Aswang, Alyx Ayn Arumpac’s debut feature-length documentary on the Duterte administration’s drug war, and Midnight in a Perfect World, Dodo Dayao’s dystopian imagination of Metro Manila, received the lion’s share of prizes handed out by the Society of Filipino Film Reviewers (SFFR) for its inaugural Pinoy Rebyu Awards.
Aswang, which screened as part of the 2020 Daang Dokyu Film Festival, received four awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, Best First Feature, and Best Editing (for Anne Fabini and Fatima Bianchi). The SFFR cited the film’s “expert conjuring of Philippine mythology in depicting the horrors of the current administration’s drug war”.
Meanwhile, Midnight in a Perfect World, which premiered in last year’s Quezon City International Film Festival, won in five categories: Best Director, Best Ensemble Performance (for its main cast Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Glaiza de Castro, Anthony Falcon, Dino Pastrano, and Bing Pimentel), Best Cinematography (for Albert Banzon and Gym Lumbera), Best Music Score (Erwin Romulo, Malek Lopez, and Juan Miguel Sobrepeña), and Best Production Design (Benjamin Padero and Carlo Tabije). The SFFR cited Dayao’s “singular, clear-cut vision of the film and his masterful control of its technical aspects”.
Newcomer Charlie Dizon won Best Lead Performance for her role as a die-hard fan of actor Paulo Avelino in Fan Girl. In its citation, SFFR praised Dizon for a “nuanced, naturalistic portrayal of a giddy teenager obsessed with her matinee idol, never losing control of her character’s motivations and impressively showing a gamut of emotions throughout her character’s ordeal”.
The Best Screenplay award is given to Isabel Sandoval for Lingua Franca, for its “sensitive depiction of the life and love of a trans woman living as an undocumented immigrant in New York”.
Character actor Phi Palmos coveted the Best Supporting Performance prize for his charismatic, heartfelt interpretation of a supportive friend and countryman of JC Santos’ character in the Japan-set film Kintsugi.
SFFR, as has been its tradition since its decade-long existence as Pinoy Rebyu, does not distinguish between male and female performances, the way it does not distinguish gender in the other award categories.
The Best Short Film award is given to Bullet-laced Dreams by Kristoffer Brugada and Cha Escala, about indigenous children in Mindanao fighting for their right to education amidst increasing militarization.
The Best International Film award is given to Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s Happy Old Year, a quiet, sensitive depiction of the intricacies of letting go (both of materials things and broken relationships). The film premiered in Netflix Philippines in 2020 and is Thailand’s official submission to the 93rd Academy Awards.
Trophies will be sent to winners via courier.
The Society of Filipino Film Reviewers is composed of 53 avid reviewers of Philippine cinema. It aims to promote local film through advocating for film education, preservation, criticism, and exhibition of Philippine cinema.
Below is the full list of winners:
BEST FILM: Aswang
BEST DIRECTOR: Dodo Dayao, Midnight in a Perfect World
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE: Charlie Dizon, Fan Girl
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE: Phi Palmos, Kintsugi
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE: Main cast of Midnight in a Perfect World
BEST SCREENPLAY: Lingua Franca (Isabel Sandoval)
BEST EDITING: Aswang (Anne Fabini and Fatima Bianchi)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Midnight in a Perfect World (Albert Banzon and Gym Lumbera)
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Midnight in a Perfect World (Benjamin Padero and Carlo Tabije)
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Midnight in a Perfect World (Erwin Romulo, Malek Lopez, and Juan Miguel Sobrepeña)
Honorable Mention/Runners-up: “Watch Me Kill” (dir. Tyrone Acierto); “Misterio Dela Noche” (dir. Adolfo Alix Jr.); “Sunod” (dir. Carlo Ledesma); “Write About Love” (dir. Crisanto Aquino); “The Panti Sisters” (dir. Jun Robles Lana); “Babae at Baril” (dir. Rae Red); “I’m Ellenya L.” (dir. Boy 2 Quizon); “Born Beautiful” (dir. Perci Intalan); “G!” (dir. Dondon Santos); “Pailalim” (dir. Daniel Palacio)
Terence Ang
John Denver Trending
Sila-Sila
Kalel, 15
Edward
Jino to Mari
Mark James Atienza
Ang Hupa
Kalel, 15
John Denver Trending
Sila-Sila
Edward
Cleaners
Metamorphosis
Verdict
F#*@bois
Circa
Gerald Cajayon
For My Alien Friend
Cleaners
Lucid
Sila-Sila
Ulan
John Denver Trending
No Data Plan
Edward
Kalel, 15
Open
Biboy Calleja
Edward
John Denver Trending
Akin Ang Korona
Jino To Mari
Hello, Love, Goodbye
Fuccbois
Born Beautiful
Nuuk
Dead Kids
Mina-Anud
Carlo Antonio Cielo
Maria
Verdict
Cleaners
Nuuk
Archie del Mundo
John Denver Trending
Jino To Mari
Edward
Kalel, 15
Isa Pa with Feelings
Elise
Alone/Together
Fuccbois
Ulan
Hello Love Goodbye
Armando dela Cruz
Edward
Kalel, 15
Isa Pa, With Feelings
Cleaners
Sila-Sila
John Denver Trending
Babae at Baril
Between Maybes
Ulan
Watch Me Kill
Engelbert Rafferty Dulay
John Denver Trending
For My Alien Friend
Kalel, 15
No Data Plan
Edward
The Kingmaker
Cleaners
Ang Hupa
ICYMI: I See Me
Ulan
Matthew Escosia
John Denver Trending
Cleaners
Edward
Kalel, 15
Alone/ Together
F#*@bois
Sila-Sila
Babae at Baril
Akin ang Korona
Hello, Love, Goodbye
James Espinoza
John Denver Trending
Edward
Elise
LSS
Kalel, 15
Brylle Gershwin Fajardo
Isa Pa, With Feelings
Edward
Hello, Love, Goodbye
Verdict
Open
Cleaners
Metamorphosis
Tayo sa Huling Buwan ng Taon
Unforgettable
Elise
Lee Fonté
LSS
Cleaners
Edward
John Denver Trending
Hello, Love, Goodbye
Kalel, 15
Jino to Mari
For My Alien Friend
Alone/Together
Ulan
Ivan Gentolizo
Ang Hupa by Lav Diaz
Verdict by Raymund Ribay Gutierrez
John Denver Trending by Arden Rod Condez
Edward by Thop Nazareno
Sila-Sila by Giancarlo Abrahan
Cleaners by Glenn Barit
Kalel, 15 by Jun Robles Lana
Isa Pa, With Feelings by Prime Cruz
F#*@bois by Eduardo Roy Jr.
LSS (Last Song Syndrome) by Jade
Goldwin Reviews
Cleaners
Write About Love
Miracle in Cell no. 7
I’m Ellenya L
Pandanggo Sa Hukay
Belle Douleur
Unforgettable
Ang Henerasyong Sumuko Sa Love
Edward
Sila-sila
Fred Hawson
Quezon’s Game
Cleaners
Culion
Edward
John Denver Trending
Children of the River
Metamorphosis
Hello Love Goodbye
Isa Pa with Feelings
Maria
Emil Hofileña
Cleaners
A Is for Agustin
Hello, Love, Goodbye
Metamorphosis
Akin ang Korona
Edward
Kalel, 15
John Denver Trending
Isa Pa, with Feelings
Elise
Goldmon Iporac
Sila-Sila
Alone/Together
Ulan
Lucid
Lola Igna
LSS
F#*@bois
Kuwaresma
Elise
Born Beautiful
Json Javier
John Denver Trending
Kalel, 15
Edward
Isa Pa, With Feelings
Hello, Love, Goodbye
Circa
Open
LSS
Write About Love
Unforgettable
Kayo Jolongbayan
John Denver Trending
Cleaners
LSS
Edward
Jino To Mari
Isa Pa, With Feelings
Kalel, 15
Alone Together
Lingua Franca
Ulan
Skilty Labastilla
Lakaran ni Kabunyan
A Is for Agustin
For My Alien Friend
Quezon’s Game
Ulan
Isa Pa with Feelings
Verdict
John Denver Trending
Cleaners
Metamorphosis
Jay Lacanilao
For My Alien Friend
Cleaners
Edward
Jino to Mari
Akin ang Korona
Ang Hupa
Belle Douleur
Lingua Franca
Fuccbois
Bamboo Dogs
Wowie Lagman
John Denver Trending
The Halt
Belle Douleur
Dead Kids
Ulan
Akin ang Korona
Metamorphosis
Edward
Iska
Kalel, 15
Nicol Latayan
John Denver Trending
Kalel, 15
Isa Pa With Feelings
Ulan
Cleaners
Verdict
Edward
LSS Last Song Syndrome
Metamorphosis
Miracle in Cell No. 7
Den Lebantino
Kalel, 15
Quezon’s Game
Lola Igna
Ulan
Alone/Together
Just a Stranger
Macky Macarayan
CLEANERS
JOHN DENVER TRENDING
KALEL, 15
SUNOD
ULAN
LSS
HELLO LOVE, GOODBYE
SILA-SILA
ISA PA WITH FEELINGS
WRITE ABOUT LOVE
Stephanie Mayo
Verdict
Metamorphosis
Quezon’s Game
Sunod
Iska
John Denver Trending
Pandanggo sa Hukay
Fidel Antonio Medel
Edward, dir. Thop Nazareno
Isa Pa, With Feelings, dir. Prime Cruz
Hello, Love, Goodbye, dir. Cathy Garcia-Molina
Watch Me Kill, dir. Tyrone Acierto
Metamorphosis, dir. JE Tiglao
John Denver Trending, Arden Rod Condez
Sila-Sila, dir. Giancarlo Abrahan
F#*@BOIS, dir. Eduardo Roy
Mell Navarro
John Denver Trending
Metamorphosis
Edward
Lola Igna
Hello, Love, Goodbye
Sila Sila
Mindanao
Mina-Anud
Watch Me Kill
Maria
HONORABLE MENTION: Nuuk, Babae At Baril, F#@bois, Elise, Jino To Mari, Between Maybes, Ang Hupa, Isa Pa With Feelings, Eerie, Verdict, Kalel, 15; Quezon’s Game, Miracle In Cell No. 7
Jim Paranal
John Denver Trending
Kalel, 15
Quezon’s Game
Sila Sila
Akin ang Korona
Isa Pa With Feelings
Jino To Mari
Circa
Verdict
Elise
Ed Ramirez
For My Alien Friend
Cleaners
Edward
Kalel 15
Sila Sila
John Denver Trending
Fuccbois
Lola Igna
LSS
Metamorphosis
DJ Ramones
Sila Sila
Edward
Tayo sa Huling Buwan ng Taon
John Denver Trending
Kalel, 15
Cleaners
Isa Pa with Feelings
Elise
Ulan
Quezon’s Game
Benj Ramos
John Denver Trending
Cleaners
Metamorphosis
Quezon’s Game
Between Maybes
Edward
Ulan
Hello Love Goodbye
Kalel 15
Open
Jay Rosas
No Data Plan / Miko Revereza
For My Alien Friend / Jet Leyco
Huwebes Huwebes / Kris Villarino, Don Frasco, Januar Yap
John Denver Trending, the debut film of Arden Rod Condez about a rural teenage boy whose video attacking a classmate goes viral, tops the 9th Annual Pinoy Rebyu poll of the best in Philippine cinema in 2019, with 42 poll participants submitting ballots in 14 categories. The film was an entry to Cinemalaya 2019, where it was named Best Picture.
The film’s lead actor, Jansen Magpusao, topped the Best Lead Performance category, narrowly edging Kalel, 15‘s Elijah Canlas. John Denver Trending also topped the Best Screenplay (Condez) and Best First Feature categories.
Another debuting filmmaker, Glenn Barit, was named Best Director for Cleaners, which also bagged Best Editing (Che Tagyamon and Noah Loyola) and Best Scene (for the cathartic ending).
Ricky Davao was named Best Supporting Performer for his turn as a small-town mayor with a boy toy in Fuccbois, while the cast of Sila-Sila topped Best Ensemble Performance.
Kalel, 15 was named Best Cinematography for the monochrome lensing of Carlo Mendoza, while LSS was named Best Original Score / Soundtrack (Ben & Ben for the songs and Pat Lasaten for the score).
Jet Leyco’s For My Alien Friend, which screened in QCinema, was named Best Documentary while Don Senoc’s Sa Among Agwat, which screened in Cinemalaya, topped the Best Short Film category.
For the third year running, QCinema is voted as the best local film festival.
The Society of Filipino Film Reviewers (SFFR) have sent in their ballots to determine nominations for the best in Philippine cinema for 2020. Nominees of the 1st Pinoy Rebyu Awards will be announced Monday, January 18, 2021.
For this year’s awards, celebrating the best in Philippine cinema of 2020, the voting members have 53 eligible local full-length films to consider in these 12 categories: Best Feature Film, Director, Lead Performance, Supporting Performance, Ensemble Performance, Screenplay, Cinematography, Production Design, Editing, Music Score, Documentary Feature, and First Feature.
The Society will also hand the award for Best Short Film. To recognize excellence in international filmmaking, SFFR is introducing a new category: Best International Film, where nominees were selected from 93 eligible films.
To be eligible, a film must have played publicly in a theater in the Philippines between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020. Films that debuted exclusively on streaming platforms were considered as long as they were widely available to Philippines-based viewers.
2020 hit the local film industry hard. What used to be 100-150 film outputs in a year over the past decade and half have been reduced to about 50 productions, with most of them released via streaming platforms as cinemas closed by the second quarter of the year.
In this tenth edition of Pinoy Rebyu polls, 35 members of the Society of Filipino Film Reviewers recognize the film festivals that were able to adapt to the new cinema-viewing experience. A total of 9 film festivals were cited by voters, including runners-up Binisaya Film Festival, Lockdown Cinema Club, Mindanao Film Festival, Metro Manila Film Festival, and Ngilngig Asian Fantastic Film Festival.
However, there were four filmfests that were consistently mentioned by voters for having delivered quality films and streaming experience:
3 (tie) – Cinemalaya Film Festival (28 points)
While a few major local film festivals announced postponements of their annual fests due to challenges posed by the pandemic, Cinemalaya was the first major filmfest to show how it can be done.
Stephanie Mayo: “Well-curated short films, organized, hassle-free streaming experience.”
Cholo Sediaren: “The best format for the digital age of film festivals, and provided a comprehensive library of shorts and classics.”
Kevin Oliver Tan: “Easy access and all films can be found in one page.”
3 (tie) – Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (28 points)
While its approximation of a physical festival through a strict film scheduling proved difficult to some, PPP satiated film buffs with the sheer amount of films (short, full-length, classics) being shown.
Terence Ang: “For having the most expansive film selection, from digitally-restored classics to indie gems that people might’ve missed out on from the past decade, streamed using the most reliable media player for a seamless and more enjoyable viewing experience”
Daph Bajas: “I liked the platform. All films have watermarks. Screenings for different locations.”
Robert Cerda: “The bundle price is worth all of the available films, features, and talks.”
James Espinoza: “Despite the organizers’ insistence on the fixed schedule of the ‘movie theater experience’, the actual selections of short and feature films were wide-ranging and comprehensive. Their adaptive player wasn’t half bad. More seamless than Upstream if I may say so.”
Vinson Gabato: “Because of the number of films. Though I did not like that the films had a schedule and venue where it would be shown, I think it’s ingenious. It gave the sense of being in a movie house where you have to be early.”
Emil Hofileña: “Even with an overabundance of films and early technical issues, this year’s PPP truly had something for everyone. And if you were lucky enough to find a screening that fit your schedule, it felt just like catching a movie in cinemas, alongside a crowd of equally eager audience members.”
2 – Daang Dokyu(50 points)
The new kid on the local filmfest block was heaven-sent to documentary aficionados, screening free well-curated documentaries that included seminal films that Filipinos needed to see.
Sanriel Ajero: “It has an impressive program of important documentaries with sections ranging from Martial Law to environmentalism – free for all and with a stable streaming website that’s very easy to access.”
Armando dela Cruz: “A welcome addition to any cinephile’s yearly itinerary, Daang Dokyu unearthed titles from all over the world and different years. The programming is ideal, too, and something that other local festivals should adapt. Daang Dokyu programmed weekly, with each week having its own theme. The films are streamed on their self-hosted platform, which is already better than other festivals’ third-party-powered programming (via Upstream, Vimeo-On-Demand). Oh, and they did all of this for free.”
Princess Kinoc: “Daang Dokyu is the best Film Festival this year because they showcased a well-curated way of showcasing documentaries online, within schedule, well-catalogued as they also help out PR writers to map out a way to understand why the films were shown for that week, and included minutes per film so that we, the viewers, can arrange our schedules appropriately. Also, walang tapon sa lahat ng films na shinowcase. Award na award.”
Skilty Labastilla: “I’m a sucker for documentaries so this was the perfect filmfest for me. But the top-notch curation and easy site navigability, not to mention not having to pay anything, are what sealed the deal. Here’s hoping this will be a regular fixture in the festival circuit.”
Jay Lacanilao: “Streamed relevant and timely films for free”
Jason Tan Liwag: “For providing unparalleled access to curated documentaries – short and long – for free to the Filipino people, returning to them often-lost narratives through cinema as history, and enabling avenues by which to process these stories into action.”
Macky Macarayan: “It is a carefully curated festival that highlights the historical significance and power of the documentary form, as well as celebrates the country’s treasure trove of documentary films.”
Joker Manio: “For being a new platform that showcases the underappreciated craft of documentary filmmaking in the country”
Jim Paranal: “Documentaries are often overlooked in film festivals, especially here in the Philippines. Just like short films, documentaries are only given a limited platform. We are accustomed in watching them for free on TV. Daang Dokyu paved the way to documentaries through free online streaming. Aside from that, we get to know stories that we’re not familiar with. At first, I thought that Daang Dokyu won’t push through because initially, this was slated to have its program in March – prior to CoViD 19 pandemic quarantine. Good to know that they’re able to showcase marvelous sets of documentaries last September to November 2020.”
Nico Quejano: “Very well curated. Probably the best celebration of the centennial of Philippine Cinema; showing history in film and filmmaking in our history.”
Robin Quiñones: “(For the) variety of films, relevance, VOD format”
Jay Rosas: “The first of its kind in the Philippines, showcasing diverse films and programming; basically, elevating documentary film practice in the popular discourse.”
1 – QCinema (64 points)
What can we say? For the fourth straight year, QCinema has established itself as the filmfest to beat. While its local film grantees for 2020 were not able to finish production due to time constraints brought about by the pandemic, QCinema continued to curate acclaimed new works in world cinema and re-screened a few notable QCinema alums from the last couple of years.
Mayk Alegre: “If I’m not mistaken, it’s the first to introduce Upstream VOD streaming platform.”
Macoy Delociento: “Showcased a good selection of local and international films.”
Engelbert Dulay: “Impeccable lineup from start to end, made accessible at the comforts of everyone’s homes via Upstream. The fact that I didn’t have to travel 4 hours a day (from Alabang to QC) just to attend my favorite Filipino film festival alone is a blessing.”
Miguel Edosma: “The festival is made up of well curated films. Viewers won’t experience burnout because there is a fair number of movies per batch. And you can watch them anytime you want, plus those who brought bundle tickets get freebies!”
Cydel Gutierrez: “For pushing physical screenings in the midst of a pandemic and responsibly adhering to safety protocols.”
Fred Hawson: “Excellent international selection of internationally acclaimed films”
Wowie Lagman: “QCinema has always been consistent in the quality of its lineup of films. They’re always interesting, provocative, and, of course, entertaining.”
Nicol Latayan: “Cleanest execution of a combined online and actual film fest, decent lineup of movies, and a user-friendly, PPV format for the virtual viewing.”
Manuel Pangaruy: “For still coming up with a decent line-up despite the condition. Ticket is relatively affordable, and the platform used is easy to navigate.”
Bernard Santos: “It brought awesome international films available for screening online and mounted a special outdoor screening for film lovers to experience watching on a big screen again.”
Nazamel Tabares: “Navigation was smooth for an online film festival with variety of choices from local to international titles.”
John Tawasil: “QCinema not only gave us one of the best lineups of the year, it also thought forward with its hybrid of live and online screenings and a generous stream schedule for all concerned.”
