Tomorrow, Sunday August 10 is the Cinemalaya X Awards Night. Last Year, Sana Dati and Ekstra were Best Film winners. Ate Vi was a shoo-in for the Best Acress award in the Director's Showcase category. The biggest surprise last year in the Director's Showcase categories is that none was chosen for Best Actor. The New Breed Category has always been a very tight race for every award. Will there be surprises this year again?
We only saw 3 of the 5 entries in the Director's Showcase, so we can't pick our winners. But based on news, it sounds like it would be Nora Aunor and Dennis Trillo. For the Supporting Categories, I had been hearing Rosanna Roces and Dante Rivero. Again I have not seen The Janitor, so I don't know.
Here are our picks and predictions for the Short Film and Acting Categories
SHORT FILM CATEGORY
Best Screenplay
Our Pick: Nakabibinging Katahimikan
Our Prediction: Nakabibinging Katahimikan
Best Director
Our Pick: Paolo O'Hara for Nakabibinging Katahimikan
Our Prediction: Kevin Ang for Lola
Note: Cinemalaya seems to have a socialist view in the Short Film Category. The past 3 years, they have not awarded the director of the winning Short Film. They tend to spread the wealth so to speak.
Best Short Film
Our Pick: Nakabibinging Katahimikan
Our Prediction: Nakabibinging Katahimikan
Best Short Film Special Jury Prize
Our Pick: The Ordinary Things We Do
Our Prediction: Indayog ng Nayatamak
Best Short Film Audience Award
Our Pick: Lola
Our Prediction: Lola
NEW BREED CATEGORY
Cinemalaya does not traditionally list down nominees for each categories. What we did was list down all the performances we liked from the 10 films in the New Breed Category: #Y, 1st ko si 3rd, Bwaya, Children's Show, Dagitab, K'Na the Dreamweaver, Mariquina, Ronda, S6parados, Sundalong Kanin. From there, deliberate on who we thought deserved the awards the most.
Supporting Actor
Dante Rivero - 1st ko si 3rd
Miggs Cuaderno - Children's Show
Martin del Rosario- Dagitab
Marc Abaya - Sundalong Kanin
OUR PICK: Dante Rivero - 1st ko si 3rd
OUR PREDICTION: Marc Abaya - Sundalong Kanin
DARK HORSE: Allen Dizon - Children's Show
Note: we do not mind Marc Abaya winning this year. His usual over the top performance actually made sense in Sundalong Kanin, but we appreciated the intelligent restrained acting of Dante Rivero. He made his presence felt in the limited scene that he appeared. His characterization made it difficult for the audience to dislike him, even if technically he is the villain in the movie. We did not like Allen Dizon in Children's Show. We thought it was one-dimensional. But we have a feeling that if Cinemalaya would not choose Marc, they would pick Allen.
Supporting Actress
Coleen Garcia - #Y
Gloria Sevilla - Children's Show
Bing Pimentel - Mariquina
Barbie Forteza - Mariquina
Perla Bautista - Ronda
Melissa Mendez - S6parados
OUR PICK: Bing Pimentel - Mariquina
OUR PREDICTION: Bing Pimentel - Mariquina
DARK HORSE: Barbie Forteza - Mariquina
This category is always interesting every year. This year, based on how we read it, it seems the 3 ladies of Mariquina are in for the tightest race. Many critics already hailed Che Ramos as their pick for Best Supporting Actress. We did not like her performance, it was too subtle for us. It was too subtle, we actually forgot about her. We could not remember her performance, and we did not care about her character, either. On the other hand, we are in the Bing Pimentel bandwagon. We liked Tita Tess when she was in her 40's and meddling with the family business. We also liked her when she was in her 60's attending the wake of Romeo Guevarra. It will be a shocker if Barbie Forteza wins, but we also liked her performance.
Actor
Elmo Magalona - #Y
Karl Medina - Bwaya
Buboy Villar - Children's Show
Nonie Buencamino - Dagitab
Ricky Davao - Mariquina
Victor Neri - S6parados
OUR PICK: Ricky Davao - Mariquina
OUR PREDICTION: Ricky Davao - Mariquina
DARK HORSE: Nonie Buencamino - Dagitab
Based on either of those 2 scenes from Mariquina, we thought Ricky Davao would be the winner - 1) at the Chinese restaurant, while eating fried rice and lumpiang shanghai, Romeo Guevarra tells her daughter not to ask about her mother anymore and just continue eating or 2) while eavesdropping on the phone conversation between the young Imelda and her mother in Hawaii. Yes, we were also impressed by Elmo of #Y and Buboy of Children's Show, both practically carrying the whole film with their asserting presence. However, apart from Nonie Buencamino's scintillating performance in Dagitab, we don't see anyone pulling an upset over Ricky.
Actress
Nova Villa - 1st ko si 3rd
Angeli Bayani - Bwaya
Eula Valdez - Dagitab
Mara Lopez - K'Na the Dreamweaver
Mylene Dizon - Mariquina
AiAi delas Alas - Ronda
OUR PICK: Eula Valdez - Dagitab
OUR PREDICTION: Angeli Bayani - Bwaya
DARK HORSE: Mylene Dizon - Mariquina
In an ideal world, Nova Villa will win all the awards. Can we give her a special award this year? Indie Goddess, Star of the Filmfest or anything please? We love Nova Villa and we love her 100x after watching 1st ko si 3rd.
Eula Valdez's Issey was very complex. She was strong but fragile at the same time. There are internal struggles you can sense when she rides a vehicle or when she smokes a cigarette. Her line reading were compelling especially during the scene when she was explaining being bigger than the void. And the scene where she was all-white having her picture taken in the studio. Brilliant!
However, we think Angeli Bayani will win. She is on a roll, winning Urian not 2 months ago, plus multiple international accolades from indie films. She is likewise brilliant in Bwaya. The scene when she learned of what happened to her daughter, wow, an acting master class.
We also loved Mylene Dizon. I am not sure if Judy Ann was able to pull that kind of acting. One can argue that portraying despair, or hatred, or shock. Those are relatively easy. Mylene's Imelda had to portray apathy. Very tough indeed.
Usual cliche, we will be happy whoever among the four wins. But this time we really mean it. Any of the 4 could win.
Who is your pick?
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NEW BREED CATEGORY Technical Awards
Best Screenplay
OUR PICK: Dagitab
OUR PREDICTION: Mariquina
DARK HORSE: Sundalong Kanin
Best Cinematography
OUR PICK: Bwaya
OUR PREDICTION: Bwaya
DARK HORSE: Children's Show
Best Sound
OUR PICK: Children's Show
OUR PREDICTION: Children's Show
DARK HORSE: Bwaya
Best Musical Score
OUR PICK: K'Na the Dreamweaver
OUR PREDICTION: Dagitab
DARK HORSE: Children's Show
Best Editing
OUR PICK: Children's Show
OUR PREDICTION: Mariquina
DARK HORSE: #Y
Best Production Design
OUR PICK: K'Na the Dreamweaver
OUR PREDICTION: K'Na the Dreamweaver
DARK HORSE: Mariquina
Best Director
OUR PICK: Dagitab
OUR PREDICTION: Mariquina
DARK HORSE: Children's Show
Best Film
OUR PICK: Dagitab
OUR PREDICTION: Mariquina
DARK HORSE: Sundalong Kanin
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