An Urian Lifetime Achievement Award for Eddie Garcia

Eddie Garcia will receive the Natatanging Gawad for lifetime achievement in the cinema during the 29th Gawad Urian on Aug. 3 at Henry Lee Irwin Theater of Ateneo de Manila University.

Given by Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, Urian is considered the most credible award for excellence in Filipino filmmaking.

Garcia is cited by the Manunuri for his multiple achievements as actor, director and all-around icon in the Philippine film industry. He is also cited for his versatility and longevity.

The Manunuri is also citing Garcia for his selfless support of young, aspiring filmmakers by agreeing to play roles in independent cinema for nearly no pay at all.

In 1999, Garcia appeared in Raymond Red’s Anino, which won the grand prize in the short film category of the Cannes Film Festival. Garcia also starred in Fil-Am Gene Cajayon’s Debut, which won the Best Dramatic Feature award in the San Diego International Film Festival in 2000, and in Rica Arevalo’s ICU Bed #7, which won Best Director award in the first Cinemalaya Film Festival last year.

Garcia has played the full gamut of roles available in feature cinema, from villain to leading man. He has also starred in nearly all genres, from his 1949 debut in Moro-moro, drama, Siete Infantes de Lara by Manuel Conde, to the Chinese-Filipino patriarch in multicultural epic Mano Po in 2002.

Initially making his mark as a contravida, Garcia has also fitted the shoes of the leading man, playing real-life personalities like Gen. Alfredo Lim and Gen. Alfredo Karingal, avenging judge (Judge Valderama movies), and even comical roles (the horny Manoy in its various incarnations in several sex comedies).

Garcia is also the most awarded actor in Philippine cinema. The Famas Awards made him its first Hall of Fame awardee in 1974 for winning the Best Supporting Actor award six times.

Garcia is also in the Famas Hall of Fame for winning Best Actor and Best Director five times each. To date, Garcia has appeared in over 250 movies.

The Gawad Urian named Garcia Best Actor in 2000 for Deathrow. He is also one of the most successful film directors in Philippine history. In the ’80s, he directed the most successful movies of Sharon Cuneta and Vilma Santos. His best films are generally considered to be Atsay (1978), starring Nora Aunor and Imortal (1989), starring Vilma Santos.

This year’s Urian is produced by APT Productions and broadcast on RPN 9 on Aug. 5.