INDIVIDUAL BALLOTS
Sanriel Ajero
1. Daang Dokyu 2. Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 3. Cinemalaya
Mayk Alegre
1. QCinema 2. Cinemalaya
Terence Ang
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Cinemalaya
QCinema
Daph Bajas
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
QCinema
Binisaya
Robert Cerda
PPP
Daang Dokyu
Armando dela Cruz
Daang Dokyu Documentary Festival
QCinema International Film Festival
Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival
Macoy Delociento
QCinema
DaangDokyu
Metro Manila Film Festival
Engelbert Rafferty Dulay
QCinema
Binisaya
Cinemalaya
Miguel Edosma
QCinema
Daang Dokyu
Cinemalaya
James Espinoza
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Cinemalaya
Daang Dokyu
Vinson Gabato
PPP
QCinema
DaangDokyu
Cydel Gutierrez
QCinema
DaangDokyu
Mindanao Film Festival
Fred Hawson
QCinema
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Emil Hofileña
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
QCinema
Metro Manila Film Festival
Princess Kinoc
Daang Dokyu
2. Mindanao Film Fest
QCinema
Skilty Labastilla
Daang Dokyu
PPP
Lockdown Cinema Club
Jay Lacanilao
Daang Dokyu
QCinema
Cinemalaya
Wowie Lagman
QCinema
Cinemalaya
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Nicol Latayan
QCinema
PPP
Daang Dokyu
Jason Tan Liwag
Daang Dokyu
QCinema
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Macky Macarayan
Daang Dokyu
Joker Manio
Daang Dokyu
QCinema International Film Festival
Ngilngig Asian Fantastic Film Festival Davao
Stephanie Mayo
Cinemalaya
Manuel Pangaruy
QCinema
Daang Dokyu
MMFF
Jim Paranal
Daang Dokyu
Cinemalaya
QCinema
Nico Quejano
Daang Dokyu
QCinema
Lockdown Cinema Club
Robin Quiñones
Daang Dokyu
QCinema
Cinemalaya
Jay Rosas
Daang Dokyu
Cinemalaya / Gawad Alternatibo
BINISAYA Film Festival
Bernard Santos
QCinema
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2020
Metro Manila Film Festival 2020
Cholo Sediaren
Cinemalaya
QCinema
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Naz Malvas Tabares
QCinema
Daang Dokyu
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Kevin Oliver Tan
Cinemalaya
QCinema
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
John Tawasil
QCinema
Cinemalaya
MMFF
Jay-r Trinidad
Lockdown Cinema Club had the biggest number of films (short or full) released. With filmmakers providing entertainment during the early stages of the quarantine. Not to mention that this was for a cause.
Daang Dokyu
QCinema
JT Trinidad
Lockdown Cinema Club, it was able to showcase and distribute different films to a lot of people and helped the audiences cope with their anxieties during the quarantine.
The Society of Filipino Film Reviewers’ Pinoy Rebyu Awards celebrate the best achievements in Philippine cinema of 2020. For eligibility, members of SFFR considered all films released in the calendar year in at least one cinema in the Philippines or on a largely accessible streaming service between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020.
Of the nominees, Dodo Dayao’s “Midnight in a Perfect World” received 9 nominations, the most of any film. It was nominated for Best Film, along with Alyx Ayn Arumpac’s “Aswang”, Antoinette Jadaone’s “Fan Girl”, Lav Diaz’s “Lahi, Hayop”, and Isabel Sandoval’s “Lingua Franca”.
Three of the films nominated for Best Film were directed by women, who also earned Best Director mentions.
The winners of the 1st Pinoy Rebyu Awards will be announced on February 1, 2021.
Best Feature Film
A total of 20 films received nominations from members of the society.
ASWANG Directed by Alyx Ayn Arumpac Produced by Armi Rae Cacanindin
FAN GIRL Directed by Antoinette Jadaone Produced by Bianca Balbuena, Dan Villegas
LAHI, HAYOP Directed by Lav Diaz
MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD Directed by Dodo Dayao Produced by Bianca Balbuena, Quark Henares, Bradley Liew
LINGUA FRANCA Directed by Isabel Sandoval Produced by Isabel Sandoval, Carlo Velayo, Darlene Malimas, Jhett Tolentino, Jerome Kerkman
Best Director
A total of 18 directors received nominations from members of the society.
Alyx Ayn Arumpac ASWANG
Dodo Dayao MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD
Dolly Dulu THE BOY FORETOLDBY THE STARS
Antoinette Jadaone FAN GIRL
Isabel Sandoval LINGUA FRANCA
Best Lead Performance
A total of 35 actors received nominations by members of the society.
Elijah Canlas HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN
Charlie Dizon FAN GIRL
Adrian Lindayag THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS
Bela Padilla ON VODKA, BEERS, AND REGRETS
Isabel Sandoval LINGUA FRANCA
Best Supporting Performance
A total of 47 actors received nominations by members of the society.
Nanding Josef LAHI, HAYOP
Shaina Magdayao TAGPUAN
Phi Palmos KINTSUGI
Bing Pimentel MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD
Enzo Pineda HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN
Best Ensemble Performance
A total of 16 ensembles were nominated by members of the society.
THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS
FOUR SISTERS BEFORE THE WEDDING
LAHI, HAYOP
MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD
WATCH LIST
Best Screenplay
A total of 24 screenplays were nominated by members of the society.
THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS Dolly Dulu
FAN GIRL Antoinette Jadaone
LAHI, HAYOP Lav Diaz
LINGUA FRANCA Isabel Sandoval
MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD Dodo Dayao
Best Production Design
A total of 20 productions were nominated by members of the society.
THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS Lars Magbanua
FAN GIRL Ferdi Abuel
KINTSUGI Hai Balbuena, Roli Inocencio
MAGIKLAND Ericson Navarro
MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD Benjamin Padero, Carlo Tabije
Best Cinematography
A total of 22 directors of photography were nominated by members of the society.
ASWANG Alyx Ayn Arumpac, Tanya Haurylchyk
THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS Marvin Reyes
FAN GIRL Neil Daza
LAHI, HAYOP Lav Diaz
MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD Albert Banzon, Gym Lumbera
Best Film Editing
A total of 23 film editors were nominated by members of the society.
ASWANG Anne Fabini, Fatima Bianchi
THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS Noah Tonga
FANGIRL Benjamin Tolentino
LINGUA FRANCA Isabel Sandoval
MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD Lawrence Ang
Best Music Score
A total of 19 film scores were nominated by members of the society.
ASWANG Teresa Barrozo
THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS Paulo Protacio
FAN GIRL Teresa Barrozo
MAGIKLAND Emerzon Texon
MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD Erwin Romulo, Malek Lopez, and Juan Miguel Sobrepeña
Best Documentary Feature
A total of 8 films were nominated by members of the society.
ASWANG Directed by Alyx Ayn Arumpac Produced by Armi Rae Cacanindin
DREAMING IN THE RED LIGHT Directed by Pabelle Manikan Produced by Pabelle Manikan, Wena Sanchez
ELEHIYA SA PAGLIMOT Directed by Kristoffer Brugada Produced by Cha Escala
ANG LAKARAN NI KABUNYAN Directed by Kidlat Tahimik
A THOUSAND CUTS Directed by Ramona Diaz Produced by Julie Goldman, Ramona Diaz, Leah Marino, Carolyn Hepburn, Chris Clements
Best First Feature
A total of 8 films were nominated by members of the society.
ASWANG Directed by Alyx Ayn Arumpac Produced by Armi Rae Cacanindin
THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS Directed by Dolly Dulu Produced by Roderick Cabrido, Dolly Dulu, Omar Sortijas, Jodi Sta. Maria
DREAMING IN THE RED LIGHT Directed by Pabelle Manikan Produced by Pabelle Manikan, Wena Sanchez ELEHIYA SA PAGLIMOT Directed by Kristoffer Brugada Produced by Cha Escala
MAGIKLAND Directed by Christian Acuna Produced by Rey Bantug, Albee Benitez, Peque Gallaga, Jo Macasa, Lore Reyes
Best Short Film
A total of 43 films were nominated by members of the society.
BULLET-LACED DREAMS Directed by Kristoffer Brugada, Cha Escala Produced by Kristoffer Brugada, Cha Escala
GULIS Directed by Kyle Jumayne Francisco Produced by Carlo Enciso Catu
HENERAL RIZAL Directed by Chuck Gutierrez Produced by Tanghalang Pilipino, Voyage Studios
LIVING THINGS Directed by Martika Ramirez Escobar Produced by Tin Velasco
ANGPAGPAKALMA SA UNOS Directed by Joanna Vasquez Arong Produced by Joanna Vasquez Arong
Best International Film
A total of 62 films were nominated by members of the society.
END OF THE CENTURY Directed by Lucio Castro (Argentina)
HAPPY OLD YEAR Directed by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit (Thailand)
LITTLE WOMEN Directed by Greta Gerwig (USA)
SOUND OF METAL Directed by Darius Marder (USA)
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 Directed by Aaron Sorkin (USA)
The Society of Filipino Film Reviewers continues the Pinoy Rebyu tradition since 2011 of recognizing the best individual scenes in Philippine cinema. Here are the 5 best scenes in 2020, with reviewers’ notes and filmmakers’ takes.
Ending, Lingua Franca
The late Lynn Cohen in a scene from Lingua Franca
Sanriel Ajero, SFFR: “Despite its tone being quiet and intimate, or its focus rather specific, Lingua Franca felt pretty revolutionary and universal. Yes, it was directed, written, performed, produced, and edited by a trans Filipina immigrant, but Isabel Sandoval also made choices, created moments, and reflected experiences in Lingua Franca that made her voice and vision singular, important and powerful. One important moment was how the central love scene was sensual, tender, and for once did not portray trans sex as something shocking, traumatic, or violent. Or that fantasy scene shot in extreme close-ups while the camera glides across the beautiful body of an empowered trans woman enjoying pleasure on screen without any threat or fear. Or that subtle comment on how immigration laws had changed in the way Sandoval contrasted Lynn Cohen’s Olga’s post-war emigration to Olivia’s personal difficulty in Trump’s America as immigration has become a political statement and power play.
What stuck with me, however, was the final sequence that showed how much Olivia’s character has learned from her experiences. Olivia is shy, aloof, and soft-spoken, possibly due to the circumstances of her immigration status and the constant ICE raids in the empty and isolated side of New York where she lives. She goes about her day like the hard-working immigrant that she is – working as an in-home caregiver to Olga, while supporting her family in the Philippines and using her savings to pay off an American citizen for green card. With her growing insurmountable deportation paranoia, Trump’s hate-mongering and transphobia, an expired passport no longer matching her, and knowing that Alex, who just lied to her, might be her only chance for a legal status, the final moments of Lingua Franca showing how Olivia decides to leave it all behind and choose herself feels quietly defiant. She has no answers and she cannot assure how things are going to go from there, but she now knows she belongs to herself and she continues to find her place in this world. In the end, we find her in the same situation where she started – talking to her mother in the Philippines and looking for a new way to legally stay in the US – but this time, a lot stronger and has a much bigger respect for herself. No lives lost, no immigrants deported, no trans woman violently attacked, it ended with a much more complicated emotion – that of disappointment and regret, but with respect, dignity, and hope.”
James Espinoza, SFFR: “While the plight of a transwoman to just be accepted or tolerated is already hard enough, Olivia’s struggle is made more difficult by her being an undocumented immigrant who then falls in love with a man unware of both facts. In the final sequence, after she demands to get her passport back from Alex, we see a montage of New York going about its daily business, and we hear a voiceover from Olivia explaining her situation to her mother. She’s got a new job. She’s met a new guy who can be her ticket to a citizenship. ‘It might take another year, more or less. But don’t worry about me. We’ll make it eventually.‘ And then we see Olga, her previous employer, peeling an orange and about to make a phone call, a scene that mirrors the same one early on in the film – an impressive editing and storytelling choice that seems to say: everything’s the same, yet everything is different.
What’s powerful about this sequence and with Lingua Franca as a whole is it demonstrates how her situation should not merely be viewed from the perspective of race, gender, class, etc. but from the intersectionality of all these issues. Olivia is a woman whose hope has been shattered over and over again. By her family, by strangers, by her loved one. But Olivia is not giving up. She’s taking control of the things she can and demanding the kind of respect she deserves, with the hope that one day, the world can catch up.”
Isabel Sandoval, writer/director: “We found the motel room location in Brooklyn a week before we started shooting. The team found it rather seedy and low-rent at the time, and we had been looking for something more plush and fancy. But I saw the dramatic potential of the wall-to-wall mirrors in the room then and eventually convinced the DP–who was particular about locations–that it’s perfect and I was right. When I wrote that morning-after scene between Olivia and Alex, I had considerably more lines of dialogue but, as we were rehearsing the day of, Olivia’s words just came across superfluous. Her silence in the face of Alex placating spoke volumes in comparison so I stripped down the scene that way. We also shot Alex having an emotional breakdown after he gives back Olivia’s passport but in the editing room I thought the scene didn’t need it. The film’s actual final scene was different as scripted. It was a static wide shot of Olivia leaving Alex’s apartment with her suitcase, uncertain where to go. It provided narrative clarity and closure but I thought it was dramatically flat. I found it to be a pat resolution to an otherwise complex film. So I thought of using a different take of an earlier scene between Olivia and Olga during an episode of dementia. Life goes on, and we remain in the dark about Olivia’s whereabouts or situation though we do hear her voicemail to her mother in the Philippines. There’s something haunting and elegiac about the scene cutting to black as Olga waits for her phone call to be answered.”
First kiss / Last kiss, The Boy Foretold by the Stars
Adrian Lindayag and Keann Johnson in The Boy Foretold by the Stars
Jason Tan Liwag, SFFR: “Dominic (Adrian Lindayag) stands in the middle of the field, overseeing the members of Journey, holding a lit candle in his hand. Luke (Keann Johnson) arrives and his voice pierces through the night. Dominic doesn’t turn around, almost as if he knows Luke will arrive, and looks on. As Luke continues his small attempts at making up for his previous actions, Dominic remains unfazed. Standing tall and self-assured, Dominic stands as a restoration of human dignity to the LGBTQIA+ community through cinema.
The image, the masculine ‘lalake’ courting the effiminate ‘bakla’, is a reversal of previous images in queer cinema. We’ve always had to beg: for acceptance, for love, for our rights. Queer romances haven’t always been kind to queer people. To be gay in cinema has always been a death sentence in some shape or form: either a real death (i.e. HIV, car crashes, etc.) or a death of desire; a non-reciprocation of love or of acceptance in society.
The Boy Foretold by the Stars doesn’t erase all of this cruel history that queer audiences have had to witness and endure. But it does give us some hope: that somehow there are futures wherein we are chosen and loved, as long as we somehow uphold our dignity. And it does it through the most emancipating of images: a simple kiss in public and two lovers staring at the same horizon.”
Daph Bajas, SFFR: “As a viewer, the ending kiss is unexpected. 2020 is the prime year of Boys’ Love genre. And all content— films, manga, tv-series— conditioned the viewers on the structure to expect. Dulu created a narrative turn unforeseen that could be read 2 ways: one, as a climactic ending, the are-they-or-aren’t-they-going-to-be-together, skewing a structure filled for the genre; two, as a character development— giddy slipstream of both sensation and decision, with adolescent, dawning awareness. It is both mainstream and novel, narrative and film-wise, as it suggests an encore post-scene; something we have never seen in an MMFF film.”
JT Trinidad, SFFR: “Kinontra ng ending ng The Boy Foretold by the Stars ang premise ng pelikula na patungkol sa tadhana. Pinakita nito na ang pag-ibig ay hindi lamang usapin ng barya o pagsasaalang-alang sa ibang puwersa. Ito ay pagpili at pag-take ng risk.”
Keann Johnson, actor: “For the first kiss scene, it was really something Adrian and I felt emotional about and wanted to give the audience something they can relate to and know na possible sya for them. We were not trying to overdo or make it seem like a cinematic scene pero we wanted to deliver the most authentic execution we could so we really embodied our characters. Nostalgic siya, yung hugot namin ni Adrian, also Direk, was real kase na experience na namin lahat that type of situation. I mean diba a lot of us have naman, in one way or another? So we just wanted to transcend that onto the audiences’ feeling and experiences as well. Put it with a great cinematography shot plus soundtrack it solidified the scene talaga eh.
The ending scene was partly an adlib from me saying “Fuck it!” Hindi kasama sa script yun. So that was huge talaga.”
Adrian Lindayag, actor: “Winorkshop namin both scenes along with other scenes prior to shooting. The 2 kissing scenes were shot on separate days. May rehearsals sa standby area at may rehearsal shots din. Pero yung mismong kiss, sa take lang namin ginawa kaya natural yung napanood niyo. Matinding paghihimay ang kinailangan namin gawin kasi mabigat yung batuhan ng linya prior to the kiss, kaya maraming beses namin nirehearse ang lines at yung blocking. Trivia, the ending scene was actually reshot (Direk already admitted this sa ibang interview). Hindi siya happy sa performance namin ni Keann nung unang beses namin ginawa kaya we had to re-do the entire scene sa ibang araw. Bukod sa paghimay ng script, pinaka preparation mo bilang actor before a kissing scene ay mag toothbrush at mouthwash!
Also, those two scenes were shot at least 4 hours each. Bukod sa mahaba yung mismong eksena, maraming shots na ginawa si direk. Honestly super nakakapagod gawin yung ending, physically and emotionally nakakadrain siya gawin nang paulit ulit. But I love challenges! Worth it naman ang pagod. Marami-raming refill din sa water jug dahil marami-raming luha yon!”
Dolly Dulu, writer/director: “Sa kahit anong romantic movie – sobrang halaga talaga yung moment na unang maghahalikan ang mga bida ng pelikula, isa siyang magical moment na lagi’t laging inaabangan ng bawat manonood. Ito’y dahil ang isang halik ay isang simbolismo ng pagsasama ng dalawang indibidual. Kaya alam ko sa sarili ko na kailangan maging magical yung eksena ng first kiss. Alam ito ni Adrian and ni Keann na ginusto ko talagang maging perfect yung scene na yon kasi yon yung money shot ng pelikula e, kapag hindi kinilig ang audience doon, hindi kami nagsucceed sa pagkukwento kasi hindi sila nadala doon sa climax na yon. Kaya paulit ulit namin yon ni rehearse bago pa sila sumalang doon sa eksena.
Binigyan ko din ng time yung DOP naming si Marvin at yung PD naming si Lars na achievin yung feel and yung look na very magical, and happy naman ako na nagawa siya! Kasi lahat kami sa set kinikilig noong ginawa nila yon e. And sobrang saya dahil ganon din yun ang naging response ng mga taong nakapanood.
Yung sa ending kiss naman, iba yung ginusto naming ma achieve doon, kung yung unang kiss mas magical yung ginusto namin, yung ending mas grounded sa reality. Mas malungkot, mas ma-drama in a way. Kasi doon sa kiss na yon ramdam mo na yung mga pinagdaanan noong dalawa e, hinubad na noong dalawang bida yung buong pagkatao at paniniwala nila doon sa eksenang iyon.
If the first kiss was a decision na ginawa ng destiny para sa kanila, yung pangalawang kiss ay yung pag-pili nila sa isa’t isa.”
Ending, Fan Girl
Naz Malvas Tabares, SFFR: “Being drained from all the emotions that Jane (Charlie Dizon) had gone through with her idol Paulo Avelino, director Antoinette Jadaone takes the final minutes of Fan Girl truthfully, in the hands of its protagonist. It’s all the pain, all the disappointments and all the dreams crushed, and then being welcomed by something that’s been enraging her deep inside for a long time. Jane explodes. No holds barred with her words, cursing, with her actions, confrontational. This is for all the women, all those who are silenced and all those who are abused.
The film ends with a strong note that there is power in standing up for yourself. There is no denying that Dizon’s performance made that scene, or rather made that moment more compelling. And Jadaone’s script and direction, knowing what words to say and how her actor says it and how Neil Daza frames every second of it: masterful filmmaking.”
Engelbert Rafferty Dulay: “It took fourscore and seven years for plain Jane to fathom the eternal cycle of misogyny and violence ensuing in our cruel society, her firsthand experiences with her idol–a fictionalized version of Paulo Avelino that feels all too real to be just purely acting–we see from start to near-end leaving indelible scarlet letters in her mind. In the words of Björk in the movie Dancer in the Dark, ‘I’ve seen it all’. Truly Jane has, as her reflection in the water moves to and fro, cigarette in hand, huffing a puff so as to breathe out all the bullshit she’s gone through. One may argue that she has enabled such horrors to be borne–and that may be true, for she was once blinded by the lights–but what she did right in the end is a huge leap forward to change, the sort of change that requires progress over perfection. She will never forget. And, probably in her mind, ‘never again.'”
