Bagahe Wins Top Prize in the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema

PRESS RELEASE
August 12, 2018

“Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon” named Best Film in the 14th Cinemalaya

Eddie Garcia and Ai Ai Delas Alas win Best Actor and Actress

Cinemalaya 2018 winners with the Cinemalaya Organizing Committee and Jury members. (Photo by Kiko Cabuena)

Carlo Enciso Catu’s Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon (Waiting for Sunset)
is named Best Film at the 14th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival Awards Night. (Photo by Kiko Cabuena)

CARLO ENCISO CATU’s Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon (Waiting for Sunset) was named Best Film at the 14th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival Awards night held on August 12, 2018 at the CCP Main Theater.

Catu’s film about love, companionship and forgiveness in the twilight years of an unlikely trio—an unmarried couple and the woman’s estranged husband—also won the prizes for Best Production Design(Marielle Hizon), Best Cinematography (Neil Daza), and Best Screenplay (John Carlo Pacala).

Featuring veteran actors Dante Rivero, Menggie Cobarrubias, Perla Bautista in the lead roles, the film was cited “forits general technical excellence, for its powerful ensemble acting by some of the most august names in Philippine cinema, and for its sensitive depiction of decline and decrepitude.”

As Best Film winner, Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon garnered Php350,000, a Balanghaitrophy, a post production package worth Php600,000, a Canon camera, and a distribution grant worth Php200,000.

The Special Jury Prize went to Pan de Salawal (The Sweet Taste of Salted Bread and Undies) by Che Espiritu, who also won for Best Direction. As Special Jury Prize winner,Pan de Salawal garnered Php100,000, a Balanghai trophy, a Canon camera, and full color-grading from Optima Digital worth Php360,000 for the said award.

Pan de Salawal was lauded “For its vibrancy and vigor, its sense of wonder and poignant humor, and its effective conjuring of a suffering world where miracles are possible.”

Pan de Salawal also earned the Best Original Musical Score award (Len Calvo) and Special Jury citations for the young actorsin its cast.

Child actors Miel Espinosa (Pan de Salawal), JM Salvado (Pan de Salawal and Musmos na Sumibol sa Gubat ng Digma), and Kenken Nuyda (Liway and School Service) all earned Special Jury Citations for their outstanding performances.

The Cinemalaya Board of Jurors said that strong performances of children have distinguished a number of movies in this year’s Cinemalaya festival.

The Cinemalaya Board of Jurors made special note of “the particularly strong lineup of movies in the Main Competition” in this year’s Cinemalaya.

It gave Special Jury commendation to Kip Oebanda’s autobiographical film Liway that told the story of Oebanda’s life as a child living with his parents, rebels detained inside a military camp. As Special Jury winner, Liway received Php100,000, a Balanghaitrophy, a Canon camera and full color-grading from Optima Digital worth Php360,000.

The Jury praised the film “for its timely subject matter and for its writer-director who courageously opened himself up to share with others his very revealing past.”

Liway bagged the Audience Choice award in the Full Length Feature category.For being the Audience Choice award, the said film earnedPhp75,000and a certificate.

Award winning actor Eddie Garcia was honored with the Best Actor award for his role in Benedict Mique’s ML. Garcia was applauded by the jury “for his wickedly frightening portrayal—himself embodying the horrors of a dark past.”

Actress, host and comedian Ai Ai Delas Alas garnered the Best Actress award for her role in Luisito Ignacio’s School Service. She was lauded “for her very realistic portrayal of a hateful woman trying to retain a modicum of humanity in her.”

Therese Malvar tied with herself for the Best Supporting Actress award for her performances in two films, School Service and Percival Intalan’s Distance, while Ketchup Eusebio won the Best Supporting Actor for his role in Denise O’Hara’s Mamang.

The Best Editing award went to ML (Mikael Pestano) while Best Sound went to Wild Sound for its work in Iar Lionel Arondaing’s Musmos Na Sumibol Sa Gubat Ng Digma (Unless the Water is Safer than the Land).

In the short feature category, Carlo Francisco Manatad’s Jodilerks De La Cruz, Employee of the Month was named Best Film while Special Jury Prize went to Si Astri Maka Si Tambulah by Xeph Suarez, who also won for Best Direction. Best Short Film winner Jodilerks De La Cruz, Employee of the Month won Php150,000 cash award, the Cinemalaya Balanghai trophy, a Canon camera, and full color-grading services from Optima Digital worth Php360,000. As Special Jury Prize winner, Si Astri Maka Si Tambulah earned Php50,000 and a Balanghai trophy.

The Audience Choice Award went to Kiko by Jojo Drizand the Best Screenplay award went to Christian Candelaria for Sa Saiyang Isla (In His Island). The short feature film Kiko garnered Php50,000and a certificate.

For the Nespresso Vertical Shorts 2018 Competition, the Best Film went to SLN by Brian Spencer Reyes. First and second runners up were Braveheart by Kevin Tuazon and Ako by Jonel Revistual, respectively.The said films won cash prizes and Nespresso coffee machines.

Now on its 14th year, Cinemalaya has supported and promoted the production of full feature independent films and short films. Many of these films have won awards in local and international competitions and festivals.

Through the annual festival, Cinemalaya has showcased over 1,000 works by independent filmmakers including full feature films, shorts, documentaries, Filipino film classics, and art films.

Cinemalaya this year was held at the CCP and in selected Ayala Malls cinemas.

Cinemalaya is a project of the Cinemalaya Foundation and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Established in 2005, Cinemalaya is an all-digital film festival and competition that aims to discover, encourage and honor cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers.

