After Winning Best Actor In Harlem International Filmfest, Allen Dizon Will Compete Again In The Hanoi Filmfest For 'Magkakabaung'

ALLEN DIZON has won many acting awards, both for best supporting and best actor, but it’s his first time to win an international award at the Harlem International Filmfest for his portrayal of a coffin maker who feels so guilty for the death of his only child in “Magkakabaung”, a movie made in Kapampangan by Director Jason Paul Laxamana of “Babagwa” fame. Was he expecting to win when he went to New York?

“Not at all,” he says at the presscon of his new movie, “Daluyong (Storm Surge)”. “Actually, I went to New York para manood ng tennis sa U.S. Open. Then my manager, Dennis Evangelista, told me to join sila nina Direk Joel Lamangan sa Harlem Filmfest. Direk Joel is there for ‘Kamkam’, where I also play the lead role. Sa screening ng ‘Magkakabaung’, grabe ang ganda ng response ng audience, mixed na Pinoy at foreigners. During the question and answer portion after the movie, ang daming mga tanong. Ganun din sa ‘Kamkam’ where I play a man with three wives. Nangyayari daw ba talaga ang ganun dito sa Pilipinas. Noong awards night, hindi kami umaasa, lalo ako. Tapos, nang tawagin ang name ko as best actor, hindi nag-sink in agad sa akin. For best picture, winner naman ang ‘Kamkam’. Sobrang tuwa naming mga Pinoy na nagpunta roon. Now, ‘Magkakabaung’ is also an entry in competition sa Hanoi International Filmfest this November. Sana, manalo kami uli. In exhibition naman siya sa darating na Hongkong Asia International Filmfest. Isinali rin ito sa New Wave category ng Metro-Manila Filmfest so kung papalaring makuha roon, maipapalabas na ito sa mga sinehan natin dito sa bansa this December. Sana suportahan ng viewers dahil talagang very proud ako sa movie na ito. Co-star ko rito ang anak kong si Felixia Dizon. She plays my daughter who died dahil sa kapalpakan ko. Nagkasakit siya, nag-self medicate ako. Binigyan ko ng antibiotics na naging dahilan kaya namatay siya kaya sobra ang guilt feelings ko.”

He’s now making his fourth movie this year after “Kamkam”, “Magkakabaung” and “Children’s Show”. This is “Daluyong” from the writer-director team of Ricky Lee and Mel Chionglo, who made last year the acclaimed “Lauriana”, for which Allen won best actor in Gawad Pasado. The movie is bound to be controversial as it portrays the weaknesses of members of the clergy.


Allen plays a young priest who is reassigned after he gets a parishioner pregnant (Diana Zubiri). The priest he replaces in a remote town is a drunkard. “Pero very sympathetic ang treatment sa mga pari. Hindi sila jina-judge. It stresses the loneliness felt by priests. Dahil lagi silang surrounded by families in the parish and yet pag-uwi nila, mag-isa lang sila, kaya may natututong uminom. Nag-research si Ricky Lee and he found out that young priests na may hitsura, very attractive talaga sa mga babae at sila ang nanse-seduce mismo sa mga pari. I’ve won awards sa movies ko with Direk Mel, like ‘Twilight Dancers’ and ‘Lauriana’, pero itong sa ‘Daluyong’ ang most challenging role ko with him bilang paring nakabuntis and later on, accused pa of murder.”