Neil Daza, cinematographer: “Finding inspiration in documentary filmmaking, Fan Girl was shot handheld and almost with no rehearsal. From the original script, the tenement sequences served as bookends of the film. We shot long walking scenes of Charlie Dizon during the day in the tenement corridors following her going up and down three floors, all handheld shots. But these scenes didn’t make the final cut. The night and last sequences of the film with Charlie again walking up the tenement, arriving at her house and smoking outside in the final frame, required me to light the whole tenement building which took around two hours. Except for some shots that we needed to retake because of some technical problems, most of the shots that went in to the final edit were all take one.”
Antoinette Jadaone, writer/director: “Ang haba ng debate namin sa final shot ng Fan Girl. Sa previews namin with our friends and colleagues, ang pinakita namin ay ‘yung first ending shot namin na nagyoyosi pa rin si Jane sa tenement pero wide shot. Nasa gitna si Jane pero nasa mababang palapag ng six-storey tenement, tapos napapalibutan siya ng mas maraming streamers at banners ng mga lalaking pulitiko. Ganun pa rin, last yosi, last hithit, tapos quick cut to black. Naging maganda naman ang reception sa ending shot na ‘yun, pero may ibang feeling pa rin na nakakabahala. ‘Yung para bang hindi nanalo si Jane dahil sa framing. Kasi kahit nasa gitna siya, ang liit-liit niya. Ang liit niya sa tenement na napapalibutan ng mga lalaki na nag-iinuman sa baba pati ng mga banner ng mga lalaking pulitiko. ‘Yun ‘yung naging main point of discussion namin. Ano ‘yung final shot na magbibigay ng feeling na nanalo si Jane, na kahit in her eyes man lang, this is not a man’s world. She holds the power. She holds her future. That’s the final shot. Close-up na chin up na may ngisi, as if to say, ‘tang ina n’yong lahat.”
The secret cell, Aswang
A secret cell hidden behind a bookcase holding illegal detainees in a scene from Aswang
Vinson Gabato, SFFR: “The scene starts off with a woman telling her story with specificity and from memory, nonetheless. It sounds ridiculous – a ‘pics or it didn’t happen’ story, if you will. But after sketching and describing what she was talking about, we are transported to the real thing. The cut hits you with a blunt force. Chaotic and noisy, it’s like a reverse raid; the police are the suspects and the public is the authority. Terrifyingly enough, the sketches and descriptions are accurate. She even describes the smell which is most probably true. The police officer present even had the gall to defend it. A kidnap-for-ransom like scheme is also mentioned by most of the detainees. In the end, some of the ‘nightcrawlers’ were dismayed – betrayed as one of them said afterwards – as the detainees were, after being illegally detained, legally processed.
This scene is a microcosm of what this government is doing to the people – nahuli na, nagdadahilan pa, nakalusot pa. The truth is objective in this matter and there was no other way to deny it. Even if it felt like a win, the truth was strong-armed and diminished. It hits harder when they mention that aside from the people with the CHR, lawyers were also present. The scene evokes helplessness which is the aim of the police. We know there is something wrong but we can’t do anything about it.
The film itself is sad and depressing and scary (this scene – the icing in this cake). It’s a combination not really suited for the pandemic but this is an issue we are desensitized with – which is much sadder. This secret jail cell is an embodiment of this culture of impunity and denial and the monsters are not those inside it.
(A quick research would show that the station commander is still in position. This so-called war on drugs is the curse that keeps on giving.)”
Jay-r Trinidad, SFFR: “The scene encapsulates the entire premise of Aswang. It is discovered that the police have been hiding people in their secret cell. Everyone’s surprised and the police are unapologetic. It’s not fiction: there’s a total disregard of human decency, a failure in the basic tenet of empathy. Is the law only applicable to the privileged? The filmmakers pursue recording, armed only with a handful of lawyers and probably prayers.”
Alyx Ayn Arumpac, director: “Most of us had no idea where we were going. I was just told to show up at a certain time. Up until the cabinet swung open, I was still clueless about what was going on. At that moment, that innocent-looking little office unraveled into what it really was – a torture chamber and a glimpse into hell. The woman that I interviewed described it in detail. There was a little hole somewhere where the light would shine through. That was how they would know if it was night or day. They ate, peed, and defecated in that small space of 5×3 meters. She passed out several times from the smell. ‘It felt like we were buried under the ground.’ She also thought this was really how things were done. She thought that the police were allowed to keep people in these secret prison cells and beat them and extort money from them.
When the people inside the secret jail realized that they were not going to be rescued, I could see the fear growing and the hope draining from their faces. A man lay his head on his father’s shoulder, a heartbreaking look of resignation on his face. The Drug Enforcement Police were making fun of the crying woman. They told her husband to put her arms around her. He forced a weak smile and followed their instructions. A man whispered ‘Don’t leave us. They will kill us.’
It was my birthday and we had made dinner plans earlier. We were all sitting around this huge table in a restaurant in Chinatown, still stunned about everything. It sickened us to think about what those men and women would go through that night. Documenting the war on drugs had many, many difficult moments and this was easily one of the worst.”
Ezra Acayan (one of the “Nightcrawlers”; taken from his Twitter feed): “It was horror I thought could only be seen in movies. But the worst part of that night was pretty much kept secret from the public until it was recently revealed in the movie Aswang — the CHR people failed to rescue them, as was agreed if the intel turned out positive. The entire thing was reduced to a photo op. I could remember that night, me and my colleagues were disappointed to hear the other CHR people murmur to themselves, that they couldn’t spend any time longer there as they had a dinner event to catch. For most of them, the supposed rescue mission was unpayed overtime. As journalists we were powerless. All we could do was watch as they were loaded into a jeepney to be transferred to a regular jail.”
Terence Ang, SFFR: “Thirty-plus people secretly and illegally detained in a tiny, cold, dark, and fetid room behind a cabinet of a police precinct — the horror, the anger, there’s literally no other words that came out of my mouth but PUTANGINA. Putangina ng lahat ng mga pulis. Putangina ng lahat ng mga DDS. Putangina mo, Duterte!”
Scene of the year: Blackout, Midnight in a Perfect World
Dino Pastrana in a scene from Midnight in a Perfect World
Robin Quiñones, SFFR: “The premise of Dodo Dayao’s sophomore film is about cases of disappearances of people in mysterious blackouts that happen in the utopian Manila after midnight. These blackouts are shown briefly earlier in the film and are mentioned through phone conversations with Tonichi (Dino Pastrano) who was unfortunately caught in one of these incidents after a night out. Mimi (Jasmine Curtis-Smith) and Jinka (Glaiza de Castro) went out of the safe house in a desperate attempt to rescue their friend leading us to the film’s climax to experience the eponymous “midnight”. Dayao, even from his feature debut Violator, knows how to elicit fear of the unknown, and in the darkness, with only the intermittent lights from smartphones, we are made aware of the horrors of what we cannot see in the vast of night, assaulting our senses with its imagery and sound design, leaving us with more questions than answers. Like the characters, we are left in the dark.
From the get-go, it is very clear that Midnight in a Perfect World is not your typical horror film, that the film is filled with metaphors and symbols reflective of the current state of our country or even of the world. But watching it, it is impossible not to get swept up by the sheer technical brilliance of it all best exemplified in this heart-stopping sequence.”
Emil Hofileña, SFFR: “When the lights go out in Midnight in a Perfect World, and nothing is left to guide these characters through the darkness except their cellphones, Dodo Dayao pulls off a magic trick. He transports us—we who are sitting in front of our computers and small screens—to a different dimension entirely, snatching us away from the safety of our homes. Dayao’s direction, coupled with Albert Banzon and Gym Lumbera’s cinematography, makes this one of the most technically impressive moments in cinema in 2020, not to mention one of the most nerve-wracking.
There’s much more going on here than just the lights going out, of course. The film may take place in some dystopian version of the Philippines, but Dayao captures the fear felt by so many living in this country in the last five years, or under any regime that has silenced people and kept them blind. With very few ways left to communicate and with their survival instinct overriding all other impulses, these characters—once jovial and articulate—are left to scramble for their lives. It’s a moment that feels so uncomfortably close to our own reality, and might just make you afraid of the dark all over again.”
Jay Rosas, SFFR: “Easily the best scene or sequence from any Filipino film I’ve seen last year is one that is made with a sense of economy and technical mastery – the blackout scene from Tonichi’s descent into despair up to Jinka and Mimi’s tense foray into the calm darkness. Dodo Dayao and cinematographers Albert Banzon and Gym Lumbera envision a dystopian Philippines that is straight out of our dark, sci-fi TV binges, when the lucid effects of long screen exposure dissolves into the reality of our personal chaos and realities. Beyond the hellish headtrip that Midnight in a Perfect World is, it strangely captures the paranoia of our times, in the inescapable digital present, while the spectre of our dark histories unfold before our eyes in faint flickers and lucid nightmares. More than allegorical, what this sequence accomplishes is to make us imagine ourselves as if we are seeing it in a cavernous theater, prompting us to relive a cinephile experience and mulling over the fear that we might be stuck with our laptops and digital devices for a long time in this metaphorical midnight.”
Joker Manio, SFFR: “There’s no other scene more exciting and thrilling this year than when the clock struck midnight and the lights went out in Midnight in a Perfect World. We see beautiful exterior wide shots of buildings and street lamps dimming silently one after the other. Our protagonists race against the darkness and our heartbeats start thumping, yet we do not know what’s coming. The only reassurance we got is that we will soon be engulfed in God’s blindspot.”
Armando dela Cruz, SFFR: “The prospect of a ‘perfect world’ will entice no one aware of how real life goes. As humans, our understanding of the world is intimate and resigned to the fact that there’s no such thing as ‘perfect’. Whoever buys into this utopic idea is unaware—no, ignorant—of the costs.
In Dodo Dayao’s second feature, the Philippines is lulled into a false sense of order through a curfew that sets off at midnight. Filipinos have, incredibly, accepted this curfew as a fixture of their lives if it means to keep the rivers clean and the economy on the up-and-up. The characters, belonging mostly to the working middle-class, gather to investigate disappearances seemingly linked to the curfews.
Midnight’s parallels to Martial Law (and to some extent, the Duterte regime) are unmistakable. Yet, it’s the movie’s firm grasp on the middle class’s ignorance that sends me. I’m referring to the gorgeously shot sequence where the characters decide to step out into total darkness. Earlier, we hear them squabble, rather obnoxiously: ‘Hindi importante kung ano’ng nangyayari,’ one person says. ‘Basta walang nangyayari sa’kin, sa’tin.‘
So, imagine the catharsis of seeing these characters, whose motivations to investigate the curfews vary from mere curiosity to sheer boredom, slowly realize how foolish it was to break curfew, or rather, not to have challenged them in the very first place.
Being a Dodo Dayao film, Midnight doesn’t set itself to fit this mold exclusively. I’m sure after repeat viewings I’ll take its story, and this very sequence, a different way. Until then, it lives rent-free in my head as that part of the movie where apathetic Filos learn that some things are bigger than their painfully unconcerned existence.”
Anthony Falcon, actor: “I remember the setup to be very long and I only understood why when we shot it. The first blackout was shot in two different locations. In the first loc, we needed to be precise with our blocking in relation to the camera movement. (Also true for most parts of the film.) For the second location, there was a lot of running. Literally. The cam was handheld, parang wala ding playback nun. So, hindi mo alam kung kuha ka sa shot at kung may opportunity kang magpahinga sa pagtakbo. Kung alam ko lang na hindi pala ako kita. Haha
What I liked about that in terms of playing Glenn – yung internal tension niya sa skepticism niya sa black out vis a vis yung denial niya sa posibilidad na nangyayari na ngayon yung blackout sa kanya. Para sa kanya hindi importante kung totoo man yung blackout o hindi, naniniwala siya sa magandang epekto nung fear sa disiplina at pag-unlad. Ang sarap laruin nung desire niya to be right – at nung fear that he could actually be wrong.”
Dodo Dayao, writer/director: “Masyado daw madilim yung Violator. Kaya ginawa na naming tungkol sa kadiliman yung next film. But the germ for this, actually more than just a germ but the actual premise, came to me in a dream, and the intent has always been for the film to achieve the quality of one. We knew coming in that the scenes in the blackout were going to be . . . challenging, for obvious reasons, but also because it made up the entire, ummm, ‘third act’, if you will. We also knew it wasn’t going to be as simple as getting a permit to block off a street then turning off the lights. How do you turn off the moon? How do you simulate a darkness so absolute it’s disorienting? Aminado naman kaming tatlo nila Bert at Gym na intimidating yung task, cinematographically. I think the whole team shared the same sentiment. Up until the actual day of the shoot, we were on our toes, para kaming tutugtog na walang ensayo, saulado yung piyesa pero di sigurado kung papano lalatag. But that nervous crackle of electricity is really why I do the things I do. Preprod pa lang matik na that we were going to shoot it inside a studio. We talked about mocking up parts of the “city” indoors but that would’ve given a structural comfort to an environment that needed to be uneasy and irrational We finished up with a huge empty warehouse, pitch black and supercold, with a constantly moving camera and no more than two people on cam at a time. Somehow we had simulated the conditions of the universe in the film, and that turned out to be transportive, for Jas and Glaiza and Dino certainly, and for us, too. It was an ambitious pitch. The sort of thing you would pitch to a big studio. But the fact that we weren’t a big studio production with big studio money meant we couldn’t afford to overthink and second-guess the process but it also meant we had more room to play. It really was more liberating. We needed to shoot in pitch darkness with only the light from a smartphone screen. So we shot in pitch darkness with only the light from a smartphone screen.”
INDIVIDUAL BALLOTS
Sanriel Ajero
Closing scene (Lingua Franca)
One final task (Watch List)
Final sequence (Lahi, Hayop)
Runners-up: Tanya’s friend dies “Tumalon siya” (Tagpuan); The kiss (The Boy Foretold By the Stars)
Mayk Alegre
Inuman session of fan girl and her idol, Fan Girl
Wallpaper scene with Mimi (Jasmine Curtis), Midnight in a Perfect World
Jane’s (Bela Padilla) suicide scene at the bathtub, On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets
Terence Ang
Bookshelf, Aswang
Initiation, The Boy Foretold by the Stars
Rizal in #SONAgKaisa, Heneral Rizal
Daph Bajas
Ending of The Boy Foretold by the Stars
Ending of UnTrue
Pubic hair scenes of He Who is Without Sin
Robert Cerda
OVBR – The character of Bela Padilla, wearing a witch’s mask, angry at the film-set staff
LAHI, HAYOP – Mariposa (Hazel Orencio), walking slowly, carrying a big jar.
HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN – Elijah Canlas’ character’s monologue sequence in the bathroom/area
Armando dela Cruz
In the pitch darkness, Midnight in a Perfect World
Olivia waiting for the train, Lingua Franca
At the precinct, Aswang
Macoy Delociento
Charlie Dizon running away from Paolo Avelino when she got caught at the back of his pickup. (Fan Girl)
Underwater scene of Bela Padilla and JC Santos (On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets)
Keann Johnson avoiding Adrian Lindayag at the staircase (The Boy Foretold by the Stars)
Engelbert Rafferty Dulay
The ending of Fan Girl
The Safe house long shot in Midnight in a Perfect World – How is it possible for a director who has only one feature-length film before this monstrosity came along to have such a certain, singular vision of his work? Never mind the beyond eerie world-building of the first half of the film. Never mind the striking metaphors of the film that bluntly attacks the monsters lurking in the present, regardless if at night or in broad daylight. Dayao just knows how to direct. And to have the audacity to include a shot–barely a scene, mind you–that puts you into an acid trip? I have no words.
The corridor scene in Overseas – As an offspring of an expatriate whose sole dream is to provide all their family’s needs and wants, I am more than disappointed to know that many of our brothers and sisters suffer physically, mentally and emotionally in various parts of the world. And the worst part? It’s as though our own nation barely gives a rat’s arse about it. Cut to: a desk filled with untouched documents concerning our fellow kin. Yes, we live in that kind of a society. Disgusting, ain’t it? But it’s the truth.
Miguel Edosma
End scene in Fan Girl
Turo’s death in Watch List
Dominic and Luke ending kiss in The Boy Foretold by the Stars
James Espinoza
Ending / final sequence (Lingua Franca)
Jomari and other kids talking about drugs (Aswang)
First kiss (The Boy Foretold by the Stars)
Vinson Gabato
Secret Jail Cell in Aswang
Lights Out in Midnight in a Perfect World
Church Scene (Paghahandog ng Sarili) in Lingua Franca – a sad and heartfelt scene. Always loved Paghahandog ng Sarili but never realized its emotional heft with the right circumstances.
Cydel Gutierrez
Elehiya sa Paglimot’s scene where Kristoffer Brugada’s father recognizes a baby (his nephew), clapped and looked happy despite his condition. It’s as if the old will always be familiar with the young and Alzheimer’s can’t stop that.
The Boy Foretold by the Stars’ scene where Brother Mike was doing a progressive lecture about homosexuality; a breath of fresh air for the BL genre without actually sounding preachy and meh.
Aswang’s revelation of a “secret cell behind a bookshelf” of at least a dozen illegally detained people during the bloody drug war inside the Manila District Police Station 1 in Tondo district. Horrifying and Infuriating.
Fred Hawson
Pitch darkness scene lit with phones (Midnight in a Perfect World)
First kiss in the candlelit field (Boy Foretold by the Stars)
Final scene of the helpless Maria (Watch List)
Emil Hofileña
Midnight in a Perfect World – Mimi and Jinka look for Tonichi in the darkness, with nothing but their cellphone lights
Elehiya sa Paglimot – Pedring recognizes his wife
Fan Girl – ending
Jayson Javier
Silent scene in On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets where Jane (Bela Padilla) was standing next to an abstract painting
Jane (Charllie Dizon) taking pictures of “Paulo Avelino’s” prosthetic penis, demonstrating everyone’s voyeuristic aspect as a Fan Girl
First kiss of Dominic (Adrian Lindayag) and Luke (Keann Johnson) among the lighted candles
Princess Kinoc
(Fan Girl) When Charlie Dizon’s Jane walks out to do an errand for Paulo, feeling uneasy, and then she sees his mistress coming to his secret home. She runs back to the home to try to control the situation, or does she?
In Lingua Franca, when Trixie and Isabel talk about the first time they realize they were gay.
All the scenes in Heneral Rizal, especially that slow, encapsulating first sequence with Rizal facing backwards. You see the dust and moot lingering in the air. You realize that it kind of represents Rizal in some ways, his legacy lingering in the air but we never try to embody it.
Skilty Labastilla
Last scene, Dreaming in the Red Light. Hands down the year’s most heart-crushing scene, when Tisay, the daughter of a former prostitute who spends most of the film finding ways to live life with dignity, ends up walking the same street that her mother used to frequent.
Secret jail cell, Aswang
Maria’s first kill, Watch List
Jay Lacanilao
Jane throws herself and child out of Paulo’s car out of seething hatred and disgust for her idol in Fan Girl
Maria finds her husband murdered in Watch List
Initiation retreat in The Boy Foretold by the Stars
Wowie Lagman
Fan Girl – Charlie Dizon jumps out of speeding vehicle. More than being one of the highlights of Jane’s character’s quest to find her voice and stand up to her oppressor, this scene is memorable because of its similarity to a Lady Bird scene, where Saoirse Ronan threw herself out of a speeding car to spite her mother. I consider this one of the best for the simple reason that it made me laugh when it happened.
Paano Maging Babae – Student submits test paper. After spending several excruciating minutes answering misogynistic questions, a young student makes the necessary corrections to the insulting test paper, darkening certain words until it only says “paano maging babae,” and then promptly walks out of the room. I enjoyed how in this scenario, the professor is a fat, unkempt man to really define what being a chauvinistic pig is, and how the young woman managed to maintain her poise and didn’t resort to lashing out at the professor or settle for the safest route, which is to answer the questions for the sake of not failing. Instead, she takes the intelligent approach and corrects what’s written in the test paper, and takes a stand.
Quing Lalam Ning Aldo – Imagining her son’s back home, cooking. While the movie, in its entirety, is flat in some areas, the scene where the lead is visualizing her son as a young boy, busy cooking, is notable because of its execution. The clean, sweeping camera movements, touching score, and how each frame was stitched together made for a palpable sense of loss, longing, and excitement.
