Eddys and Urian compared and contrasted

In spite of the many award givers in the Philippines from practically all fields, awards on films are still the most awaited, intriguing and mind-boggling of them all.

It is because the nominees and winners themselves, especially the major ones, in movie awards derby made popular by the dominant star system or each of them owns up horde of fans and ardent followers that are the ones praising or  defending their bets, bickering or exchanging blows and tirades against each other.

These days, though, award-giving bodies have also their rooters, if not by the fans of stars who are favored by them but the members themselves who are working in the print and broadcast media as well.

Promoting one’s awards group isn’t only a virtue, it is also a vice.

There is also the conservative if not complacent belief on traditionalized and/or institutionalized award like Famas.

Social media, nevertheless, have intensified the exciting and interesting differentiation among awards orgs.

Every netizen has diverse opinions on each of them.

Awards are dime-a-dozen, indeed, with a lot of trimmings that conceal the real objective of an award–for enlightenment of what the purpose of life is, liberation of man from bondage of any sort.

Let’s zero in on Eddys, the annual event of the Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors (SPEEd) and Gawad Urian, the yearly awarding of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (MPP), a group of critics.

The two awarders have just chosen their bests recently.

6th Editors’ picks at random: Best Film, a tie between “Blue Room” and “Family Matters”; Best Director, Nuel Naval (“Family Matters”); Best Actress, a stalemate between Max Eigenmann (“12 Weeks”) and Janine Gutierrez (“Bakit Di Mo Sabihin”); Best Actor, Elijah Canlas (“Blue Room”l, Best Supporting Actress, Nikki Valdez (“Family Matters”) and Best Supporting Actor, Mon Confiado (“Nanahimik ang Gabi”).

46th Critics’ choices: Best Film, “Kung Wala Nang mga Alon”; Best Director, Martika Ramirez Escobar (“Leonor Will Never Die”); Best Actress, Max Eigenmann (“12 Weeks”); Best Actor, John Lloyd Cruz (“Kung Wala Nang mga Alon”); Best Supporting Actress, Claudia Enriquez (“12 Weeks”) and Best Supporting Actor, Soliman Cruz (“Blue Room”).

Notice that the two award bodies have eclectic selections precisely as a result of their diverse criteria emanating from the backgrounds of their members.

Although MPP has its solid yardstick on the mix of the form and content covering the multidisciplinary tool of a film, Eddys has the semi-formal approach to its vision.

They were united, though, in naming Max as Best Actress, who must have been a grand slam winner when she was also proclaimed in the same category at the 19th Cinemalaya last August.

Otherwise, Eddys and Urian are worlds apart, each of them professing their respective set of film beliefs. BOY VILLASANTA