Most of the other acting awardees are also from Cinemalaya movies: best musical-comedy actor Edgar Allan Guzman for “Ligo na U” (tie with Martin Escudero for “Zombadings”, the closing film of Cinemalaya), Jean Garcia as best drama actress and Rocco Nacino for best male breakthrough performance for “Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa”, Art Acuna as best supporting actor for “Nino”, and Angeli Nicole Sanoy as best female breakthrough performance for “Patikul”. Aga Muhlach as best drama actor for “In the Name of Love” is the only winner from mainstream films.
“Nino” also won as best drama film and “Septic Tank” as best comedy-musical film, with “Septic” also winning best director for neophyte Marlon Rivera and best original screenplay for Chris Martinez. Jerry Gracio won best adapted screenplay for “Ligo na U” and Kristoffer Brugada won best story for “Patikul”.
We agree with majority of the choices. Very credible. The triumph of Cinemalaya entries in international and local award derbies is a testimony to the acumen of the people running it like Laurice Guillen and Robbie Tan. So new directors who think they know it all should listen to their advice as they have several decades of valuable experience in filmmaking to know what will work and what won’t.
Eugene and Shamaine both guested in “Showbiz Central” with their respective trophies. Uge said she’ll donate her Hongkong trophy to UP where she took up theatre arts. “Pero may kapalit,” she said. “Sana bigyan naman nila ko ng Iskolar ng Bayan o Oblation Award.”
She said she’s now doing two new movies, “Kimmy Dora 2, Temple of Kiyeme” with Dingdong Dantes and “Doobidoobi Doo” with Ogie Alcasid. She’ll also star in PETA’s stage version of the late Lino Brocka’s “Bona” as Nora Aunor has already given her the go-signal to do it.
Shamaine, the wife of actor Noni Buencamino, is a bonafide Kapuso actress. She was seen in “Kung Aagawin Mo ang Langit” before and now as the biological mom of Lovi Poe in “Legacy”. On the big screen, she’s now doing the new Cinemalaya entry, “Requieme”, directed by the same director who helmed her in “Nino”, Loy Arcenas. “Nino” is just one of the two movies where Shamaine’s fine acting shone last year. She was also great as the beleaguered mother of Marvin Agustin in Marilou Abaya’s “Ikaw ang Pag-ibig”.