Nicol Latayan
Vince appearing to advise James, James and Pat and Dave
The bookshelf escape/discovery, Aswang
Initiation Scene, The Boy Foretold by the Stars
Jason Tan Liwag
Living Room Scene with Charlie Dizon and Paulo Avelino (Fan Girl). As Charlie Dizon and Paulo Avelino talk, drink, and dance for the first time, the power dynamics between the fan and the idol become blurred – creating a tense and captivating scene where rules are meant to be broken.
Dominic and Luke’s first kiss (The Boy Foretold by the Stars)
Macky Macarayan
Rizal crosses paths with the protesters, Heneral Rizal
Jane’s monologue at the AA meeting, On Vodka, Beers and Regrets
Joker Manio
The lights going out as midnight strikes in Midnight in a Perfect World
Ending montage in 1-2-3 (Gasping for Air) as we see Reyna back in her usual routine
The aswang monologue in Aswang
Manuel Pangaruy
When the father in Elehiya sa Paglimot forgot the concept of God/how to pray
That scene with Joshua Garcia towards the end in James & Pat & Dave
That very last scene in Kintsugi
Jim Paranal
Jane (Charlie Dizon) smoked inside Paulo Avelino’s car in FanGirl.
Mimaw’s confession of her feelings towards Paolo (Noel Comia, Jr.) in Death of Nintendo.
Andrei’s (Jal Galang) emotional confession to his father that he’s HIV positive and his father (late Menggie Cobarubbias) promised to help him in Gulis.
Nico Quejano
Final scene of Lahi, Hayop before fadeout.
Alan Peter Cayetano telling Mocha Uson on how to bribe local media in A Thousand Cuts
Glaiza de Castro running in darkness with only her mobile phone to light her in A Midnight in a Perfect World
Robin Quiñones
Midnight in a Perfect World: Mimi & Jinka left the safe house with smartphones as the only light source
Aswang: rescue of people illegally detained in a hidden jail cell
Elehiya sa Paglimot: Tatay Pedring forgot the concept of praying
Jay Rosas
Blackout scene with cellphones in Midnight in a Perfect World
Nancy visiting her damaged house in House in Pieces
Confession scene of Kendrick in My Lockdown Romance
Bernard Santos
The ending of Fan Girl when Charlie Dizon smokes a cigarette.
The exploitation scene of Elijah and Enzo in the dining table, where Enzo is touching Elijah under the table.
The ending of Untrue
Naz Malvas Tabares
Last scene of Fan Girl where Jane, having experienced everything with her idol, finally learns to stand up to oppressors
Last scene of Midnight in a Perfect World. Tension fills the screen as the film reaches its conclusion
Fan Girl – Jane reveals herself as a diehard fan as she got caught by Paulo Avelino.
John Tawasil
The dance scene in Lingua Franca
Jay-r Trinidad
Inside the room 360 scene in Midnight in a Perfect World.
Aswang, Alyx Ayn Arumpac’s debut feature-length documentary on the Duterte administration’s drug war, and Midnight in a Perfect World, Dodo Dayao’s dystopian imagination of Metro Manila, received the lion’s share of prizes handed out by the Society of Filipino Film Reviewers (SFFR) for its inaugural Pinoy Rebyu Awards.
Aswang, which screened as part of the 2020 Daang Dokyu Film Festival, received four awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, Best First Feature, and Best Editing (for Anne Fabini and Fatima Bianchi). The SFFR cited the film’s “expert conjuring of Philippine mythology in depicting the horrors of the current administration’s drug war”.
Meanwhile, Midnight in a Perfect World, which premiered in last year’s Quezon City International Film Festival, won in five categories: Best Director, Best Ensemble Performance (for its main cast Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Glaiza de Castro, Anthony Falcon, Dino Pastrano, and Bing Pimentel), Best Cinematography (for Albert Banzon and Gym Lumbera), Best Music Score (Erwin Romulo, Malek Lopez, and Juan Miguel Sobrepeña), and Best Production Design (Benjamin Padero and Carlo Tabije). The SFFR cited Dayao’s “singular, clear-cut vision of the film and his masterful control of its technical aspects”.
Newcomer Charlie Dizon won Best Lead Performance for her role as a die-hard fan of actor Paulo Avelino in Fan Girl. In its citation, SFFR praised Dizon for a “nuanced, naturalistic portrayal of a giddy teenager obsessed with her matinee idol, never losing control of her character’s motivations and impressively showing a gamut of emotions throughout her character’s ordeal”.
The Best Screenplay award is given to Isabel Sandoval for Lingua Franca, for its “sensitive depiction of the life and love of a trans woman living as an undocumented immigrant in New York”.
Character actor Phi Palmos coveted the Best Supporting Performance prize for his charismatic, heartfelt interpretation of a supportive friend and countryman of JC Santos’ character in the Japan-set film Kintsugi.
SFFR, as has been its tradition since its decade-long existence as Pinoy Rebyu, does not distinguish between male and female performances, the way it does not distinguish gender in the other award categories.
The Best Short Film award is given to Bullet-laced Dreams by Kristoffer Brugada and Cha Escala, about indigenous children in Mindanao fighting for their right to education amidst increasing militarization.
The Best International Film award is given to Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s Happy Old Year, a quiet, sensitive depiction of the intricacies of letting go (both of materials things and broken relationships). The film premiered in Netflix Philippines in 2020 and is Thailand’s official submission to the 93rd Academy Awards.
Trophies will be sent to winners via courier.
The Society of Filipino Film Reviewers is composed of 53 avid reviewers of Philippine cinema. It aims to promote local film through advocating for film education, preservation, criticism, and exhibition of Philippine cinema.
Below is the full list of winners:
BEST FILM: Aswang
BEST DIRECTOR: Dodo Dayao, Midnight in a Perfect World
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE: Charlie Dizon, Fan Girl
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE: Phi Palmos, Kintsugi
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE: Main cast of Midnight in a Perfect World
BEST SCREENPLAY: Lingua Franca (Isabel Sandoval)
BEST EDITING: Aswang (Anne Fabini and Fatima Bianchi)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Midnight in a Perfect World (Albert Banzon and Gym Lumbera)
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Midnight in a Perfect World (Benjamin Padero and Carlo Tabije)
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Midnight in a Perfect World (Erwin Romulo, Malek Lopez, and Juan Miguel Sobrepeña)
The Society of Filipino Film Reviewers announces shortlists in three categories for the 2nd Pinoy Rebyu Awards®: Best Documentary Short, Best Live Action Short, and Best Animated Short.
DOCUMENTARYSHORT
Fifteen films will advance in the Documentary Short Film category for the 2nd Pinoy Rebyu Awards. Forty-seven films were eligible in the category. Members of the Short Films Committee vote to determine the shortlist and the general SFFR membership vote to determine nominees.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“Ang Meron sa Wala” (Arby and Christine Laraño) “Balon” (Maki Liwanag) “Coal Story, Bro” (RA Rivera) “Count” (Adjani Arumpac) “Halawod” (Anna Katrina Velez Tejero) “Iyallatiw (To Transfer)” (Melver Ritz Gomez) “Lingkis” (Yvonne Salazar & Sita Valenzuela) “Panambi” (Jane Mariane Biyo, Katya Marie Corazon Puertollano, and Myra Angeline Soriaso) “Random People” (Arden Rod Condez) “River of Tears and Rage” (Maricon Montajes) “Singil” (Maria Graciella Musa) “Tanda ng Pagtanaw” (Aireen Remoto) “The Right to Life” (Arbi Barbarona) “To Pick a Flower” (Shireen Seno) “Walang Katapusang Hurno” (Glenn Barit)
LIVE ACTIONSHORT
Fifteen films will advance in the Live Action Short Film category for the 2nd Pinoy Rebyu Awards. One hundred fifty-one films qualified in the category. Members of the Short Films Committee vote to determine the shortlist and the general SFFR membership vote to determine nominees.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“Alingasngas ng mga Kuliglig” (Vahn Leinard Pascual) “Baboy Talunon” (Kevin Piamonte) “Black Rainbow” (Zig Madamba Dulay) “City of Flowers” (Xeph Suarez) “Dandansoy” (Arden Rod Condez) “Dikit” (Gabriela Serrano) “Filipiñana” (Rafael Manuel) “Gabby” (Joanna Vasquez Arong) “Kids on Fire” (Kyle Nieva) “Kumbiyor” (Wówa Medroso) “Maski Papano” (Glenn Barit and Che Tagyamon) “Nang Maglublob Ako sa Isang Mangkok ng Liwanag” (Kukay Zinampan) “Sa Balay ni Papang” (Kurt Steven Soberano) “Sol” (Joanna Vasquez Arong) “The Man Who Isn’t There and Other Stories of Longing” (Trishtan Perez)
ANIMATED SHORT
Ten films will advance in the Animated Short Film category for the 2nd Pinoy Rebyu Awards. Fourteen films qualified in the category. Members of the Short Films Committee vote to determine the shortlist and the general SFFR membership vote to determine nominees.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“Ang Amomonggo sa Aton” (Vincent Joseph Entuna) “Blue Is Not My Favorite Color” (Vahn Leinard Pascual) “Feet Apart” (Dexter Paul de Jesus) “Flush” (Roland Cartagena) “Langit Lupa” (Cha Roque) “Maris” (Gabb Gantala) “Mga Ulap Tayong Nagiging Ulan” (Demetrio Celestino III) “My Mamily” (Cha Roque) “Patient No. 45” (Marzeus Alegre) “Project Remedy” (Jan Ericka Cruz)
Nominations voting for the three categories above, as well as for 13 other categories for feature films, begins on Thursday, January 27, 2022, and concludes on Sunday, January 30, 2022.
Nominations for the 2nd Pinoy Rebyu Awards will be announced on Tuesday, February 1, 2022.
The Society of Filipino Film Reviewers is composed of 37 active reviewers of Philippine cinema. The 2nd Pinoy Rebyu Awards® will be held by the end of February 2022.
Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (Whether the Weather Is Fine), Carlo Francisco Manatad’s audacious magical realist take on Super Typhoon Haiyan’s impact on the psyche of survivors, topped the nominations for the 2nd Pinoy Rebyu Awards, as voted by the Society of Filipino Film Reviewers.
Kun Maupay, which was an entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival, received a leading 11 nominations. Aside from nods for Best Film and Manatad for Director, Screenplay, and First Feature, it is also nominated for Lead Performance (for Charo Santos-Concio), Supporting Performance (Rans Rifol), Ensemble Performance, as well as four other technical categories.
Close on its heels with 10 nominations is Erik Matti’s On the Job: The Missing 8, the long-awaited sequel to the hugely successful On the Job (2013). The Missing 8 participated in the Venice Film Festival where it won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for John Arcilla. Aside from Pinoy Rebyu nominations for Film and Director for Matti, it is also nominated for Lead Performance (Arcilla), Supporting Performance (Lotlot de Leon), Ensemble Performance, Screenplay, and four other technical categories.
The three other nominees for Best Film are Historya ni Ha, Lav Diaz’s 1950s-set film starring John Lloyd Cruz as a successful ventriloquist who returns to his barrio; Big Night!, Jun Lana’s hilarious satire on the Philippine drug war; and Last Days at Sea, a wistful ode to friendship from debuting filmmaker Venice Atienza.
Aside from Santos-Concio (Kun Maupay Man It Panahon) and Arcilla (On the Job: The Missing 8), the other nominees for Best Lead Performance are Christian Bables (Big Night!), John Lloyd Cruz (Historya ni Ha), Kim Molina (Ikaw at Ako at ang Ending), and Mae Paner (Tao Po).
The SFFR does not distinguish actors’ gender in the acting categories, the way it does not distinguish gender in the technical categories.
The Best Supporting Performance category has all-women nominees. Aside from de Leon (On the Job: The Missing 8) and Rifol (Kun Maupay Man It Panahon), the other nominees are Angie Castrence (Gameboys: The Movie), Dolly de Leon (Historya ni Ha), Jay Valencia Glorioso (Rabid), and Mystica (Kids on Fire).
One of the pleasant surprises in this year’s nominations is the strong showing of short films in categories outside Best Short Film (whether Live Action, Animated, or Documentary). Aside from Mystica’s nomination and a Best Live Action Short Film nod, Kids on Fire, for example, is nominated for 3 other categories: Screenplay, Production Design, and Original Score.
Other multiple short film nominees include Filipiñana, with nods for Live Action Short Film and Cinematography; Maski Papano, nominated for Live Action Short Film and Screenplay; and Random People, recognized for the Documentary Short Film and Editing categories. It’s Raining Frogs Outside is nominated for Editing while How to Die Young in Manila is nominated for Original Score.
This is unprecedented in local film awards bodies, and is a testament to the improving creativity of young filmmakers unburdened by the need to compromise with many full-length film producers who insist on giving the public tired narratives.
The Society of Filipino Film Reviewers’ 2nd Pinoy Rebyu Awards celebrate the best achievements in Philippine cinema of 2021. For eligibility, members of SFFR considered all films released in the calendar year in at least one cinema in the Philippines or on a largely accessible streaming service between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021. The SFFR is composed of 38 active reviewers of Philippine cinema.
The complete list of nominees can be found below.
Best Film
A total of 35 films received nominations from members of the society.
BIG NIGHT! Directed by Jun Robles Lana Produced by Guido Zaballero, Sienna Olaso, Vitto Lazatin, Isabel Santillan, and Ferdinand Lapuz
HISTORYA NI HA Directed by Lav Diaz Produced by Lav Diaz
KUN MAUPAY MAN IT PANAHON Directed by Carlo Francisco Manatad Produced by Josabeth Alonso, Armi Rae Cacanindin, Kriz Gazmen, and Vincent Wang
LAST DAYS AT SEA Directed by Venice Atienza Produced by Venice Atienza
ON THE JOB: THE MISSING 8 Directed by Erik Matti Produced by Ronald Stephen Monteverde, Erik Matti, Joseph Caliro, and Quark Henares
Best Director
A total of 30 directors received nominations from members of the society.
Venice Atienza LAST DAYS AT SEA
Lav Diaz HISTORYA NI HA
Jun Robles Lana BIG NIGHT!
Carlo Francisco Manatad KUN MAUPAY MAN IT PANAHON
Erik Matti ON THE JOB: THE MISSING 8
Best Screenplay
A total of 32 screenplays were nominated by members of the society.
BIG NIGHT! Jun Robles Lana
HISTORYA NI HA Lav Diaz
KIDS ON FIRE Kyle Nieva
KUN MAUPAY MAN IT PANAHON Giancarlo Abrahan, Jérémie Dubois, Carlo Francisco Manatad
MASKI PAPANO Che Tagyamon
ON THE JOB: THE MISSING 8 Erik Matti and Michiko Yamamoto
Best Lead Performance
A total of 30 actors received nominations by members of the society.
John Arcilla ON THE JOB: THE MISSING 8
Christian Bables BIG NIGHT!
John Lloyd Cruz HISTORYA NI HA
Kim Molina IKAW AT AKO AT ANG ENDING
Mae Paner TAO PO
Charo Santos-Concio KUN MAUPAY MAN IT PANAHON
Best Supporting Performance
A total of 36 actors received nominations by members of the society.
Angie Castrence GAMEBOYS: THE MOVIE
Dolly de Leon HISTORYA NI HA
Lotlot de Leon ON THE JOB: THE MISSING 8
Jay Valencia Glorioso RABID
Mystica KIDS ON FIRE
Rans Rifol KUN MAUPAY MAN IT PANAHON
Best Ensemble Performance
A total of 26 ensembles were nominated by members of the society.
BIG NIGHT! Christian Bables, Gina Alajar, Nico Antonio, John Arcilla, Soliman Cruz, Ricky Davao, Janice de Belen, Martin del Rosario, Eugene Domingo, Gina Pareño
GAMEBOYS: THE MOVIE Elijah Canlas, Kokoy de Santos, Susan Africa, Angie Castrence, Miggy Jimenez, Kych Minemoto, Adrianna So, Kyle Velino
HISTORYA NI HA John Lloyd Cruz, Dolly de Leon, Jonathan O. Francisco, Ceian Hazel Gabuco, Eliezl Gabuco, Cesar Gabuco, Teroy Guzman, Earl Ignacio, Hazel Orencio, Mae Paner, Erwin Romulo, Jun Sabayton
KUN MAUPAY MAN IT PANAHON Charo Santos-Concio, Daniel Padilla, Rans Rifol
ON THE JOB: THE MISSING 8 John Arcilla, Lotlot de Leon, Dennis Trillo, Dante Rivero, Andrea Brillantes, Donna Cariaga, Rayver Cruz, Soliman Cruz, Ricky Davao, Christopher de Leon, Isabelle de Leon, Ina Feleo, Eric Fructuoso, Agot Isidro, Joey Marquez, Leo Martinez, William Martinez, Vandolph Quizon
Best Film Editing
A total of 35 film editors were nominated by members of the society.
AMPANGABAGAT NIN TALAKBA HA LIKOL (IT’S RAINING FROGS OUTSIDE) Maria Estela Paiso
BIG NIGHT! Benjamin Tolentino
KUN MAUPAY MAN IT PANAHON Benjo Ferrer
ON THE JOB: THE MISSING 8 Jay Halili
RANDOM PEOPLE Caleb Maglunob
Best Cinematography
A total of 30 directors of photography were nominated by members of the society.
ARISAKA Mycko David
FILIPIÑANA Xenia Patricia
KUN MAUPAY MAN IT PANAHON Teck Siang Lim
LAST DAYS AT SEA Moshe Ladanga and Venice Atienza
ON THE JOB: THE MISSING 8 Neil Bion
Best Production Design
A total of 29 productions were nominated by members of the society.
BIG NIGHT! Marxie Maolen Fadul
DEATH OF NINTENDO Whammy Alcazaren and Thesa Tang
KIDS ON FIRE Alvin Francisco
KUN MAUPAY MAN IT PANAHON Whammy Alcazaren
ON THE JOB: THE MISSING 8 Roma Regala
RABID Shiel Marie Calde
Best Film Score
A total of 29 film scores were nominated by members of the society.
BIG NIGHT! Teresa Barrozo
HOW TO DIE YOUNG IN MANILA Alyana Cabral
KIDS ON FIRE Len Calvo
KUN MAUPAY MAN IT PANAHON Andrew Florentino
ON THE JOB: THE MISSING 8 Malek Lopez, Arvin Nogueras, Erwin Romulo
Best Documentary Feature
A total of 5 films were nominated by members of the society.
LAST DAYS AT SEA Directed by Venice Atienza Produced by Venice Atienza
TAO PO Directed by Mae Paner Produced by Mae Paner
A WILL TO DREAM Directed by Patrick Alcedo Produced by Patrick Alcedo
Best First Feature
A total of 8 films were nominated by members of the society.
KUN MAUPAY MAN IT PANAHON Directed by Carlo Francisco Manatad Produced by Josabeth Alonso, Armi Rae Cacanindin, Kriz Gazmen, and Vincent Wang
LAST DAYS AT SEA Directed by Venice Atienza Produced by Venice Atienza
MY AMANDA Directed by Alessandra de Rossi Produced by E del Mundo
TAO PO Directed by Mae Paner Produced by Mae Paner
A WILL TO DREAM Directed by Patrick Alcedo Produced by Patrick Alcedo
Best Live Action Short Film
A total of 14 short live-action films were nominated by members of the society. The group previously narrowed down 151 eligible films to a shortlist of 15.
ALINGASNGAS NG MGA KULIGLIG Directed by Vahn Pascual Produced by Vahn Pascual and Tim Rone Villanueva
BLACK RAINBOW Directed by Zig Madamba Dulay Produced by Elvert Bañares and Tanya Lopez
FILIPIÑANA Directed by Rafael Manuel Produced by Kyle Nieva, Naomi Pacifique, and Kiko Meily
KIDS ON FIRE Directed by Kyle Nieva Produced by Carlo Francisco Manatad, Kyle Nieva, Maan Villareal, and Anna Weeks
MASKI PAPANO Directed by Glenn Barit and Che Tagyamon Produced by Che Tagyamon and Jo Torlao
SA BALAY NI PAPANG Directed by Kurt Soberano Produced by Elvert Bañares and Tanya Lopez
Best Documentary Short Film
A total of 15 short documentaries were nominated by members of the society. The group previously narrowed down 47 eligible films to a shortlist of 15.
