The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
At the 2025 Cinemalaya, the Best Director trophy went to Sari Dalena for “Cinematryrs” which has shown “her bold and visionary authorship that fuses cinema, history, and haunting memory into a singular act of resistance; for reclaiming women’s voices within the nation’s buried traumas through guerrilla filmmaking that is both mystical and political.”
“Child No. 82” won Best Screenplay for Tim Rone Villanueva and Herlyn Alegre for their “witty and poignant writing that turns a son’s desperate longing to meet his legendary father into a journey of truth and self-discovery; for peeling away the myth of a larger-than-life movie idol to reveal the fragile heart of fatherhood.”
The NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema) Award for Best Film in the Full-Length Category went to “Republika ng Pipolipinas” by Renei Dimla, for “its powerful story about resistance, citizenship, and the search for belonging. The film stands out for its courage, creativity, and heart.”
“Hanang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan” took home three major acting awards, namely, Jojit Lorenzo for Best Performance of An Actor for “his restrained yet piercing portrayal of a political strategist confronting disillusionment and moral exhaustion in a nation consumed by lies; for embodying the quiet despair and stubborn hope of a man searching for meaning amid history’s erasure.”
Tanghalang Pilipino artistic director Nanding Josef was recognized as Best Performance of a Supporting Actor for “his chilling yet deeply human portrayal of a once-feared Martial Law general now fading into the fog of dementia; for embodying both the terror of tyranny and the fragility of remorse.”
While Mylene Dizon was awarded Best Performance of An Actress for “her searing and compassionate portrayal of a daughter haunted by the sins of her father—a onetime enforcer of a brutal regime—yet bound to protect him in his frailty; for embodying a conscience torn between love, guilt, and moral reckoning.”
Rochelle Pangilinan in “Child No. 82” was recognized as Best Performance of a Supporting Actress for “her restrained yet searing portrayal of a mother holding her dignity amid abandonment and illusion; for embodying both the ache of loss and the quiet strength of survival as she watches her son chase the myth of a father who was never there.”
The cast of “Open Endings” by Nigel Santos and Keavy Eunice Vicente won Best Ensemble Acting for “their seamless chemistry, emotional depth, and playful vitality of four performances that breathe life into a rare story of chosen family and intimacy; and for capturing with honesty, humor, and grace the enduring bonds between queer women navigating love, loss, and friendship.” The ensemble was composed of actresses Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Janella Salvador, Klea Pineda, and Leanne Mamonong.
Will these winners win as well in the 2026 Urian Awards?