GMA Pictures turned out to be the biggest winner in the MMFF 50: Gabi ng Parangal last December 27.
As earlier predicted, its entry “Green Bones” was adjudged Best Picture and its lead stars Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid came home with the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor trophies, respectively.
The film also clinched the Best in Screenplay for National Artist Ricky Lee and Anj Atienza.
It wasn’t an expectedly grand sweep though as its director Zig Dulay lost to Crisanto Aquino who helmed “My Future You” (hailed as the third Best Picture) and Mike Tuviera for “The Kingdom” (declared as second Best Picture).
How and why, nobody had foreseen it but I believed it was a grim aftermath on the part of Dulay who stood out unanimously among the more discerning, if finicky audience.
The frustrating outcome — which wasn’t traditionally shocking anyway — was reminiscent of Dulay’s MMFF entry last year “Firefly” that lost to Pepe Diokno’s “Gomburza.”
Award-winning Zig Dulay’s ‘Green Bones’ wins MMFF Best Picture but misses out on the coveted Best Director recognition. INSTAGRAM PHOTO/ZIGCARLO
While my heart bled profusely for “Isang Himala” if only for its reduced number of theaters (from 31 on the opening day to nine two days after), there was renewed sense of exuberance over the awards it brought home.
Seeing the entire ensemble gathered at one table at the awards venue with inexplicable smiles on their faces was already a gleeful celebration in itself.
Yes, I resonated with their collective wish that the Pepe Diokno-helmed musical would breed more theaters for greater appreciation as well as more heightened support for theatre and its people.
The glitzy evening’s results — both dissatisfying and disturbing for most — opened up the basic pre-festival realizations.
Too early in the race, four out of the 10 official entries were deemed strong contenders at the box office.
In this particular order, leading the pack was “And The Breadwinner Is” immediately followed by “The Kingdom.”
On the third spot came in “Espantaho” and “Uninvited” placing fourth. It was a free-for-all for the remaining six entries led by “Green Bones” and “Topakk.”
Of the four in the lead, except for the Vic Sotto-Piolo Pascual starrer, the three others must have been their respective lead actors’ and directors’ heartbreaking letdowns.
A case in point is Aga Muhlach whose name was nowhere on the Best Actor nominees’ list to think his depraved screen character — for a change — was hyped up.
I could only hear the trite colloquial showbiz query “Anyare?!” reverberate the loudest.
As Luis Manzano — his mom Vilma Santos herself got snubbed — posted it wasn’t the winners he whined about but the nominees.
The next day, artist manager-cum-content creator Ogie Diaz took to his Facebook account a survey question what his followers thought about the awards night.
“Did the winners deserve the awards they received, or was it a ‘cooking show’?” was Ogie’s poll question.
In fairness, majority of the respondents ruled out there was rigging that took place.
They simply couldn’t fathom why the award for the Best Picture director (Dulay) landed on somebody else’s lap.
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GUESS WHO? Still at the MMFF awards night, caught on camera was a gorgeous actress (GA) who visibly smirked at the mere mention of a co-actor’s (CA) name.
The CA’s festival entry whose lavishly adorned float he rode during the parade all over Manila earned praises for its overall look.
Earlier, the GA had expressed disgust over the distribution of movie houses which she deemed outright unfair.
While it wasn’t the CA’s fault that his entry opened in theateres more than thrice as many as the GA’s, the latter nonetheless took it out on him.
The GA was consistent with heaping hallelujahs for her entry which measured up to global standards.
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