LINGKIS Directed by Yvonne Salazar and Sita Valenzuela Produced by Yvonne Salazar and Sita Valenzuela
PANAMBI Directed by Jane Mariane Biyo, Katya Marie Corazon Puertollano, and Myra Angeline Soriaso Produced by Arden Rod Condez
RANDOM PEOPLE Directed by Arden Rod Condez Produced by Arden Rod Condez
THE RIGHT TO LIFE Directed by Arbi Barbarona Produced by Arbi Barbarona and Ethel Mendez
RIVER OF TEARS AND RAGE Directed by Maricon Montajes Produced by Jola Diones-Mamangun and Raymund Villanueva
TO PICK A FLOWER Directed by Shireen Seno Produced by Shireen Seno
Best Animated Short Film
A total of 9 animated short films were nominated by members of the society. The group previously narrowed down 14 eligible films to a shortlist of 10.
ANG AMOMONGGO SA ATON Directed by Vincent Joseph Entuna Produced by Rhea Entuna and John Alson Entuna
BLUE IS NOT MY FAVORITE COLOR Directed by Vahn Pascual Produced by Vahn Pascual
FLUSH Directed by Roland Cartagena Produced by Ray Dom
MARIS Directed by Gabb Gantala Produced by Gabb Gantala
MGA ULAP TAYONG NAGIGING ULAN Directed by Demetrio Celestino III Produced by Demetrio Celestino III
MY MAMILY Directed by Cha Roque Produced by Cha Roque
Winners of the Pinoy Rebyu Awards will be announced on 28 February 2022.
Best International Films
This year, aside from honoring the best of local cinema, SFFR members selected from 112 eligible international films that legally screened in the Philippines in 2021, whether in theaters or streaming platforms, and came up with a list the of the five best:
DRIVE MY CAR Directed by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi Country of origin: Japan
THE POWER OF THE DOG Directed by Jane Campion Country of origin: UK, Canada, Australia, & New Zealand
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN Directed by Emerald Fennell Country of origin: UK & US
WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY Directed by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi Country of origin: Japan
THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD Directed by Joachim Trier Country of origin: Norway, France, Sweden, & Denmark
The pandemic forced film festival organizers to shift their operations online or through a hybrid mode. Some were unable to adjust in time, but others thrived in the new setup.
For the fifth straight year, the Quezon City International Film Festival (fondly called QCinema) remains the gold standard for local filmfests as it is recognized as the best festival by Pinoy Rebyu, and it’s not even close. All 24 members of the Society of Filipino Film Reviewers who voted for this category placed QCinema as the Philippine’ best filmfest.
Below are the rest of the top ten that the SFFR deems the best in terms of ease of online access, affordability, and, most importantly, the quality of films.
1 – QCinema (81 points)
Festival Director: Ed Lejano
Members’ comments:
“QCinema remains as the Filipino film festival to beat. Holding a hybrid format for the second year in a row, it offered a well curated lineup from local arthouse gems to internationally acclaimed titles. It’s simply a delight for every cinephile out there.” – Leo Baltar
“The best lineup, with international films that were heralded in the big festivals. – Ronald Cruz
“Managed to momentarily bring back the spirit of physical film fest in the country while continuing its trademark of showing quality local and international cinema to the Philippines. – Cydel Gutierrez
“Amazing roster of acclaimed foreign language films like Memoria, The Worst Person inthe World, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, Drive My Car; and one very special Filipino film, Historya ni Ha.” – Fred Hawson
“Provided both virtual and theatrical screenings, shorts and feature length films, local and international films; complete package, as always. – Jay Lacanilao
“Very consistent amongst all the festivals.” – Jayson Laniba
“The only one to perfectly adjust to the current cinema situation in the Philippines, QCinema’s mix of virtual and in person approach, plus their once again exciting lineup, it’s no surprising it just steamrolls as the best local film festival every year.” – Nicol Latayan
“The selection and how the film festival was handled was even better than previous years.” – Jun Mendoza
“For having screenings at the cinemas which are occasionally full. – Manuel Pangaruy
“The roster of films & programming are excellent, bringing the current international award-winning films to the Philippines. – Bernard Santos
“The list of films shown were the top films of 2021 such as Drive My Car and The Worst Person In The World. – Jay-r Trinidad
2 – Cinemalaya (40 points)
Festival Director: Chris Millado
3 – Sine Halaga (26 points)
Festival Director: Elvert Bañares
4 – Metro Manila Film Festival (15 points)
Organizer: Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
The “Walang himala!” scene in Himala (1976). The trapped-in-the-corner ending of Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag (1975). The “Magsayaw na lang tayo” scene in Temptation Island (1980).
These are few of the scenes in local cinema that have become iconic for varying reasons, whether through excellent writing, masterful directing, impeccable acting, or simply because they have stuck in the minds of viewers.
The ten scenes below are what the Society of Filipino Film reviewers recognize as the best scenes of 2021.
The confrontation, Gameboys: The Movie
Ronald Cruz, SFFR: “It might be fair to say that every Catholic Filipino family has a Tita Susan, that sanctimonious, Church-frequenting aunt who thinks that gays are fun as long as they’re not her relatives because she believes that they’re destined for hell. Despite the unsavory actions of Terrence (Kyle Velino) in season one of the Gameboys series, it can be argued that the franchise has never had a true villain until Susan, whose condemnation of homosexuality (the ‘praying away the gay’ type) is, sadly, not unrealistic by any stretch of the imagination. So when during a tense dinner Cairo (Elijah Canlas) finally snaps after seething for days under his calm exterior, we completely understand. There is something cathartic in how Cai defends not only the dignity of his boyfriend Gavreel (Kokoy de Santos) but also the decision to love the way they have chosen to love, in part because between the two of them, he has heretofore been the less secure about his sexuality. He’s also a proxy for teens frustrated with social norms that require unconditional deference to adults even if the respect is not reciprocated; his utterance of ‘respect begets respect’ is scathing. Beyond this, the confrontation precipitates the event that dramatically closes the movie and presumably begins the plot of the anticipated second season: Gav has to leave for the US to look after his ailing Tita Myra (Susan Africa). Gav’s reaction to Susan revealing Myra’s condition is devastating. The sequence easily convinces that very few actors of their age are better than Canlas and de Santos at evoking raw, genuine emotion.
Lest we forget, the trigger of this explosive sequence is the holier-than-thou Tita Susan, who is played with masterful control by the impressive Angie Castrence (a Best Supporting Performance nominee in the 2nd Pinoy Rebyu Awards). If her performance had been overblown or cartoonish, the caricature would have lessened the character’s impact. But Castrence’s Susan is so real that we cannot help but feel offended and angry, because she reminds us that hate for the LGBTQ+ community is all too true and pervasive within the systems that should be protecting our youth from oppression.
Gameboys: The Movie is also a nominee for Pinoy Rebyu’s Best Ensemble Performance. This sequence, chosen by the SFFR as one of the Best Scenes of 2021, should dispel any doubts about the cast deserving this recognition.”
Kokoy de Santos, actor: “Share ko lang yung mga naaalala kong mga kaganapan nung shinoot namin yung confrontation scene with my baby. Wow! Hahaha. And of course THE Angie Castrence. Ibang gabay ang ginawa samin ni Direk Ivan nung kinuhaan namin yung scene na yun, grabe yung motivation. And laging tumatatak na sakin yung kasabihan na pag nasa eksena, talon ka lang. Ibig sabihin kalimutan ko lahat ng mga iniisip ko bilang ako, bilang Kokoy. Maging si Gav ka. Ramdamin kung ano yung eksena. At sobrang thankful din ako na sobrang husay at masarap ka-eksena ng mga kasama ko.”
Wet look training, Paglaki Ko, Gusto Kong Maging Pornstar
Nicol Latayan, SFFR: “Darryl Yap, who shot into prominence and fame firstly as an online content creator, has since then ventured into being one of the most productive directors for Viva Films. In 2021 alone, he directed 10 feature films, the first one being Paglaki Ko, Gusto Kong Maging Pornstar. The film assembled some of the most prominent sexy actresses in Philippine cinema history – Alma Moreno, Rosanna Roces, Ara Mina, and Maui Taylor – playing veterans who are training the next batch of sexy stars to follow their footsteps.
In one of the film’s most memorable scenes, the porn star trainees are being taught how to project the perfect sexy star wet look, by dipping themselves into a huge drum of water. In between, the four leads reminisce some of their own memories during their peak years as sexy actresses. Partly a quick history lesson, partly just a joyous chikahan of notable Pinoy sexy personalities, it was definitely one of the film’s highlights. Alma Moreno shared how she started the kamison trend to exude sexiness, Rosanna Roces in her approach when doing some lovemaking scenes, Ara Mina running with just a plain white shirt, and Maui Taylor’s first girl on girl onscreen kiss only to be bothered by a snake.
In some ways, this scene best encapsulates what made Pornstar a tribute to its genre at best, and a shaky experiment at worst. Part of me thinks that it would have fared well as a straight documentary-type approach instead of a feature-length narrative story, but then it’s clear that it’s not the film’s intent at all. Ironically enough, this scene ended up being a reflection on how Pinoy sexy films are done here – tease a bit, but never go all the way.”
Cydel Gutierrez, SFFR: “The unscripted drum scene in Darryl Yap’s Paglaki Ko, Gusto Kong Maging Pornstar is one of the most genuine scenes I’ve seen this year, thanks to the organic chemistry and contrasting/complementing personalities between four former bold stars: Maui Taylor, Alma Moreno, Rosanna Roces, and Ara Mina. This scene alone further evinces that Yap’s actors can carry the weight of his films without his interference. What’s special about this scene is its humanizing approach given to these former bold stars that the movie industry has long deprived them for years. Through their collective real-life past stories as movie stars, we finally get a glimpse of what’s inside their overexposed skin and their muffled mouths as women subjected to sexism by the predominantly patriarchal movie industry. Its subversion of the prevalent male gaze through an empathetic but comical throw and catch of dialogues is a testament to how letting women take over their own bodies and speak their own truths can advance a boring and overused narrative. It’s a commendable directing choice for Yap and he should do this more often–listen to his actors more.”
Darryl Yap, writer/director: “I remember writing the scene—feeling very, very cautious, kasi it’s the first scene to be shot na may involvement na ng stories from their past. Pero pa-intro pa lang ako, sumagot na agad sila, ‘Direk, napakatactless mo tapos sa amin, nahihiya ka!’ So I wrote the whole lublob sa drum scene in front of them. It was just a skeletal guide, full of keywords and blocking sketches.
Yung napanood ng viewers is an instant product of collaboration, brutal honesty and sensitivity. Andaming revelations, and usually pare-pareho sila. Andami ring di naisama sa cut, kasi too truthful to be told, baka may magalit na leading man o ano.
Natural Actresses. Gems of the Industry.”
Farewell to Ha, Historya ni Ha
Skilty Labastilla, SFFR: “When the love of Hernando’s life was forced to marry another man, Hernando felt that there is nothing in the world left talking about. Speech is now futile. So he hides behind Ha, his puppet, in communicating with the people journeying with him to an island of hope. Over the course of the journey, Ha proves to be a steady source of reason and good humor for the distraught Hernando. But after another unfortunate tragedy towards the film’s end, Hernando feels it is time to face reality and use his own voice again. The scene where he bids goodbye to Ha in the sea on a quiet, moonlit night is gut-wrenching even as it is not entirely unexpected. Only masters like Lav Diaz can make viewers cry for a puppet’s leaving.”
Daph Bajas, SFFR: “The doll Ha becomes Diaz’s (and Hernando’s) shadow/conscience/Lady Macbeth figure into the void. There is beauty and candor in Hernando bidding goodbye, with only the full moon and the occasional lightning illuminating the screen. Bodies of water, nighttime and goodbyes are never new foregrounds for Diaz, yet here it’s one of his quickest and most non-lingering. Hernando and Ha are indivisible, and it’s by this instance that Hernando already feels that he is ready to make peace with the uncertainty of the future.”
Lav Diaz, writer/director: “Saad ng kritikong si Noel Vera sa eksena ng pamamaalam ni Hernando kay Ha: ‘Later, what is arguably the film’s most painful moment also happens to be its most beautiful: Hernando standing hip-deep in seawater with Ha while the moon glares down from high overhead, the belly of storm clouds crackling with thunder to the distant left.’ (Critic After Dark, BusinessWorld, November 30, 2021)
Ang eksenang iyon ang huling shot na kinunan ko sa pelikulang Historya ni Ha, at naganap ang huling eksenang iyon ng shooting sa dalampasigan ng maayang bayan ng Sibaltan sa hilagang Palawan. Tinanong din ako ni Noel sa email kung magkano ang ginastos ng produksyon sa CGI (computer generated imagery). Sinabi kong walang CGI na ginamit sa pelikula dahil sarili kong pera ang ginastos sa pelikula, at yung mismong kabuuang gastos sa pelikula ay hindi magkakasya kung magsiCGI kami ng ganung eksena. At ang ginamit kong kamera ay ang aking mumurahing Sony A7SII. At nang malaman ni John Lloyd Cruz na mula sa sarili kong bulsa ang ginagastos sa pelikula ay buong pagpapakumbabang ibinalik niya ang ibinayad ng produksyon sa kanya upang maidagdag pa namin sa gastusin.
Ang mahika ng paglikha ng cinema ang lumikha sa eksenang iyon. Hindi ko inakalang maringal ang liwanag ng buwan sa gabing iyon, hindi ko inasahang magiging labis ang hinahon ng karagatan sa gabing iyon, hindi ko inasam na sasabay ang mga pagkidlat at pagkulog sa kalayuan sa gabing iyon, hindi ko hiniling na maghatid ang langit ng napakanipis na ambon sa gabing iyon. Gaya sa pagdaloy ng isang dakilang tula, gaya nang halina ng isang himig, katulad nang hindi maarok na kaibuturan ng siphayo, isa lamang akong saksi sa isang hiwaga ng buhay sa gabing yaon, isa lamang akong kasangkapan sa hiwaga ng uniberso ng cinema.”
“Si Filemon” karaoke, Filipiñana
Miguel Edosma, SFFR: “Throughout the course of its runtime, the commentary on poverty can be felt throughout Filipiñana. Director Rafael Manuel left behind some brilliant metaphors that highlight the contrast between the rich and the poor. But it was during the climactic karaoke scene that the message about it was finally delivered.
After Isabel receives her paycheck, she and her friends go to a karaoke bar to sing, smoke, and drink. Isabel then sings an old folk song, “Si Filemon,” at her friend’s insistence. “Si Filemon” is a Cebuano folk song about a fisherman who spends his meager but hard-earned money on a bottle of tuba. In between the song’s words, she finds herself. The camera closes in on her to completely isolate her for this realization. She tries to force a smile, but her facial expression can no longer conceal the heartbreaking revelation and profound malaise, melancholy, and ache she feels from the song.
Like Filemon, Isabel grasps at any pleasure she can find in order to cope with the hard work. Even more so, it dawns on her that she’s forever trapped in this restrictive system that doesn’t favor the poor and marginalized like her.”
Wowie Lagman, SFFR: “Compared to what most of us are accustomed to, this scene, on paper, would look pale. No outrageous outbursts and sharp dialogues, tearjerking confrontations or awe-inspiring shots. It’s just a group of co-workers drinking and singing in a bar.
It’s ‘happy hour’ without the happy part. And that’s what makes this profoundly impactful.
It’s an accurate depiction of our psyche as working Filipinos, regardless of where you fall on the economic bracket and questions the reasoning behind our tendencies.
It speaks volumes on how we have been conditioned to reward ourselves and splurge the moment we get paid for our work even when we don’t really have to (or want to). And we end up thinking, ‘Was it worth it?’ or ‘Did I really like it?’
It’s like what people these days always say: ‘Deserve ko ‘to’.
But do we really? I think this is what the writer wants to raise here. Yes, we do deserve some pat on the back for getting through the day. But does it mean unnecessarily spending our hard-earned-yet-still-not-enough money on ‘happy hour’?
Isabel only wants to have a taste of life’s good cake and have idle time on an al fresco restaurant while enjoying a smoke. But she can’t. She has to work. (Ironically, her work is helping others enjoy their idle time.)
But when her friends ask her to and enjoy, she seems half-hearted. While the rest were having fun with songs and their drinks, she sits there quietly, a cigarette in her hand–perhaps the only semblance of luxury from the fantasy life she can afford from her fantasy–like someone who is having fun perfunctorily.
She wants to enjoy life, but when given the chance–in a manner that’s plausible for the lifestyle she has–she refuses to dive in. Maybe because it’s not her idea of a good time?
Then she was forced to sing. (Is it because in our culture, singing in a bar is the sign that you’ve really had a good time?) Ironically, the song she picks–the one she’s humming at the beginning–was a slap in reality. That just like Filemon, she worked, earned, and squandered her money away on what she thought would give happiness.”
Kyle Nieva, producer: “We shot this scene in a dilapidated bar along EDSA. It was the only scene we scheduled for that day, so we had the luxury of a whole night to perfect this oner. It’s our breather from the drowning hectares of the golf and country club. It’s when we’re snapped out of our daydream with Isabel and presented with a more realistic and familiar Filipino imagery. It is in this scene that Isabel utters for the first time the lyrics of ‘Filemon’ which she had been merely humming in preceding scenes, and her singing magically reinforces the themes we explored throughout the film.”
Divine Revelation, Kids on Fire
James Espinoza, SFFR: “WWJCD — Discovering masturbation is a rite of passage for young boys. It’s the instant the world lets them in on the secret of its rapturous (*wink*) ecstasy. What’s become a classic euphemism for the brisk up and down motion of jerking off are earthquake tremors. Kids on Fire pokes fun at this cliché and elevates it to divine stakes by juxtaposing it to a Christian youth camp, where every waking moment is devoted to religious indoctrination and the denouncement of lustful sins (among the litany of many other transgressions). No questions allowed.
In the scene, chapter-titled “The Devil”, J.C. warily confesses to camp leader Sister Evelyn that he has discovered God’s gift to him — the ability to cause earthquakes by masturbating. His hesitation to speak up springs from the guilt and shame that have been morally inscribed and reinforced by every Bible verse they recite. To his surprise, Sister Evelyn is intrigued, wondering whether such a gift is actually from the Devil and not God, but ultimately eggs on young J.C. to demonstrate with some sizable motivation from her bosom.
Funny is key to why the scene works and how it maintains a degree of wholesomeness despite the subject matter. The events unfolding are sensitive but never perverted and are only inciting incidents to earth-shattering (I know, sorry!) consequences.
Sister Evelyn (played deliciously by Mystica) getting jizzed on the face should be the highlight of the scene, but that distinction goes to the doppelganger reveal. This twist is the film’s boldest statement, heavily implying that evangelist and temptress, good and evil, can take on the same form. It’s no coincidence that the camp counselor’s name literally has Eve in it, and the boy is named “J.C.” WWJCD. What would J.C. do, indeed. Unlike his namesake, J.C. gives in to the temptation, and he is rewarded with salvation.”
Bernard Santos, SFFR: “Kids on Fire is a satirical short film to the fullest and an entertaining ‘finding yourself’ film set in the world of teenage religious doubt and confusion. The ‘divine revelation’ scene is not only an adolescent’s sexual awakening for JC (Alexis Negrite) but also a revelation of the hypocrisy and immoral act of the religious group he belongs with. The film serves as an ode to the sexually innocent, pushing the idea that when a person’s curiosity is suppressed, they lose a sense of who they are. While JC is initially fearful that his newfound sexual freedom might send him to hell, it is in fact the people around him that pose the greatest threat to him. This ejaculation scene is pivotal and the turning point of the film about its sensitive subject: religion vs sex.”
Kyle Nieva, writer/director: “This scene was supposed to take place in a locker room, where J.C. and Brother Wally are the last ones to leave the shower stalls. We had to revise on set at the last minute due to logistical constraints, so we made J.C.’s perplexing discovery happen during bed time–when all eyes are closed. It is not unprecedented that religious figures engage in sexual activities–and sometimes abuse–even right in our places of worship. We hold many religious leaders in very high regard for the holiness and total devotion that they show us; however, behind closed doors, some have fallen short. It is this pretense and hypocrisy that we tried to touch on in this scene.”
Ending, Rabid: HM?
