Celebrity World
Crispina Belen
‘Mano Po 3,’ ‘Panaghoy sa Suba’ win most of 2004 MMFF awards
Mother Lily’s “Mano Po 3” and Cesar Montano’s “Panaghoy sa Suba” each garnered seven of the plum awards during the 2004 Metro Manila Film Festival-Philippines Awards Night staged successfully the other night at the Aliw Theater by Manila Broadcasting Corp.
An emotional Mother Lily couldn’t stop her tears from flowing when she accepted the Best Picture award. She shared the honor she received with her director (Joel Lamangan, who lost to Cesar Montano in the Best Director category), the cast of "Mano Po 3," and her family and even to the other producers even as she appealed to them to continue producing films and for all to work together to save the movie industry.
She confessed that she hasn’t been making money but "I continue producing movies and take all the risks because I love the movie industry so much…"
"Mano Po 3" won the following awards: Best Picture, Best Actor (Christopher de Leon who was also chosen Male Star of the Night), Best Actress (Mayor Vilma Santos who was also Female "Smart Buddy" Star of the Night), Best Story (collaboration of Mother Lily, Roselle M. Teo, Roy Iglesias and Joel Lamangan), Best Production Design (Rodell Cruz), Best Original Theme Song ("Pagbigyan ang Puso," composed by Ito Rapadas, sung by Karylle and Jerome John Hughes and produced by Bella Tan’s Universal Records, and whose music video was directed by Jeffrey Tan), and Best Float which has a cash prize of R500,000 this year.
Cesar Montano thanked profusely his investors as he humbly acknowledged the honor bestowed on him and his "pioneering" and sort of a novelty work which used the Visayan language as dialogue (with English subtitles in anticipation for an international release).
By winning several awards, "Mano Po 3" and "Panaghoy sa Suba" are expected to finally draw in the crowds.
"Panaghoy sa Suba" won the following awards: Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award; 2nd Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay (by Cris Vertido who said he’s been acting for many years but hasn’t won an award, wrote his first script and it won an award), Best Musical Score (Nonong Buencamino), Best Cinematography (Ely Cruz), and Best Supporting Actress (Rebecca Lusterio who Cesar reminded us, was the young girl who they made appear to be a boy in "Muro Ami").
"Sigaw" which was line-produced by Regal Films for Megavision, won the Best Child Performer (Ella Guevarra), Best Editing (Manet Dayrit), and Best Sound Recording (Arnold Reodica). "Lastikman" won Best Visual Effects (Roadrunner Network); "Enteng Kabisote," the topgrosser since day one, won the Best Make-up Artist and 2nd Best Float awards.
At the cocktails preceding the awards program, we asked MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando, who was the over-all chairman of the MMFF ’04 executive committee, how much their goal is this year and he said R500-million or more. Last year’s festival gross amounted to more than R320-million.
The MMFF ’04 was dedicated to the memory of the legendary Fernando Poe, Jr., acknowledged "King of Philippine Movies." His posthumous award was received by his siblings, Elizabeth and Conrad Poe. Susan Roces couldn’t make it and in her behalf, Beth thanked the MMDA and MMFF execom for the recognition bestowed on his late brother’s contribution to the upliftment of local cinema. Beth also thanked the Filipino moviegoers who idolized her brother and patronized his movies. "Let us not abandon the dream of one who loved the movie industry very much…" she said.
Atty. Espiridion Laxa, one of the MMFF execom members, received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his immense contribution to the local movie industry. He recalled that the first seven movies that his film outfit Tagalog Ilang-Ilang Productions made were starred in by FPJ. These were "Kidlat sa Barilan" with Zaldy Zshornack; "Baril sa Baril" with Joseph Estrada (that movie introduced them for the very first time, Laxa told us); "Dakilang Siyam" with Ramon Zamora; "Ikaw o Ako" with Romeo Vasquez; "Mga Tigreng Taga-Bukid," "Siete Comandos," and "Hari sa Barilan" which Chairman Fernando remembering seeing when he was just in college.
The 2004 MMFF board of jurors was composed of Mayor Ma. Lourdes Fernando (chairperson), Director Eddie Romero (vice chairman), MMDA GM Robert Nacianceno, Usec Robert Rivera, Ric Camaligan, Wilson Tieng, Rolando E. Josef, Marietta Tamondong, Nestor U. Torre, Jr. and this writer.