prize in the New Breed Full Length feature category plus Best Sound Award (Michael Idioma), and Best Screenplay (Eduardo Roy Jr.).

Juarez attended the awards wearing a gown. He said he didn’t expect to win the award but was grateful for the recognition. He struggled with his speech since he was caught by surprise when he heard his name called as the winner in the best actor category. It was the first time that a transgender had won the best actor award from Cinemalaya.

In the New Breed Full Length Category, Joey Paras won Best Supporting Actor for his role in Babagwa.  He dedicated his award to all theater actors and even used the occasion to invite the people to watch his solo movie titled “Bekikang.”

“Rekorder” by Mikhail Red won the Best Production Design award in the New Breed Full Length Category.

In the Short Feature category, Paolo O’Hara’s The Houseband’s Wife won Best Film and Best Screenplay while JE Tiglao won Best Direction for Onang. Adi Bontuyan’s Taya won Special Jury Prize and a Special Citation was given to Nica Santiago’s Sa Wakas.

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Opening today in cinemas nationwide is the comedy movie “Raketeros,” the first full length movie of  Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, who is back to movie-making.

The movie also features Ogie Alcasid, Andrew E., Long Mejia, and Dennis Padilla. It is produced by Heaven’s Best Entertainment and released under Star Cinema in connection with the celebration of  their 20th anniversary.

“Raketeros” is directed by Randy Santiago, who is no stranger in directing movies. After all, he is the son of the famed Pablo Santiago, the favorite director of Fernando Poe Jr. Supporting the movie are Joey Marquez, Sam Pinto, Ryan Bang, Wendy Valdez, RK Enriquez, Regine Angeles, Tippy dos Santos, Rodjun Cruz. Eula Caballero, Karen delos Reyes, Markki Stroem, and IC Mendoza. (FREEMAN)