Mayk Alegre, SFFR: “Isa na marahil sa pinakanakakabalisa o nakakapraning na sintomas ng COVID-19 ay ang mawalan ng panlasa. Pero sa pelikulang Rabid, malasa at masarap sa mata ang pinakahuling kuwentong ‘HM?’ kung saan sentral sa naratibo ang sikretong sangkap. Bago ang mga huling sikwensya, naluluhang nagbahagi si Princess Mallari (Donna Cariaga) sa mga ka-online meeting kung ga’no kahirap ang kasalukuyang sitwasyon na parang hindi mo na alam minsan kung tama pa ba ‘yung ginagawa mo. ‘Nakakapagod din po.’ Totoo. Para kang masisiraan ng ulo at sobrang hirap maghanap ng trabaho sa Pilipinas lalo na no’ng dumami ang mga kompanyang nagsarado at nagbawas ng mga empleyado.
Nagsimula ang pinakanagmantsang mga eksena nang umabot sa puntong wala nang kontrol ang anak n’yang si Nico (Yñigo Delen) at hayok na hayok na nilalantakan lagi ang niluluto n’yang kare-kare dahil sa isang lihim na resipeng nakahalo rito. Malagim ang mga sumunod na nangyari nang sumugod na rin ang kapitbahay n’yang si Sam (Chrome Cosio) na maulol-ulol na sa paghihintay ng order nito hanggang sa mapuno na ng mga nagwawalang buhay na patay ang paligid ng bahay. Matingkad na nagsarado ang pelikula sa sunod-sunod na notifications sa laptop na natanggap na si Princess sa iba’t ibang kompanyang inaplayan n’ya habang unti-unti s’yang inuubos ng mga tao o nilalamon ng sistema na nagsilbing kulminasyon ng matalas na komentaryo ng direktor sa krisis sa pandemya, pinansya, at social media.”
Michiko Yamamoto, writer: “Production didn’t anticipate they would need so much menudo for that scene. (It was kare-kare on film but the director doesn’t eat kare-kare so he made them cook menudo instead.) After that scene, owner of the house got angry seeing his interior covered everywhere in brown sauce.”
Donato Rapido reenactment, Big Night!
Fred Hawson, SFFR: “This memorable scene came in about 15 minutes after the first hour of Jun Lana’s award-winning black comedy. Gay hairdresser Dharna needs to have his name removed from the drug watch list of their neighborhood within the night. Following a tip, Dharna and his boyfriend Zeus go to seek help from the chief of Area 8, who turn out to be famous movie action star Donato Rapido. Zeus is in sheer awe of Rapido’s glowing presence since the actor had been his idol since childhood. After they shake hands, twangy Western music starts playing, as Zeus and Rapido begin to reenact a hostage-taking scene from Rapido’s film Koboy Kilabot for which he won Best Actor at the Metro Manila Filmfest.
Donato Rapido, in his cowboy hat, plaid shirt and brown leather jacket, goes ‘Ka-pang, ka-pang!’ mimicking the pinging sound of bullets as he fires an imaginary pistol with his hands, as Zeus pretends to evade them. Zeus then takes Dharna in the crook of his arm, saying that he will kill damsel-in-distress Petula if Rapido does not surrender. As an incredulous Dharna utters a couple of half-hearted calls for help, Rapido calls out Petula’s name with an echoing effect for each syllable, while running in slow motion towards her. Zeus then begins to fire his pistol hand at Rapido, who feigns like he got hit, flails his arms around from the impact and falls down to the floor gasping, all still in slow motion.
The improvised playfulness between Arcilla (all self-absorbed with a star complex) and Antonio (wide-eyed in a star-struck fanboy moment) in this scene is probably the only moment of pure joy in this whole film. The scene may seem shallow, cornball and cheesy, but it is a lot of fun watching the deadpan pair of Arcilla and Antonio comically go through every over-the-top trope in classic Filipino action films in those two precious minutes. In stark contrast, this light-hearted moment would precede the darkest twist of the film which comes immediately after. And as a self-fulfilling prophesy, John Arcilla did win the Best Supporting Actor award in the last Metro Manila Filmfest.”
Jun Mendoza, SFFR: “Jun Lana’s latest offering takes a deep dive into the President’s ridiculous war on drugs and how its means of gathering intel has chilling effects to the ordinary Filipino shown through the eyes of Dharna (Christian Bables). In the final stretch of Dharna’s search for freedom from the watchlist, Dharna, accompanied by Zeus (Nico Antonio), encounters Donato (John Arcilla), a retired action star from the peak of Philippine action films, who happens to be Dharna’s last ‘chance’ for survival. And with Donato’s narcissism and Zeus being his #1 fan, we all know that a reenactment is bound to happen. And true enough it did.
This reenactment scene was peak comedic genius as it gave the ridiculousness of how those movies back then were written with the serious commitment in the delivery of Arcilla and Nico . Not to mention that the scene was made intentionally longer than others to capitalize on the absurdity of that situation. And the cherry on top is Dharna’s reaction and one-liner during all of that. Certainly one of the funniest scenes in Philippine Cinema in recent years.”
Nico Antonio, actor: “Noong ginagawa namin iyong eksena, sinabihan kami ni Direk Jun na gawing comical pero hindi OA na parang ‘corny’.
Habang eksena na, iniisip ko kasabay nang pag handshake ko kay Sir John (Arcilla), ‘paano ko ba ito gagawin?!’ Tapos, bumalik sa alaala ko iyong mga kontrabidang tulad nina Romy at Pacquito Diaz, Max Alvarado, Bomber Moran, at iba pa. Kaya noong bumitaw na ako ng linya, iniba ko na iyong boses ko na parang tunog kontrabida. Pero, iniisip ko rin na dapat, hindi ako marunong umarte (na sobrang hirap kapag aral ka na sa larangan ng pag-arte). Kaya noong binabaril na ako ni Sir John, inisip ko naman na mag-ala-Matrix kahit nasabihan ako na gumalaw kasi iyon iyong naging instinct ko eh.
Naririnig namin na tawa nang tawa sina Direk Jun. Masaya ako at nagustuhan niya iyong ginawa ko. Masaya rin sina Sir John at Christian. Panalo ”
Jun Lana, writer/director: “Former action star turned politician Donato Rapido (John Arcilla) is the embodiment of our nation’s penchant for voting celebrities into power, and the scene with Zeus (Nico Antonio,) probably his greatest fan, where they reenact his most iconic role, is how I best sum up the current state of Philippine politics: ridiculous, surreal and downright insane. Initially I wanted to shoot it in one single unbroken take, but technical virtuosity often calls attention to itself too much, so in the end I decided to keep the coverage simple to allow the madness of the scene just unfold and take hold completely. Comedy is about timing and teamwork. It’s not always easy to capture on film but with persistence you can get it done. Just the faux shootout sequence alone took 3 hours to finish. It was exhausting especially for the actors, but John, Christian and Nico were professionals through and through and collaborated with me with commitment and passion. I think it turned out way better than what was on the page.”
Astrodome Zumba, Kun Maupay Man It Panahon
Vinson Gabato, SFFR: “Kun Maupay Man It Panahon is a road trip of sorts wherein the characters encounter surreal situations: from Daniel Padilla’s encounter with a carabao to Rans Rifol’s character becoming a healer. But the trippiest is the Astrodome scene.
As we follow Charo Santos’s Norma after her initial search for her husband, blaring dance music plays. We see the landscape. Apparently, a Zumba session is held just hours after the tragedy. A tiring exercise after a tiring day. Is it a shot at the misguided and exhausting ‘Filipino resilience’? Or the priorities by the government (although it’s more obvious on latter scenes)? Or just a collective fever dream because of everything? The lion on the roof of the structure notches up the surrealness of the shot. (I remember the DLSU turtles when the campus gets flooded.) An unnecessary event which is completely plausible.”
Manuel Pangaruy, SFFR: “Maraming eksena sa Kun Maupay Man it Panahon na nagpapakita ng paranoia pero ‘yong eksena na lumingon si Norma (Charo Santos-Concio) sa astrodome at nag-umpisang mag-Zumba ang mga taong nasalanta ng bagyo ang pinakatumatak sa akin. Nakita mo rin ba ang leon sa itaas na bahagi na hindi mapakali? O, ang nakita mo ay ang isang performance na sa isang normal na pagkakataon ay sa loob ng Astrodome ginagawa? Ito na siguro ang pinaka-angkop pero mapanukat na depiction ng pagkakasadlak sa kawalan ng katiyakan. Hindi na ito pangitain ng pinapangarap nating mamalas kundi isang alinlangan na nakikita natin ang mga pangitaing madalas na sa panaginip lang nakakulong. Na madalas kesa hindi ay pangkaraniwang estado ng sinumang Pilipino na nilinlang ng unos: opresyon mula sa gobyerno, pagkabalisa sa pananalasa ng pag-itsa-puwera sa totoong kasaysayan, pagnakaw ng dignidad, mga Super Typhoon na wala tayong planong lubayan.”
Jérémie Dubois, co-writer: “What I remember is that we had a few additional animals and that the lion was walking through the crowd as it were.”
Carlo Francisco Manatad, co-writer/director: “The film was mainly shot all across Luzon, but there was a location that I felt was non-negotiable, the Tacloban Astrodome. I could vividly remember the thousand people who stormed the area to get a glimpse of the production.
The Zumba scene was practically the hardest to mount, not just in terms of scale and scope but also on an emotional level. Imagine having bit players play the roles they have experienced in real life, making them perform and dance in a way that maybe some of them don’t even understand why they were doing it. I would try as much to explain why we were doing the scene. I could see lots of confused faces. But every time I looked back at them, their looks would shift from confused to looking serious, and reassuring me that they are more than willing to be part of the film and tell their story. It ended up with everyone having a good time and dancing even though the shooting was already done. Ma’am Charo even kept her promise of dancing in front of the Taclobanons after the shoot!
Regarding the Zumba song: I remember when I was in high school, that song (“Tahong ni Karla”) was very popular. I wanted to include the track in the film, for pop culture reference and personal reasons din. We were trying to find the artist that produced the track para cleared kami with all the rights to all the songs used. We only got in touch with the wife: apparently the artist died during Yolanda. “
The massacre, On the Job: The Missing 8
Jay Lacanilao, SFFR: “The massacre scene in The Missing 8 probably hits differently to Filipinos compared to foreigners who have seen it. For foreigners, it might be incredibly brutal, and it is, but for Filipinos, it might be too familiar and hits too close to home that its horrifying effect is no longer that bleak. But that is the horror in itself. The fact that we are desensitized by these heinous crimes we see in cinema is very telling of our current state that goes beyond art. It’s our reality.
More than that, it’s one of the best scenes of last year because of Erik Matti’s penchant for extreme brutality incorporated with flashy style. Matti did not hold back in showing this massacre as he should when this has happened in real life by people who also did not hold back. What sets Matti apart from these murderers is that he still has soul. By including family members of the murderers’ target, Arnel Pangan (Christopher de Leon), he emphasized the mercilessness of this massacre and that it could happen to anyone innocent–including his viewers. And for them to be unceremoniously buried just adds up to the revulsion. This scene is also the turning point for The Missing 8‘s lead Sisoy (John Arcilla) to turn against his own corrupt self, which shows how institutions only exist for their own gain.”
Chuck Gutierrez, actor: “The massacre scene was shot last March 2020. We badly needed to finish the scene because of the rumors of a lockdown due to the pandemic. We spent the whole night with Christopher de Leon and the rest of the Missing 8 inside that small car. Despite the very tough scenes, everything went smoothly. The entire cast wanted to have our picture taken for posterity only to find out that Christopher had to leave the as soon as we wrapped. The next day, we were informed that Christopher was positive for Covid-19 and the lockdown officially started in the country. The Missing 8 literally went missing since we needed to be quarantined.”
Scene of the Year: Ending, Kun Maupay Man It Panahon
Den Lebantino, SFFR: “The last five minutes of Kun Maupay Man It Panahon brings a confluence of emotional experience, evoked by a montage depicting catharsis and uncertainties. For Norma (Charo Santos), saying goodbye to her husband is the closure she needs, a goal defining her journey through the typhoon-ravaged Tacloban. Manatad is keen on his character’s psyche which allows for a deeper understanding of resilience and its motivation. Asin’s “Himig ng Pag-ibig” accompanying the final shots reflects Norma’s cathartic moment on the elevated rock, the fireworks adorning the sky behind her.
Andrea (Rans Rifol) reaches her own bliss. She sings before the people who enthroned her. By her bliss and Norma’s relief, Manatad pulls off the kind of culmination that is quite sublime—the weight put on what these characters gain in the face of a tragedy rather than what they lose—not an attempt to romanticize hope but to present survival as allegorical: a phenomenon that transcends reality, a virtue that can stand the wounds of the flesh, a path traversed by a suffering soul reaching its destination.
But Manatad grounds us back to the truth. We see Miguel (Daniel Padilla) in the final frame, perturbed as he waits for his mother Norma. He stands at a ship’s entrance, uncertain of how this ends for him. In the absence of the song’s words expressing the joys of a fulfilled longing, Miguel disappears from the screen. Manatad leaves us with a question unanswered—a tragedy lingering through the tentativeness of a resolution.”
Leo Baltar, SFFR: “The ending sequence of Kun Maupay Man It Panahon is where director Carlo Francisco Manatad elevates the absurdity of the film’s premise, maximizing every material at his disposal. Once trying to navigate the unease of their predicament, the three characters now surrender to the air of hopelessness as they part ways. Like everything else, logic seems immaterial at this point.
We observe Andrea (Rans Rifol) singing before a crowd of people who all seem like they’ve already found a new home in this broken ship of a town, making do with what is left in the rubble. As Asin’s ‘Himig ng Pag-ibig’ permeates the atmosphere, everything morphs into a different energy, like in a concert of some sort. We see the crowd, engulfed in bright lights, wave their hands in the air.
Then, it all skews towards spectacle, as we witness Norma (Charo Santos-Concio) dance her miseries away amid fireworks shining through a looming storm. Is she out of her mind? We can never tell. Left on his own in the town’s port, Miguel (Daniel Padilla), meanwhile, awaits the two women in his life, as the survivors rush and stumble to their feet to step aboard the ship sailing to Manila. Miguel says nothing, because what is there left to say? Somehow, it’s enough to observe all the emotions take shape in his eyes, haunting us even after the screen fades to black.
One might say that this final sequence pokes fun at the survivors of the typhoon, but this narrative unit captures this sentiment best: survivors of any crisis have their own ways of confronting their traumas, no matter how eccentric they may look. After all futile attempts to make sense of a tragic situation, is it really that offensive for them to escape even just for a while, especially when relief feels like a distant tomorrow?”
Carlo Francisco Manatad, co-writer/director: “The ending was very clear in my head, three independent shots with their own ‘endings’. But we only thought of the ending track/music when we were doing post. It was supposed to be scored by Andrew Florentino (composer). But during one of our previews, Benjo Ferrer (editor) placed the Asin track over the ending sequence, and right then and there, we knew we wanted to get the rights to the music. It just felt right. We shot the ending shot of Daniel as the last shot of the whole production.”
Kun Maupay Man It Panahon, a moving absurdist drama set in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan (locally named Yolanda) and starring Charo Santos-Concio and Daniel Padilla, is named Best Film in the 2nd Pinoy Rebyu Awards, handed out by the Society of Filipino Film Reviewers. In its citation of the film, SFFR recognized its “effective depiction of the collective trauma of disaster survivors as seen through the eyes of three protagonists navigating a labyrinth of state inefficiency, mass hysteria, and magic.”
Charo Santos-Concio, Daniel Padilla, and Rans Rifol in a scene from Kun Maupay Man It Panahon
The film, directed by debuting director Carlo Francisco Manatad, also garnered five other awards: Best First Feature (Manatad), Best Editing (Benjo Ferrer), Best Cinematography (Teck Siang Lim), Best Production Design (Whammy Alcazaren), and Best Film Score (Andrew Florentino).
Kun Maupay Man It Panahon premiered in the Metro Manila Film Festival 2021 and is currently streaming in KTX, iWant, Upstream, FDCP Channel and WeTV, until March 6.
The other major awards were given to On the Job 2: The Missing 8, which won for Best Director (Erik Matti), Best Screenplay (Matti and Michiko Yamamoto), Best Lead Performance (John Arcilla), and Best Ensemble for its main cast.
Matti was recognized for “his masterful orchestration of technical and artistic elements of a film that grippingly depicts widespread political manipulation of media and the police”, while Arcilla was cited for his layered performance as a radio announcer whose initially unquestioned beliefs have taken a different turn”. The film is currently screening as a miniseries in HBO Go.
Theater veteran Jay Valencia Glorioso wins Best Supporting Performance for her captivating turn as a mysterious, sinister woman seeking shelter amidst the pandemic in another Matti-directed film, Rabid.
Last Days at Sea, about a filmmaker’s friendship with a boy in a gentle seaside community, was adjudged Best Documentary Feature.
Kids on Fire, Kyle Nieva’s entertaining satire on religious hypocrisy starring Mystica, was named Best Live Action Short Film, while Mga Ulap Tayong Nagiging Ulan, Demetrio Celestino’s uplifting short combining stop-motion and illustration about embracing grief, was deemed the Best Animated Short Film. River of Tears and Rage, Maricon Montajes’ heart-rending document of the burial of the baby River Nasino, was recognized as Best Documentary Short Film.
SFFR earlier released its list of 5 Best International Feature Films of 2021: Drive My Car, The Power of the Dog, Promising Young Woman, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, and The Worst Person in the World.
The Society of Filipino Film Reviewers is composed of 38 active reviewers of Philippine cinema. Because of challenges brought about by the Covid-19 virus, there will be no physical awarding ceremonies this year. Trophies will be delivered to winners.
The full list of nominees and winners can be found below:
Best Film
Big Night! Historya ni Ha *Kun Maupay Man It Panahon Last Days at Sea On the Job 2: The Missing 8
Best Director
Venice Atienza, Last Days at Sea Lav Diaz, Historya ni Ha Jun Robles Lana, Big Night! Carlo Francisco Manatad, Kun Maupay Man It Panahon *Erik Matti, On the Job 2: The Missing 8
Best Screenplay
Big Night! (Jun Robles Lana) Historya ni Ha (Lav Diaz) Kids on Fire (Kyle Nieva) Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (Giancarlo Abrahan, Jérémie Dubois, Carlo Francisco Manatad) *On the Job 2: The Missing 8 (Erik Matti and Michiko Yamamoto)
Best Lead Performance
*John Arcilla, On the Job 2: The Missing 8 Christian Bables, Big Night! John Lloyd Cruz, Historya ni Ha Kim Molina, Ikaw at Ako at ang Ending Mae Paner, Tao Po Charo Santos-Concio, Kun Maupay Man It Panahon
John Arcilla in a scene from the political thriller On the Job 2: The Missing 8
Best Supporting Performance
Angie Castrence, Gameboys: The Movie Dolly de Leon, Historya ni Ha Lotlot de Leon, On the Job 2: The Missing 8 *Jay Valencia Glorioso, Rabid Mystica, Kids on Fire Rans Rifol, Kun Maupay Man It Panahon
Jay Valencia Glorioso in a scene from the horror film Rabid
Best Ensemble Performance
Big Night! Gameboys: The Movie Historya ni Ha Kun Maupay Man It Panahon *On the Job 2: The Missing 8
Best Film Editing
Big Night! (Benjamin Tolentino) It’s Raining Frogs Outside (Maria Estela Paiso) *Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (Benjo Ferrer) On the Job 2: The Missing 8 (Jay Halili) Random People (Caleb Maglunob)
Best Cinematography
Arisaka (Mycko David) Filipiñana (Xenia Patricia) *Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (Teck Siang Lim) Last Days at Sea (Moshe Ladanga and Venice Atienza) On the Job 2: The Missing 8 (Neil Bion)
Best Production Design
Big Night! (Marxie Maolen Fadul) Death of Nintendo (Whammy Alcazaren and Thesa Tang) Kids on Fire (Alvin Francisco) *Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (Whammy Alcazaren) On the Job 2: The Missing 8 (Roma Regala) Rabid (Shiel Marie Calde)
Best Film Score
Big Night (Teresa Barrozo) How to Die Young in Manila (Alyana Cabral) Kids on Fire (Len Calvo) *Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (Andrew Florentino) On the Job 2: The Missing 8 (Malek Lopez, Arvin Nogueras, Erwin Romulo)
Best Documentary Feature
*Last Days at Sea Tao Po A Will to Dream
A scene from the documentary Last Days at Sea
Best First Feature
*Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (Carlo Francisco Manatad) Last Days at Sea (Venice Atienza) My Amanda (Alessandra de Rossi) Tao Po (Mae Paner) A Will to Dream (Patrick Alcedo)
Best Live Action Short Film
Alingasngas ng mga Kuliglig Black Rainbow Filipiñana *Kids on Fire Maski Papano Sa Balay ni Papang
A scene from the short film Kids on Fire
Best Animated Short Film
Ang Amomonggo sa Aton Blue Is Not My Favorite Color Flush Maris *Mga Ulap Tayong Nagiging Ulan My Mamily
Still from the animated short film Mga Ulap Tayong Nagiging Ulan
Best Documentary Short Film
Lingkis Panambi Random People The Right to Life *River of Tears and Rage To Pick a Flower
Still from the short documentary River of Tears and Rage
The Society of Filipino Film Reviewers (SFFR) have sent in their ballots to determine nominations for the best in Philippine cinema for 2020. Nominees of the 1st Pinoy Rebyu Awards will be announced Monday, January 18, 2021.
