The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Alvin I. Dacanay
The directors of the unexpected blockbuster biopic Heneral Luna and migrant-worker drama Imbisibol emerged as the top individual nominees at the 39th Gawad Urian after highly regarded film critics’ group Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (MPP) announced its list of nominations last week.
The list, which was posted on the Cinema One Facebook page, revealed that Heneral Luna’s Jerrold Tarog received a record four nominations—director, screenplay, editing and music—and that Imbisibol’s Lawrence Fajardo was recognized in the director, editing and production-design categories.
Heneral Luna, about the famed commander of the Philippine Revolutionary Army whose hot temper and sharp tongue earned him many enemies and, ultimately, led to his assassination, won nine nominations in all, including for picture and actor for John Arcilla.
It was the country’s official entry to the foreign-language film category at this year’s Academy Awards, and was honored with three nominations at the 10th Asian Film Awards in March.
Imbisibol, the film adaptation of nominee Herlyn Gail Alegre’s one-act play about illegal Filipino workers in Japan and the challenges they face, garnered a total of eight nods, among them picture, actress for Ces Quesada, and supporting actor for Bernardo Bernardo and JM de Guzman.
The movie scored major prizes from the inaugural Sinag Maynila film festival early last year, including picture, director, actor for Allen Dizon, and actress for Quesada, and was screened at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.
Competing with Heneral Luna and Imbisibol for the best picture award are Jun Robles Lana’s Anino sa Likod ng Buwan, Carlo Enciso Catu’s ARI: My Life with a King, Zig Madamba Dulay’s Bambanti, Ralston Jover’s Da Dog Show, Erik Matti’s Honor Thy Father, and Brillante Mendoza’s Taklub.
Three of these—Da Dog Show, Honor Thy Father and Taklub—lead this year’s nominations with 10 each.
Da Dog Show tells the true-to-life story of a dog trainer who trains his pet dogs to perform tricks on the street to sustain his family; Honor Thy Father focuses on a married couple facing financial ruin and violence because of their involvement in a Ponzi scheme; and Taklub follows a group of people in Leyte province who survived the wrath of Supertyphoon Yolanda and are coping with the aftermath.
Individuals who received two nominations are Dulay, Jover and Lana, for both director and screenplay; John Lloyd Cruz, for actor in both Honor Thy Father and A Second Chance; Lou Veloso, for actor in Da Dog Show and supporting actor in Taklub; Alessandra de Rossi, for actress in Bambanti and music for Water Lemon; cinematographer Carlo Mendoza, for Da Dog Show and Heneral Luna; and sound engineers Albert Michael Idioma for Anino sa Likod ng Buwan and Felix Manalo and Mikko Quizon, for Heneral Luna and Honor Thy Father.
Anino sa Likod ng Buwan has the distinction of having its entire cast nominated, while Mario Cornejo’s Apocalypse Child is represented in all four acting categories.
This year’s recipient of the Natatanging Gawad Urian for lifetime achievement is ace cinematographer Romeo “Romy” Vitug, whose notable credits include the late Lino Brocka’s Tatlo, Dalawa, Isa (1974), Laurice Guillen’s Salome (1981) and Carlos Siguion-Reyna’s Hihintayin Kita sa Langit (1991).
Formed in 1976, the MPP is composed of noted film writers and scholars, led by current chairman Dr. Grace Javier Alfonso. Though criticized by some as too elitist in its choices, the organization is considered by many movie enthusiasts as the most prestigious film award-giving body in the Philippines.
Here is the complete list of nominees:
Picture: Anino sa Likod ng Buwan; ARI: My Life with a King; Bambanti; Da Dog Show; Heneral Luna; Honor Thy Father; Imbisibol; Taklub.
Director: Carlos Enciso Catu, ARI: My Life with a King; Mario Cornejo, Apocalypse Child; Zig Madamba Dulay, Bambanti; Lawrence Fajardo, Imbisibol; Ralston Jover, Da Dog Show; Jun Robles Lana, Anino sa Likod ng Buwan; Erik Matti, Honor Thy Father; Brillante Mendoza, Taklub; Kidlat Tahimik, Balikbayan #1: Memories of Overdevelopment Redux III; Jerrold Tarog, Heneral Luna.
