Boyet, Gina and Joanna members of MMFF jury

Three new members are added to this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) jury, namely Christopher “Boyet” de Leon, Gina Alajar and Joanna Ampil. They are highly qualified, all of them being well-respected award-winners (Joanna won Best Actress in last year’s MMFF for Ang Larawan, which won Best Picture).

Christopher ‘Boyet’ de Leon’s harvest of MMFF Best Actor awards will be among the ‘treasures’ showcased in the Noel@Avellana exhibit that runs until Jan. 6, 2019.

Boyet has won the most number of MMFF Best Actor awards which are included in the Noel@Avellana exhibit at the Avellana Art Gallery (inside the Henry Hotel) from Dec. 3 to Jan. 6, 2019, curated by Noel Ferrer as a nod to his 50th birthday.

Two other artworks exhibited at the Noel@Avellana at Avellana Art Gallery (Henry Hotel)

According to Noel, the exhibit is a collection of paintings, sculptures, photographs, music, literature, crafts and everything Christmas aimed at “filling our senses with inspiration and nourishment for ourselves and our loved ones.”

Why James, Nadine won’t do the ‘Walk of Fame’

James Reid and Nadine Lustre

I didn’t expect that Walk Of Fame (WOF) item in last Thursday’s Funfare to be, uhm, controversial --- that is, as far as those close to Nadine Lustre were concerned. You see, the story sent to Funfare by WOF head Federico Moreno (son of German “Kuya Germs” Moreno, creator of WOF in Eastwood City, Quezon City) mentioned that Nadine was being excluded from the list of 10 new inductees because she “couldn’t give a schedule” and Julia Barretto would be taking her place.

Here’s Federico’s explanation:

We would like to inform everyone that it has been our strict policy that presence is required of the inductee to accept the honor of being on the Eastwood City Walk Of Fame.

After the deliberation and selection process, we immediately inform the inductees of their selection and we ask them for their confirmation in accepting the honor. We also inform them that presence is required at the actual event. We only make the official announcement once the list of inductees is complete and they have accepted and confirmed their presence. We also make sure that we give ample time to all the inductees to make the necessary arrangement of their schedules.

All the inductees that we have announced have accepted the honor and have confirmed their presence. We would like to inform the public that Mr. James Reid through his handler from Viva Films, Ms. Caryl Paraico, has informed us last Nov. 29 that Mr. Reid will not be able to attend the event due to their extended stay in Australia.

Film on familial duty wins its third award

Michael ‘MJ’ Pagaduan

While some may still be dreaming to see their stories come to life in a film, 23-year-old Michael Joshua “MJ” Pagaduan’s capstone project Kaming Mga Nakakulong (We Who Are Trapped) has already received its third Best Film Award.

Pagaduan’s short film first garnered distinction at CineMapúa 2017, organized by the Film Arts and Media Enthusiasts (FAME), where he was likewise hailed as Best Director.

It was soon followed by another recognition, the Hiyas ng Sining Awards, bestowed by Guild of Educators, Mentors, and Students (GEMS), a non-profit group and academe-based award-giving body.

The third one came more recently, at the fifth Urduja Film Festival sponsored by National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) and supported by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and Movie Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).

Kaming Mga Nakakulong narrates the story of Leonard (Matt Daclan), a man in his late 20s, haunted by recurring nightmares of a childhood memory. In his pursuit to search for answers, he seeks assistance from his grandmother (Lui Manansala) only to discover the devastating truth. Leonard joins a support group, and tries to face the horrors of his past, as he attempts to find peace.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)