For this year’s awards, celebrating the best in Philippine cinema of 2020, the voting members have 53 eligible local full-length films to consider in these 12 categories: Best Feature Film, Director, Lead Performance, Supporting Performance, Ensemble Performance, Screenplay, Cinematography, Production Design, Editing, Music Score, Documentary Feature, and First Feature.
The Society will also hand the award for Best Short Film. To recognize excellence in international filmmaking, SFFR is introducing a new category: Best International Film, where nominees were selected from 93 eligible films.
To be eligible, a film must have played publicly in a theater in the Philippines between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020. Films that debuted exclusively on streaming platforms were considered as long as they were widely available to Philippines-based viewers.
2020 hit the local film industry hard. What used to be 100-150 film outputs in a year over the past decade and half have been reduced to about 50 productions, with most of them released via streaming platforms as cinemas closed by the second quarter of the year.
In this tenth edition of Pinoy Rebyu polls, 35 members of the Society of Filipino Film Reviewers recognize the film festivals that were able to adapt to the new cinema-viewing experience. A total of 9 film festivals were cited by voters, including runners-up Binisaya Film Festival, Lockdown Cinema Club, Mindanao Film Festival, Metro Manila Film Festival, and Ngilngig Asian Fantastic Film Festival.
However, there were four filmfests that were consistently mentioned by voters for having delivered quality films and streaming experience:
3 (tie) – Cinemalaya Film Festival (28 points)
While a few major local film festivals announced postponements of their annual fests due to challenges posed by the pandemic, Cinemalaya was the first major filmfest to show how it can be done.
Stephanie Mayo: “Well-curated short films, organized, hassle-free streaming experience.”
Cholo Sediaren: “The best format for the digital age of film festivals, and provided a comprehensive library of shorts and classics.”
Kevin Oliver Tan: “Easy access and all films can be found in one page.”
3 (tie) – Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (28 points)
While its approximation of a physical festival through a strict film scheduling proved difficult to some, PPP satiated film buffs with the sheer amount of films (short, full-length, classics) being shown.
Terence Ang: “For having the most expansive film selection, from digitally-restored classics to indie gems that people might’ve missed out on from the past decade, streamed using the most reliable media player for a seamless and more enjoyable viewing experience”
Daph Bajas: “I liked the platform. All films have watermarks. Screenings for different locations.”
Robert Cerda: “The bundle price is worth all of the available films, features, and talks.”
James Espinoza: “Despite the organizers’ insistence on the fixed schedule of the ‘movie theater experience’, the actual selections of short and feature films were wide-ranging and comprehensive. Their adaptive player wasn’t half bad. More seamless than Upstream if I may say so.”
Vinson Gabato: “Because of the number of films. Though I did not like that the films had a schedule and venue where it would be shown, I think it’s ingenious. It gave the sense of being in a movie house where you have to be early.”
Emil Hofileña: “Even with an overabundance of films and early technical issues, this year’s PPP truly had something for everyone. And if you were lucky enough to find a screening that fit your schedule, it felt just like catching a movie in cinemas, alongside a crowd of equally eager audience members.”
2 – Daang Dokyu(50 points)
The new kid on the local filmfest block was heaven-sent to documentary aficionados, screening free well-curated documentaries that included seminal films that Filipinos needed to see.
Sanriel Ajero: “It has an impressive program of important documentaries with sections ranging from Martial Law to environmentalism – free for all and with a stable streaming website that’s very easy to access.”
Armando dela Cruz: “A welcome addition to any cinephile’s yearly itinerary, Daang Dokyu unearthed titles from all over the world and different years. The programming is ideal, too, and something that other local festivals should adapt. Daang Dokyu programmed weekly, with each week having its own theme. The films are streamed on their self-hosted platform, which is already better than other festivals’ third-party-powered programming (via Upstream, Vimeo-On-Demand). Oh, and they did all of this for free.”
Princess Kinoc: “Daang Dokyu is the best Film Festival this year because they showcased a well-curated way of showcasing documentaries online, within schedule, well-catalogued as they also help out PR writers to map out a way to understand why the films were shown for that week, and included minutes per film so that we, the viewers, can arrange our schedules appropriately. Also, walang tapon sa lahat ng films na shinowcase. Award na award.”
Skilty Labastilla: “I’m a sucker for documentaries so this was the perfect filmfest for me. But the top-notch curation and easy site navigability, not to mention not having to pay anything, are what sealed the deal. Here’s hoping this will be a regular fixture in the festival circuit.”
Jay Lacanilao: “Streamed relevant and timely films for free”
Jason Tan Liwag: “For providing unparalleled access to curated documentaries – short and long – for free to the Filipino people, returning to them often-lost narratives through cinema as history, and enabling avenues by which to process these stories into action.”
Macky Macarayan: “It is a carefully curated festival that highlights the historical significance and power of the documentary form, as well as celebrates the country’s treasure trove of documentary films.”
Joker Manio: “For being a new platform that showcases the underappreciated craft of documentary filmmaking in the country”
Jim Paranal: “Documentaries are often overlooked in film festivals, especially here in the Philippines. Just like short films, documentaries are only given a limited platform. We are accustomed in watching them for free on TV. Daang Dokyu paved the way to documentaries through free online streaming. Aside from that, we get to know stories that we’re not familiar with. At first, I thought that Daang Dokyu won’t push through because initially, this was slated to have its program in March – prior to CoViD 19 pandemic quarantine. Good to know that they’re able to showcase marvelous sets of documentaries last September to November 2020.”
Nico Quejano: “Very well curated. Probably the best celebration of the centennial of Philippine Cinema; showing history in film and filmmaking in our history.”
Robin Quiñones: “(For the) variety of films, relevance, VOD format”
Jay Rosas: “The first of its kind in the Philippines, showcasing diverse films and programming; basically, elevating documentary film practice in the popular discourse.”
1 – QCinema (64 points)
What can we say? For the fourth straight year, QCinema has established itself as the filmfest to beat. While its local film grantees for 2020 were not able to finish production due to time constraints brought about by the pandemic, QCinema continued to curate acclaimed new works in world cinema and re-screened a few notable QCinema alums from the last couple of years.
Mayk Alegre: “If I’m not mistaken, it’s the first to introduce Upstream VOD streaming platform.”
Macoy Delociento: “Showcased a good selection of local and international films.”
Engelbert Dulay: “Impeccable lineup from start to end, made accessible at the comforts of everyone’s homes via Upstream. The fact that I didn’t have to travel 4 hours a day (from Alabang to QC) just to attend my favorite Filipino film festival alone is a blessing.”
Miguel Edosma: “The festival is made up of well curated films. Viewers won’t experience burnout because there is a fair number of movies per batch. And you can watch them anytime you want, plus those who brought bundle tickets get freebies!”
Cydel Gutierrez: “For pushing physical screenings in the midst of a pandemic and responsibly adhering to safety protocols.”
Fred Hawson: “Excellent international selection of internationally acclaimed films”
Wowie Lagman: “QCinema has always been consistent in the quality of its lineup of films. They’re always interesting, provocative, and, of course, entertaining.”
Nicol Latayan: “Cleanest execution of a combined online and actual film fest, decent lineup of movies, and a user-friendly, PPV format for the virtual viewing.”
Manuel Pangaruy: “For still coming up with a decent line-up despite the condition. Ticket is relatively affordable, and the platform used is easy to navigate.”
Bernard Santos: “It brought awesome international films available for screening online and mounted a special outdoor screening for film lovers to experience watching on a big screen again.”
Nazamel Tabares: “Navigation was smooth for an online film festival with variety of choices from local to international titles.”
John Tawasil: “QCinema not only gave us one of the best lineups of the year, it also thought forward with its hybrid of live and online screenings and a generous stream schedule for all concerned.”
INDIVIDUAL BALLOTS
Sanriel Ajero
1. Daang Dokyu 2. Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 3. Cinemalaya
Mayk Alegre
1. QCinema 2. Cinemalaya
Terence Ang
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Cinemalaya
QCinema
Daph Bajas
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
QCinema
Binisaya
Robert Cerda
PPP
Daang Dokyu
Armando dela Cruz
Daang Dokyu Documentary Festival
QCinema International Film Festival
Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival
Macoy Delociento
QCinema
DaangDokyu
Metro Manila Film Festival
Engelbert Rafferty Dulay
QCinema
Binisaya
Cinemalaya
Miguel Edosma
QCinema
Daang Dokyu
Cinemalaya
James Espinoza
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Cinemalaya
Daang Dokyu
Vinson Gabato
PPP
QCinema
DaangDokyu
Cydel Gutierrez
QCinema
DaangDokyu
Mindanao Film Festival
Fred Hawson
QCinema
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Emil Hofileña
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
QCinema
Metro Manila Film Festival
Princess Kinoc
Daang Dokyu
2. Mindanao Film Fest
QCinema
Skilty Labastilla
Daang Dokyu
PPP
Lockdown Cinema Club
Jay Lacanilao
Daang Dokyu
QCinema
Cinemalaya
Wowie Lagman
QCinema
Cinemalaya
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Nicol Latayan
QCinema
PPP
Daang Dokyu
Jason Tan Liwag
Daang Dokyu
QCinema
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Macky Macarayan
Daang Dokyu
Joker Manio
Daang Dokyu
QCinema International Film Festival
Ngilngig Asian Fantastic Film Festival Davao
Stephanie Mayo
Cinemalaya
Manuel Pangaruy
QCinema
Daang Dokyu
MMFF
Jim Paranal
Daang Dokyu
Cinemalaya
QCinema
Nico Quejano
Daang Dokyu
QCinema
Lockdown Cinema Club
Robin Quiñones
Daang Dokyu
QCinema
Cinemalaya
Jay Rosas
Daang Dokyu
Cinemalaya / Gawad Alternatibo
BINISAYA Film Festival
Bernard Santos
QCinema
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2020
Metro Manila Film Festival 2020
Cholo Sediaren
Cinemalaya
QCinema
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Naz Malvas Tabares
QCinema
Daang Dokyu
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Kevin Oliver Tan
Cinemalaya
QCinema
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
John Tawasil
QCinema
Cinemalaya
MMFF
Jay-r Trinidad
Lockdown Cinema Club had the biggest number of films (short or full) released. With filmmakers providing entertainment during the early stages of the quarantine. Not to mention that this was for a cause.
Daang Dokyu
QCinema
JT Trinidad
Lockdown Cinema Club, it was able to showcase and distribute different films to a lot of people and helped the audiences cope with their anxieties during the quarantine.
The Society of Filipino Film Reviewers’ Pinoy Rebyu Awards celebrate the best achievements in Philippine cinema of 2020. For eligibility, members of SFFR considered all films released in the calendar year in at least one cinema in the Philippines or on a largely accessible streaming service between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020.
Of the nominees, Dodo Dayao’s “Midnight in a Perfect World” received 9 nominations, the most of any film. It was nominated for Best Film, along with Alyx Ayn Arumpac’s “Aswang”, Antoinette Jadaone’s “Fan Girl”, Lav Diaz’s “Lahi, Hayop”, and Isabel Sandoval’s “Lingua Franca”.
Three of the films nominated for Best Film were directed by women, who also earned Best Director mentions.
The winners of the 1st Pinoy Rebyu Awards will be announced on February 1, 2021.
Best Feature Film
A total of 20 films received nominations from members of the society.
ASWANG Directed by Alyx Ayn Arumpac Produced by Armi Rae Cacanindin
FAN GIRL Directed by Antoinette Jadaone Produced by Bianca Balbuena, Dan Villegas
LAHI, HAYOP Directed by Lav Diaz
MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD Directed by Dodo Dayao Produced by Bianca Balbuena, Quark Henares, Bradley Liew
LINGUA FRANCA Directed by Isabel Sandoval Produced by Isabel Sandoval, Carlo Velayo, Darlene Malimas, Jhett Tolentino, Jerome Kerkman
Best Director
A total of 18 directors received nominations from members of the society.
Alyx Ayn Arumpac ASWANG
Dodo Dayao MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD
Dolly Dulu THE BOY FORETOLDBY THE STARS
Antoinette Jadaone FAN GIRL
Isabel Sandoval LINGUA FRANCA
Best Lead Performance
A total of 35 actors received nominations by members of the society.
Elijah Canlas HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN
Charlie Dizon FAN GIRL
Adrian Lindayag THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS
Bela Padilla ON VODKA, BEERS, AND REGRETS
Isabel Sandoval LINGUA FRANCA
Best Supporting Performance
A total of 47 actors received nominations by members of the society.
Nanding Josef LAHI, HAYOP
Shaina Magdayao TAGPUAN
Phi Palmos KINTSUGI
Bing Pimentel MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD
Enzo Pineda HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN
Best Ensemble Performance
A total of 16 ensembles were nominated by members of the society.
THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS
FOUR SISTERS BEFORE THE WEDDING
LAHI, HAYOP
MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD
WATCH LIST
Best Screenplay
A total of 24 screenplays were nominated by members of the society.
THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS Dolly Dulu
FAN GIRL Antoinette Jadaone
LAHI, HAYOP Lav Diaz
LINGUA FRANCA Isabel Sandoval
MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD Dodo Dayao
Best Production Design
A total of 20 productions were nominated by members of the society.
THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS Lars Magbanua
FAN GIRL Ferdi Abuel
KINTSUGI Hai Balbuena, Roli Inocencio
MAGIKLAND Ericson Navarro
MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD Benjamin Padero, Carlo Tabije
Best Cinematography
A total of 22 directors of photography were nominated by members of the society.
ASWANG Alyx Ayn Arumpac, Tanya Haurylchyk
THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS Marvin Reyes
FAN GIRL Neil Daza
LAHI, HAYOP Lav Diaz
MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD Albert Banzon, Gym Lumbera
Best Film Editing
A total of 23 film editors were nominated by members of the society.
ASWANG Anne Fabini, Fatima Bianchi
THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS Noah Tonga
FANGIRL Benjamin Tolentino
LINGUA FRANCA Isabel Sandoval
MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD Lawrence Ang
Best Music Score
A total of 19 film scores were nominated by members of the society.
ASWANG Teresa Barrozo
THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS Paulo Protacio
FAN GIRL Teresa Barrozo
MAGIKLAND Emerzon Texon
MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD Erwin Romulo, Malek Lopez, and Juan Miguel Sobrepeña
Best Documentary Feature
A total of 8 films were nominated by members of the society.
ASWANG Directed by Alyx Ayn Arumpac Produced by Armi Rae Cacanindin
DREAMING IN THE RED LIGHT Directed by Pabelle Manikan Produced by Pabelle Manikan, Wena Sanchez
ELEHIYA SA PAGLIMOT Directed by Kristoffer Brugada Produced by Cha Escala
ANG LAKARAN NI KABUNYAN Directed by Kidlat Tahimik
A THOUSAND CUTS Directed by Ramona Diaz Produced by Julie Goldman, Ramona Diaz, Leah Marino, Carolyn Hepburn, Chris Clements
Best First Feature
A total of 8 films were nominated by members of the society.
ASWANG Directed by Alyx Ayn Arumpac Produced by Armi Rae Cacanindin
THE BOY FORETOLD BY THE STARS Directed by Dolly Dulu Produced by Roderick Cabrido, Dolly Dulu, Omar Sortijas, Jodi Sta. Maria
DREAMING IN THE RED LIGHT Directed by Pabelle Manikan Produced by Pabelle Manikan, Wena Sanchez ELEHIYA SA PAGLIMOT Directed by Kristoffer Brugada Produced by Cha Escala
MAGIKLAND Directed by Christian Acuna Produced by Rey Bantug, Albee Benitez, Peque Gallaga, Jo Macasa, Lore Reyes
Best Short Film
A total of 43 films were nominated by members of the society.
BULLET-LACED DREAMS Directed by Kristoffer Brugada, Cha Escala Produced by Kristoffer Brugada, Cha Escala
GULIS Directed by Kyle Jumayne Francisco Produced by Carlo Enciso Catu
HENERAL RIZAL Directed by Chuck Gutierrez Produced by Tanghalang Pilipino, Voyage Studios
LIVING THINGS Directed by Martika Ramirez Escobar Produced by Tin Velasco
ANGPAGPAKALMA SA UNOS Directed by Joanna Vasquez Arong Produced by Joanna Vasquez Arong
Best International Film
A total of 62 films were nominated by members of the society.
END OF THE CENTURY Directed by Lucio Castro (Argentina)
HAPPY OLD YEAR Directed by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit (Thailand)
LITTLE WOMEN Directed by Greta Gerwig (USA)
SOUND OF METAL Directed by Darius Marder (USA)
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 Directed by Aaron Sorkin (USA)
The Society of Filipino Film Reviewers continues the Pinoy Rebyu tradition since 2011 of recognizing the best individual scenes in Philippine cinema. Here are the 5 best scenes in 2020, with reviewers’ notes and filmmakers’ takes.
Ending, Lingua Franca
The late Lynn Cohen in a scene from Lingua Franca
Sanriel Ajero, SFFR: “Despite its tone being quiet and intimate, or its focus rather specific, Lingua Franca felt pretty revolutionary and universal. Yes, it was directed, written, performed, produced, and edited by a trans Filipina immigrant, but Isabel Sandoval also made choices, created moments, and reflected experiences in Lingua Franca that made her voice and vision singular, important and powerful. One important moment was how the central love scene was sensual, tender, and for once did not portray trans sex as something shocking, traumatic, or violent. Or that fantasy scene shot in extreme close-ups while the camera glides across the beautiful body of an empowered trans woman enjoying pleasure on screen without any threat or fear. Or that subtle comment on how immigration laws had changed in the way Sandoval contrasted Lynn Cohen’s Olga’s post-war emigration to Olivia’s personal difficulty in Trump’s America as immigration has become a political statement and power play.
What stuck with me, however, was the final sequence that showed how much Olivia’s character has learned from her experiences. Olivia is shy, aloof, and soft-spoken, possibly due to the circumstances of her immigration status and the constant ICE raids in the empty and isolated side of New York where she lives. She goes about her day like the hard-working immigrant that she is – working as an in-home caregiver to Olga, while supporting her family in the Philippines and using her savings to pay off an American citizen for green card. With her growing insurmountable deportation paranoia, Trump’s hate-mongering and transphobia, an expired passport no longer matching her, and knowing that Alex, who just lied to her, might be her only chance for a legal status, the final moments of Lingua Franca showing how Olivia decides to leave it all behind and choose herself feels quietly defiant. She has no answers and she cannot assure how things are going to go from there, but she now knows she belongs to herself and she continues to find her place in this world. In the end, we find her in the same situation where she started – talking to her mother in the Philippines and looking for a new way to legally stay in the US – but this time, a lot stronger and has a much bigger respect for herself. No lives lost, no immigrants deported, no trans woman violently attacked, it ended with a much more complicated emotion – that of disappointment and regret, but with respect, dignity, and hope.”
James Espinoza, SFFR: “While the plight of a transwoman to just be accepted or tolerated is already hard enough, Olivia’s struggle is made more difficult by her being an undocumented immigrant who then falls in love with a man unware of both facts. In the final sequence, after she demands to get her passport back from Alex, we see a montage of New York going about its daily business, and we hear a voiceover from Olivia explaining her situation to her mother. She’s got a new job. She’s met a new guy who can be her ticket to a citizenship. ‘It might take another year, more or less. But don’t worry about me. We’ll make it eventually.‘ And then we see Olga, her previous employer, peeling an orange and about to make a phone call, a scene that mirrors the same one early on in the film – an impressive editing and storytelling choice that seems to say: everything’s the same, yet everything is different.