For more information about Cinemalaya, visit www.cinemalaya.org, www.culturalcenter.gov.ph and the Cinemalaya Facebook page or CCP Media Arts at telephone number 832-1125 local 1704 & 1712 and the CCP Box Office at 832-3704.

SHORT FEATURE CATEGORY

Audience Choice Award

The Audience Choice Award for the Cinemalaya Short Feature Film goes to

KIKO

By JOJO DRIZ

Best Screenplay

For its compelling tale of a young boy in a small community facing an environmental disaster, the BEST SCREENPLAY goes to

CHRISTIAN CANDELARIA

for SA SAIYANG ISLA

Best Direction

For his competent melding of the resources of cinema to portray the conflict between tradition and sexual identity, the BEST DIRECTION goes to

XEPH SUAREZ

for SI ASTRI MAKA SI TAMBULAH

Special Jury Prize

For its sensitive take on the clash between steadfast tradition and sexual liberation, the SPECIAL JURY PRIZE goes to

SI ASTRI MAKA SI TAMBULAH

by XEPH SUAREZ

Best Film

For its general technical excellence and its vigorous satire on the problems in the Philippines, the BEST FILM goes to

JODILERKS DE LA CRUZ, EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

by CARLO FRANCISCO MANATAD

FULL-LENGTH FILMS

Audience Choice Award

The Audience Choice Award for the Cinemalaya Full-Length Feature Film goes to

LIWAY

By KIP OEBANDA

Best Sound

For its dynamic design that conjoins dialogue and music, sounds and silence that altogether powerfully evoke an environment otherwise riven by conflict and bloodshed, the BEST SOUND AWARD goes to

WILDSOUND

for MUSMOS NA SUMIBOL SA GUBAT NG DIGMA

Best Original Music Score

For its original music as well as its clever adaptation of folk music that enhances the audience’s belief in an enchanted world, the award for BEST

MUSiC SCORE goes to

LEN CALVO

for PAN DE SALAWAL

Best Editing

For its deft montage of images that powerfully conjure the horrors of authoritarian rule, the BEST EDITING AWARD goes to

MIKAEL PESTANO

for ML

Best Production Design

For its inspired art direction that effectively complements characterization and evokes the wages of old age, the BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN AWARD goes to

MARIELLE HIZON

for KUNG PAANO HINIHINTAY ANG DAPITHAPON

Best Cinematography

For its very effective employment of photographic resources to depict the decline of years and the waste of relationships, the BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD goes to

NEIL DAZA

for KUNG PAANO HINIHINTAY ANG DAPITHAPON

Best Screenplay

For taking as its subject matter a sector that’s relegated to the margins of society, and its poignant take on old age and dying, the BEST SCREENPLAY AWARD goes to

JOHN CARLO PACALA

for KUNG PAANO HINIHINTAY ANG DAPITHAPON

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor

For effectively evoking pathos and poignancy in his portrayal of a loving son, the BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR goes to

KETCHUP EUSEBIO

for MAMANG

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress

The Cinemalaya 2018 Jury declares a TIE in this category. It is giving this award to ONE actress but for TWO movies.

For her very gritty portrayal in one film of a young woman of the streets, and for her very sensitive depiction in another of a daughter with a troubled relationship with her mom, the BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS AWARD goes to

THERESE MALVAR

for SCHOOL SERVICE and DISTANCE

Best Direction

For impressively using the resources of cinema to evoke in a very convincing manner a world of utter enchantment, the BEST DIRECTOR AWARD goes to

CHE ESPIRITU

for PAN DE SALAWAL

Best Performance by an Actor

Award winning actor Eddie Garcia is honored with the Best Actor award forhis role in Benedict Mique’sML.(Photo by KikoCabuena)

For his wickedly frightening portrayal—himself embodying the horrors of a dark past, the BEST ACTOR AWARD goes to

EDDIE GARCIA

for ML

Best Performance by an Actress

Actress, host and comedian Ai AiDelas Alas garners the Best Actress award for her role in Luisito Ignacio’s School Service.(Photo by OrlyDaquipil)

For her very realistic portrayal of a hateful woman trying to retain a modicum of humanity in her, the BEST ACTRESS AWARD goes to

AI-AI DE LAS ALAS

of SCHOOL SERVICE

Special Jury Citation for Acting

The Board of Jurors takes note of the strong performances of children that have distinguished a number of movies in this year’s Cinemalaya festival. For this reason, the Board is giving a SPECIAL JURY CITATION FOR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE for the following child-actors:

MIEL ESPINOSA

for PAN DE SALAWAL

JM SALVADO

for MUSMOS NA SUMIBOL SA GUBAT NG DIGMA

and PAN DE SALAWAL

and

KENKEN NUYDA

for LIWAY

and SCHOOL SERVICE

Special Jury Commendation

Likewise the Board of Jurors takes special note of the particularly strong lineup of movies in the Main Competition of the 2018 Cinemalaya. In particular, it would like to make a SPECIAL JURY COMMENDATION of one film.

For its timely subject matter and for its writer-director who courageously opened himself up to share with others his very revealing past, the SPECIAL JURY COMMENDATION goes to

LIWAY

by KIP OEBANDA

Special Jury Prize

For its vibrancy and vigor, its sense of wonder and poignant humor, and its effective conjuring of a suffering world where miracles are possible, the SPECIAL JURY PRIZE goes to

PAN DE SALAWAL

by CHE ESPIRITU

Best Film

For its general technical excellence, for its powerful ensemble acting by some of the most august names in Philippine cinema, and for its sensitive depiction of decline and decrepitude, the BEST FILM AWARD goes to

KUNG PAANO HINIHINTAY ANG DAPITHAPON

by CARLO ENCISO CATU