Will Magnifico sweep tonight’s Famas?

It’s awards season again in case you haven’t noticed (no thanks to the attention-getting election campaign).

A few weeks ago, the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) handed out its annual Star Awards for Movies, the lion’s share of which went to Violett Films’ Magnifico (take another bow, Madame Violet Sevilla!), including the trophies for Best Picture, Best Director (Maryo J. delos Reyes) and Best Actor (Jiro Manio, the youngest awardee ever in this category).

Magnifico has been making waves in international film festivals. It won top honors (Children’s Division) at the Berlin International Filmfest early this year and is slated to be shown in more filmfests abroad. Had it been submitted as the country’s entry in the Oscars’ Best Foreign-Language Film category, it might have had a good chance.

Anyway, Magnifico is again nominated in several categories in tonight’s FAMAS Awards and my usual "fearful" forecast is that it would sweep the major awards (Picture, Director, Actress, Actor, etc.).

I really hope and pray that Celia Rodriguez would bag the Best Supporting Actress trophy (yes, for Magnifico) for her role as the cranky funeral-parlor owner. The character was originally a male but Celia wanted to play it so much that Madame Violet requested the scriptwriter to make the character a woman. As usual when she plays any kind of role, Celia gives it justice.

Celia, who hasn’t quite recovered from the death of her mom in June last year, has won three FAMAS(es) so far, one for Best Actress (for Lilet, 1972) and two for Best Supporting Actress (for Kulay Dugo ang Gabi in 1968 and Passionate Strangers in 1970).

After the FAMAS, three more awards rites are coming up – the Urian, the Film Academy Awards and the Golden Screen (on April 24), the first from the newly-organized ENPRESS (composed of entertainment writers who have quit the PMPC). In all three, Magnifico will again surely figure prominently.

Maricar Tops Internet’s Latino Forum

2004 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Maricar Balagtas left the other day for Colombia for a crash training in poise and grace (how to walk and talk properly, do her own make-up, etc.) before proceeding to Ecuador to compete in the Miss Universe Pageant on June 1.

"The Bulakeña promised to bring home the crown last won by a Filipina (Margie Moran) in 1973," said Funfare’s "beauty experts" Felix Manuel, Francis Calubaquib, Joey Cezare and Gery Yumping who attended the send-off lunch for Maricar at the Araneta Coliseum’s gazebo. "She said she’d do her very best to win honors for the country."

With her determination (she was a "repeater" in this year’s Bb. Pilipinas contest) and an international title to her name (2001 Miss Globe International), Maricar might realize her long-time dream of giving the country (another) international title. Only one other Filipina (Gloria Diaz, 1969) has won the Miss U crown.

The good news is that Maricar has been topping Internet’s Latino Forum which welcomes "votes" for the Miss U 2004 candidates. Even India’s Lara Dutta, one-time Miss Universe, has picked Maricar as a possible winner.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Briefly Noted

• Camille Velasco has been eliminated from the ongoing American Idol competition but the other Filipina, Jasmine Trias, is giving the other aspirants a good fight. Reported Ferdinand Lapuz, Funfare’s Tonronto-based "international correspondent": Jasmine is "safe" this week. Next week, the contestants will do Barry Manilow songs. The three judges expect Jasmine to do well because ballads happen to be her forte. Incidentally, according to reader Nora Loyola Raymundo of Aliso Viejo, California, only 10 (not 12) finalists are going on the American Idol US tour, including Camille and Jasmine.

• Zid Reyes (of Hayward, California) and other readers (Melissa of Las Vegas, Nevada; Olivia Banez of Dongguan, Guangdong, China; Loy Guzman; and Grace Mina Ramos) are asking: Good day. (We) read your column about the new ABS-CBN show Lukso ng Dugo. According to the second paragraph, Michael’s mother "left him even before he was born." Would you be so kind to explain how this could be possible? (Dear readers: There’s no mystery in Michael’s birth at all. That sentence should have read: Michael’s mother entrusted him to her kumare even before Michael was born. Clear enough?)

• From reader Desiree de Vera: We were planning to name our small restaurant The Bamboo Grove. Then I had an argument with my relatives because they said that "grove" should be spelled "groove" as you spelled it in one of your recent blind items. Can you help us settle this issue? (Dear Desiree: You’re right – and I was wrong. Call your restaurant The Bamboo Grove, meaning "a small wood or stand of trees lacking dense undergrowth". "Groove" as a noun means "a long, narrow furrow or channel" and as a verb, "to take great pleasure or satisfaction; enjoy oneself.")

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