Actor: Luis Alandy, Anino sa Likod ng Buwan; John Arcilla, Heneral Luna; John Lloyd Cruz, Honor Thy Father; John Lloyd Cruz, A Second Chance; Ricky Davao, Dayang Asu; Anthony Falcon, Anino sa Likod ng Buwan; Francisco Guinto, ARI: My Life with a King; Sid Lucero, Apocalypse Child; Jun-Jun Quintana, Water Lemon; Jericho Rosales, Walang Forever; Dennis Trillo, Felix Manalo; Lou Veloso, Da Dog Show.
Actress: Nora Aunor, Taklub; Angeli Bayani, Iisa; Mercedes Cabral, Da Dog Show; Alessandra de Rossi, Bambanti; Annicka Dolonius, Apocalypse Child; Jennylyn Mercado, Walang Forever; Ces Quesada, Imbisibol; LJ Reyes, Anino sa Likod ng Buwan.
Supporting Actor: RK Bagatsing, Apocalypse Child; Bernardo Bernardo, Imbisibol; Tirso Cruz III, Honor Thy Father; JM de Guzman, Imbisibol; Julio Diaz, Taklub; Alion Ibañez, Da Dog Show; Micko Laurente, Bambanti; Lou Veloso, Taklub.
Supporting Actress: Ana Abad Santos, Apocalypse Child; Liza Diño, Toto; Mylene Dizon, Heneral Luna; Rio Locsin, Iisa; Tessie Tomas, Water Lemon; Cecil Yumol, ARI: My Life with a King; Gwen Zamora, Apocalypse Child.
Screenplay: Herlyn Gail Alegre and John Paul Bedia, Imbisibol; Honeylyn Joy Alipio, Taklub; Zig Madamba Dulay, Bambanti; Henry Francia, E.A. Rocha and Jerrold Tarog, Heneral Luna; Ralston Jover, Da Dog Show; Jun Robles Lana, Anino sa Likod ng Buwan; Bor Ocampo, Dayang Asu; Lilit Reyes, Water Lemon; Robby Tantingco, ARI: My Life with a King; Michiko Yamamoto, Honor Thy Father.
Cinematography: Ike Avellana, Apocalypse Child; Ber Cruz, Honor Thy Father; Joseph delos Reyes and Ma. Solita Garcia, Bambanti; Odyssey Flores, Taklub; Pong Ignacio, Heneral Luna; Rody Lacap, Felix Manalo; Carlo Mendoza, Anino sa Likod ng Buwan; Carlo Mendoza, Da Dog Show.
Editing: Lawrence Ang, Anino sa Likod ng Buwan; Diego Marx Dobles, Taklub; Lawrence Fajardo, Imbisibol; Jay Halili, Honor Thy Father; Carlo Francisco Manatad, ARI: My Life with a King; Kats Serraon, Da Dog Show; Jerrold Tarog, Heneral Luna.
Music: Jake Abella, ARI: My Life with a King; Diwa de Leon, Taklub; Alessandra de Rossi, Water Lemon; Erwin Romulo, Honor Thy Father; Jerrold Tarog, Heneral Luna.
Production Design: Harley Alcasid, Bukod Kang Pinagpala; Joel Bilbao, Edgar Martin Littaua and Danny Red, Felix Manalo; Lawrence Fajardo and Rolando Inocencio, Imbisibol; Deans Habal, Da Dog Show; Ericsson Navarro, Honor Thy Father; Ben Payumo, Water Lemon; Aped Santos, Bambanti.
Sound: Paulito Homillano, Andrew Milallos, Dennis Payumo and Addiss Tablong, Taklub; Albert Michael Idioma, Anino sa Likod ng Buwan; Albert Michael Idioma, Felix Manalo; Mark Locsin, Da Dog Show; Stephen Lopez and Sheka Ong, Dayang Asu; Gilbert Obispo, ARI: My Life with a King; Mikko Quizon, Heneral Luna; Mikko Quizon, Honor Thy Father.
The 39th Gawad Urian awards night will be held at the Kia Theatre in Quezon City’s Araneta Center on June 21, and aired live on the Cinema One cable network at 7:30 p.m.