What’s powerful about this sequence and with Lingua Franca as a whole is it demonstrates how her situation should not merely be viewed from the perspective of race, gender, class, etc. but from the intersectionality of all these issues. Olivia is a woman whose hope has been shattered over and over again. By her family, by strangers, by her loved one. But Olivia is not giving up. She’s taking control of the things she can and demanding the kind of respect she deserves, with the hope that one day, the world can catch up.”
Isabel Sandoval, writer/director: “We found the motel room location in Brooklyn a week before we started shooting. The team found it rather seedy and low-rent at the time, and we had been looking for something more plush and fancy. But I saw the dramatic potential of the wall-to-wall mirrors in the room then and eventually convinced the DP–who was particular about locations–that it’s perfect and I was right. When I wrote that morning-after scene between Olivia and Alex, I had considerably more lines of dialogue but, as we were rehearsing the day of, Olivia’s words just came across superfluous. Her silence in the face of Alex placating spoke volumes in comparison so I stripped down the scene that way. We also shot Alex having an emotional breakdown after he gives back Olivia’s passport but in the editing room I thought the scene didn’t need it. The film’s actual final scene was different as scripted. It was a static wide shot of Olivia leaving Alex’s apartment with her suitcase, uncertain where to go. It provided narrative clarity and closure but I thought it was dramatically flat. I found it to be a pat resolution to an otherwise complex film. So I thought of using a different take of an earlier scene between Olivia and Olga during an episode of dementia. Life goes on, and we remain in the dark about Olivia’s whereabouts or situation though we do hear her voicemail to her mother in the Philippines. There’s something haunting and elegiac about the scene cutting to black as Olga waits for her phone call to be answered.”
First kiss / Last kiss, The Boy Foretold by the Stars
Adrian Lindayag and Keann Johnson in The Boy Foretold by the Stars
Jason Tan Liwag, SFFR: “Dominic (Adrian Lindayag) stands in the middle of the field, overseeing the members of Journey, holding a lit candle in his hand. Luke (Keann Johnson) arrives and his voice pierces through the night. Dominic doesn’t turn around, almost as if he knows Luke will arrive, and looks on. As Luke continues his small attempts at making up for his previous actions, Dominic remains unfazed. Standing tall and self-assured, Dominic stands as a restoration of human dignity to the LGBTQIA+ community through cinema.
The image, the masculine ‘lalake’ courting the effiminate ‘bakla’, is a reversal of previous images in queer cinema. We’ve always had to beg: for acceptance, for love, for our rights. Queer romances haven’t always been kind to queer people. To be gay in cinema has always been a death sentence in some shape or form: either a real death (i.e. HIV, car crashes, etc.) or a death of desire; a non-reciprocation of love or of acceptance in society.
The Boy Foretold by the Stars doesn’t erase all of this cruel history that queer audiences have had to witness and endure. But it does give us some hope: that somehow there are futures wherein we are chosen and loved, as long as we somehow uphold our dignity. And it does it through the most emancipating of images: a simple kiss in public and two lovers staring at the same horizon.”
Daph Bajas, SFFR: “As a viewer, the ending kiss is unexpected. 2020 is the prime year of Boys’ Love genre. And all content— films, manga, tv-series— conditioned the viewers on the structure to expect. Dulu created a narrative turn unforeseen that could be read 2 ways: one, as a climactic ending, the are-they-or-aren’t-they-going-to-be-together, skewing a structure filled for the genre; two, as a character development— giddy slipstream of both sensation and decision, with adolescent, dawning awareness. It is both mainstream and novel, narrative and film-wise, as it suggests an encore post-scene; something we have never seen in an MMFF film.”
JT Trinidad, SFFR: “Kinontra ng ending ng The Boy Foretold by the Stars ang premise ng pelikula na patungkol sa tadhana. Pinakita nito na ang pag-ibig ay hindi lamang usapin ng barya o pagsasaalang-alang sa ibang puwersa. Ito ay pagpili at pag-take ng risk.”
Keann Johnson, actor: “For the first kiss scene, it was really something Adrian and I felt emotional about and wanted to give the audience something they can relate to and know na possible sya for them. We were not trying to overdo or make it seem like a cinematic scene pero we wanted to deliver the most authentic execution we could so we really embodied our characters. Nostalgic siya, yung hugot namin ni Adrian, also Direk, was real kase na experience na namin lahat that type of situation. I mean diba a lot of us have naman, in one way or another? So we just wanted to transcend that onto the audiences’ feeling and experiences as well. Put it with a great cinematography shot plus soundtrack it solidified the scene talaga eh.
The ending scene was partly an adlib from me saying “Fuck it!” Hindi kasama sa script yun. So that was huge talaga.”
Adrian Lindayag, actor: “Winorkshop namin both scenes along with other scenes prior to shooting. The 2 kissing scenes were shot on separate days. May rehearsals sa standby area at may rehearsal shots din. Pero yung mismong kiss, sa take lang namin ginawa kaya natural yung napanood niyo. Matinding paghihimay ang kinailangan namin gawin kasi mabigat yung batuhan ng linya prior to the kiss, kaya maraming beses namin nirehearse ang lines at yung blocking. Trivia, the ending scene was actually reshot (Direk already admitted this sa ibang interview). Hindi siya happy sa performance namin ni Keann nung unang beses namin ginawa kaya we had to re-do the entire scene sa ibang araw. Bukod sa paghimay ng script, pinaka preparation mo bilang actor before a kissing scene ay mag toothbrush at mouthwash!
Also, those two scenes were shot at least 4 hours each. Bukod sa mahaba yung mismong eksena, maraming shots na ginawa si direk. Honestly super nakakapagod gawin yung ending, physically and emotionally nakakadrain siya gawin nang paulit ulit. But I love challenges! Worth it naman ang pagod. Marami-raming refill din sa water jug dahil marami-raming luha yon!”
Dolly Dulu, writer/director: “Sa kahit anong romantic movie – sobrang halaga talaga yung moment na unang maghahalikan ang mga bida ng pelikula, isa siyang magical moment na lagi’t laging inaabangan ng bawat manonood. Ito’y dahil ang isang halik ay isang simbolismo ng pagsasama ng dalawang indibidual. Kaya alam ko sa sarili ko na kailangan maging magical yung eksena ng first kiss. Alam ito ni Adrian and ni Keann na ginusto ko talagang maging perfect yung scene na yon kasi yon yung money shot ng pelikula e, kapag hindi kinilig ang audience doon, hindi kami nagsucceed sa pagkukwento kasi hindi sila nadala doon sa climax na yon. Kaya paulit ulit namin yon ni rehearse bago pa sila sumalang doon sa eksena.
Binigyan ko din ng time yung DOP naming si Marvin at yung PD naming si Lars na achievin yung feel and yung look na very magical, and happy naman ako na nagawa siya! Kasi lahat kami sa set kinikilig noong ginawa nila yon e. And sobrang saya dahil ganon din yun ang naging response ng mga taong nakapanood.
Yung sa ending kiss naman, iba yung ginusto naming ma achieve doon, kung yung unang kiss mas magical yung ginusto namin, yung ending mas grounded sa reality. Mas malungkot, mas ma-drama in a way. Kasi doon sa kiss na yon ramdam mo na yung mga pinagdaanan noong dalawa e, hinubad na noong dalawang bida yung buong pagkatao at paniniwala nila doon sa eksenang iyon.
If the first kiss was a decision na ginawa ng destiny para sa kanila, yung pangalawang kiss ay yung pag-pili nila sa isa’t isa.”
Ending, Fan Girl
Naz Malvas Tabares, SFFR: “Being drained from all the emotions that Jane (Charlie Dizon) had gone through with her idol Paulo Avelino, director Antoinette Jadaone takes the final minutes of Fan Girl truthfully, in the hands of its protagonist. It’s all the pain, all the disappointments and all the dreams crushed, and then being welcomed by something that’s been enraging her deep inside for a long time. Jane explodes. No holds barred with her words, cursing, with her actions, confrontational. This is for all the women, all those who are silenced and all those who are abused.
The film ends with a strong note that there is power in standing up for yourself. There is no denying that Dizon’s performance made that scene, or rather made that moment more compelling. And Jadaone’s script and direction, knowing what words to say and how her actor says it and how Neil Daza frames every second of it: masterful filmmaking.”
Engelbert Rafferty Dulay: “It took fourscore and seven years for plain Jane to fathom the eternal cycle of misogyny and violence ensuing in our cruel society, her firsthand experiences with her idol–a fictionalized version of Paulo Avelino that feels all too real to be just purely acting–we see from start to near-end leaving indelible scarlet letters in her mind. In the words of Björk in the movie Dancer in the Dark, ‘I’ve seen it all’. Truly Jane has, as her reflection in the water moves to and fro, cigarette in hand, huffing a puff so as to breathe out all the bullshit she’s gone through. One may argue that she has enabled such horrors to be borne–and that may be true, for she was once blinded by the lights–but what she did right in the end is a huge leap forward to change, the sort of change that requires progress over perfection. She will never forget. And, probably in her mind, ‘never again.'”
Neil Daza, cinematographer: “Finding inspiration in documentary filmmaking, Fan Girl was shot handheld and almost with no rehearsal. From the original script, the tenement sequences served as bookends of the film. We shot long walking scenes of Charlie Dizon during the day in the tenement corridors following her going up and down three floors, all handheld shots. But these scenes didn’t make the final cut. The night and last sequences of the film with Charlie again walking up the tenement, arriving at her house and smoking outside in the final frame, required me to light the whole tenement building which took around two hours. Except for some shots that we needed to retake because of some technical problems, most of the shots that went in to the final edit were all take one.”
Antoinette Jadaone, writer/director: “Ang haba ng debate namin sa final shot ng Fan Girl. Sa previews namin with our friends and colleagues, ang pinakita namin ay ‘yung first ending shot namin na nagyoyosi pa rin si Jane sa tenement pero wide shot. Nasa gitna si Jane pero nasa mababang palapag ng six-storey tenement, tapos napapalibutan siya ng mas maraming streamers at banners ng mga lalaking pulitiko. Ganun pa rin, last yosi, last hithit, tapos quick cut to black. Naging maganda naman ang reception sa ending shot na ‘yun, pero may ibang feeling pa rin na nakakabahala. ‘Yung para bang hindi nanalo si Jane dahil sa framing. Kasi kahit nasa gitna siya, ang liit-liit niya. Ang liit niya sa tenement na napapalibutan ng mga lalaki na nag-iinuman sa baba pati ng mga banner ng mga lalaking pulitiko. ‘Yun ‘yung naging main point of discussion namin. Ano ‘yung final shot na magbibigay ng feeling na nanalo si Jane, na kahit in her eyes man lang, this is not a man’s world. She holds the power. She holds her future. That’s the final shot. Close-up na chin up na may ngisi, as if to say, ‘tang ina n’yong lahat.”
The secret cell, Aswang
A secret cell hidden behind a bookcase holding illegal detainees in a scene from Aswang
Vinson Gabato, SFFR: “The scene starts off with a woman telling her story with specificity and from memory, nonetheless. It sounds ridiculous – a ‘pics or it didn’t happen’ story, if you will. But after sketching and describing what she was talking about, we are transported to the real thing. The cut hits you with a blunt force. Chaotic and noisy, it’s like a reverse raid; the police are the suspects and the public is the authority. Terrifyingly enough, the sketches and descriptions are accurate. She even describes the smell which is most probably true. The police officer present even had the gall to defend it. A kidnap-for-ransom like scheme is also mentioned by most of the detainees. In the end, some of the ‘nightcrawlers’ were dismayed – betrayed as one of them said afterwards – as the detainees were, after being illegally detained, legally processed.
This scene is a microcosm of what this government is doing to the people – nahuli na, nagdadahilan pa, nakalusot pa. The truth is objective in this matter and there was no other way to deny it. Even if it felt like a win, the truth was strong-armed and diminished. It hits harder when they mention that aside from the people with the CHR, lawyers were also present. The scene evokes helplessness which is the aim of the police. We know there is something wrong but we can’t do anything about it.
The film itself is sad and depressing and scary (this scene – the icing in this cake). It’s a combination not really suited for the pandemic but this is an issue we are desensitized with – which is much sadder. This secret jail cell is an embodiment of this culture of impunity and denial and the monsters are not those inside it.
(A quick research would show that the station commander is still in position. This so-called war on drugs is the curse that keeps on giving.)”
Jay-r Trinidad, SFFR: “The scene encapsulates the entire premise of Aswang. It is discovered that the police have been hiding people in their secret cell. Everyone’s surprised and the police are unapologetic. It’s not fiction: there’s a total disregard of human decency, a failure in the basic tenet of empathy. Is the law only applicable to the privileged? The filmmakers pursue recording, armed only with a handful of lawyers and probably prayers.”
Alyx Ayn Arumpac, director: “Most of us had no idea where we were going. I was just told to show up at a certain time. Up until the cabinet swung open, I was still clueless about what was going on. At that moment, that innocent-looking little office unraveled into what it really was – a torture chamber and a glimpse into hell. The woman that I interviewed described it in detail. There was a little hole somewhere where the light would shine through. That was how they would know if it was night or day. They ate, peed, and defecated in that small space of 5×3 meters. She passed out several times from the smell. ‘It felt like we were buried under the ground.’ She also thought this was really how things were done. She thought that the police were allowed to keep people in these secret prison cells and beat them and extort money from them.
When the people inside the secret jail realized that they were not going to be rescued, I could see the fear growing and the hope draining from their faces. A man lay his head on his father’s shoulder, a heartbreaking look of resignation on his face. The Drug Enforcement Police were making fun of the crying woman. They told her husband to put her arms around her. He forced a weak smile and followed their instructions. A man whispered ‘Don’t leave us. They will kill us.’
It was my birthday and we had made dinner plans earlier. We were all sitting around this huge table in a restaurant in Chinatown, still stunned about everything. It sickened us to think about what those men and women would go through that night. Documenting the war on drugs had many, many difficult moments and this was easily one of the worst.”
Ezra Acayan (one of the “Nightcrawlers”; taken from his Twitter feed): “It was horror I thought could only be seen in movies. But the worst part of that night was pretty much kept secret from the public until it was recently revealed in the movie Aswang — the CHR people failed to rescue them, as was agreed if the intel turned out positive. The entire thing was reduced to a photo op. I could remember that night, me and my colleagues were disappointed to hear the other CHR people murmur to themselves, that they couldn’t spend any time longer there as they had a dinner event to catch. For most of them, the supposed rescue mission was unpayed overtime. As journalists we were powerless. All we could do was watch as they were loaded into a jeepney to be transferred to a regular jail.”
Terence Ang, SFFR: “Thirty-plus people secretly and illegally detained in a tiny, cold, dark, and fetid room behind a cabinet of a police precinct — the horror, the anger, there’s literally no other words that came out of my mouth but PUTANGINA. Putangina ng lahat ng mga pulis. Putangina ng lahat ng mga DDS. Putangina mo, Duterte!”
Scene of the year: Blackout, Midnight in a Perfect World
Dino Pastrana in a scene from Midnight in a Perfect World
Robin Quiñones, SFFR: “The premise of Dodo Dayao’s sophomore film is about cases of disappearances of people in mysterious blackouts that happen in the utopian Manila after midnight. These blackouts are shown briefly earlier in the film and are mentioned through phone conversations with Tonichi (Dino Pastrano) who was unfortunately caught in one of these incidents after a night out. Mimi (Jasmine Curtis-Smith) and Jinka (Glaiza de Castro) went out of the safe house in a desperate attempt to rescue their friend leading us to the film’s climax to experience the eponymous “midnight”. Dayao, even from his feature debut Violator, knows how to elicit fear of the unknown, and in the darkness, with only the intermittent lights from smartphones, we are made aware of the horrors of what we cannot see in the vast of night, assaulting our senses with its imagery and sound design, leaving us with more questions than answers. Like the characters, we are left in the dark.
From the get-go, it is very clear that Midnight in a Perfect World is not your typical horror film, that the film is filled with metaphors and symbols reflective of the current state of our country or even of the world. But watching it, it is impossible not to get swept up by the sheer technical brilliance of it all best exemplified in this heart-stopping sequence.”
Emil Hofileña, SFFR: “When the lights go out in Midnight in a Perfect World, and nothing is left to guide these characters through the darkness except their cellphones, Dodo Dayao pulls off a magic trick. He transports us—we who are sitting in front of our computers and small screens—to a different dimension entirely, snatching us away from the safety of our homes. Dayao’s direction, coupled with Albert Banzon and Gym Lumbera’s cinematography, makes this one of the most technically impressive moments in cinema in 2020, not to mention one of the most nerve-wracking.
There’s much more going on here than just the lights going out, of course. The film may take place in some dystopian version of the Philippines, but Dayao captures the fear felt by so many living in this country in the last five years, or under any regime that has silenced people and kept them blind. With very few ways left to communicate and with their survival instinct overriding all other impulses, these characters—once jovial and articulate—are left to scramble for their lives. It’s a moment that feels so uncomfortably close to our own reality, and might just make you afraid of the dark all over again.”
Jay Rosas, SFFR: “Easily the best scene or sequence from any Filipino film I’ve seen last year is one that is made with a sense of economy and technical mastery – the blackout scene from Tonichi’s descent into despair up to Jinka and Mimi’s tense foray into the calm darkness. Dodo Dayao and cinematographers Albert Banzon and Gym Lumbera envision a dystopian Philippines that is straight out of our dark, sci-fi TV binges, when the lucid effects of long screen exposure dissolves into the reality of our personal chaos and realities. Beyond the hellish headtrip that Midnight in a Perfect World is, it strangely captures the paranoia of our times, in the inescapable digital present, while the spectre of our dark histories unfold before our eyes in faint flickers and lucid nightmares. More than allegorical, what this sequence accomplishes is to make us imagine ourselves as if we are seeing it in a cavernous theater, prompting us to relive a cinephile experience and mulling over the fear that we might be stuck with our laptops and digital devices for a long time in this metaphorical midnight.”
Joker Manio, SFFR: “There’s no other scene more exciting and thrilling this year than when the clock struck midnight and the lights went out in Midnight in a Perfect World. We see beautiful exterior wide shots of buildings and street lamps dimming silently one after the other. Our protagonists race against the darkness and our heartbeats start thumping, yet we do not know what’s coming. The only reassurance we got is that we will soon be engulfed in God’s blindspot.”
Armando dela Cruz, SFFR: “The prospect of a ‘perfect world’ will entice no one aware of how real life goes. As humans, our understanding of the world is intimate and resigned to the fact that there’s no such thing as ‘perfect’. Whoever buys into this utopic idea is unaware—no, ignorant—of the costs.
In Dodo Dayao’s second feature, the Philippines is lulled into a false sense of order through a curfew that sets off at midnight. Filipinos have, incredibly, accepted this curfew as a fixture of their lives if it means to keep the rivers clean and the economy on the up-and-up. The characters, belonging mostly to the working middle-class, gather to investigate disappearances seemingly linked to the curfews.
Midnight’s parallels to Martial Law (and to some extent, the Duterte regime) are unmistakable. Yet, it’s the movie’s firm grasp on the middle class’s ignorance that sends me. I’m referring to the gorgeously shot sequence where the characters decide to step out into total darkness. Earlier, we hear them squabble, rather obnoxiously: ‘Hindi importante kung ano’ng nangyayari,’ one person says. ‘Basta walang nangyayari sa’kin, sa’tin.‘
So, imagine the catharsis of seeing these characters, whose motivations to investigate the curfews vary from mere curiosity to sheer boredom, slowly realize how foolish it was to break curfew, or rather, not to have challenged them in the very first place.
Being a Dodo Dayao film, Midnight doesn’t set itself to fit this mold exclusively. I’m sure after repeat viewings I’ll take its story, and this very sequence, a different way. Until then, it lives rent-free in my head as that part of the movie where apathetic Filos learn that some things are bigger than their painfully unconcerned existence.”
Anthony Falcon, actor: “I remember the setup to be very long and I only understood why when we shot it. The first blackout was shot in two different locations. In the first loc, we needed to be precise with our blocking in relation to the camera movement. (Also true for most parts of the film.) For the second location, there was a lot of running. Literally. The cam was handheld, parang wala ding playback nun. So, hindi mo alam kung kuha ka sa shot at kung may opportunity kang magpahinga sa pagtakbo. Kung alam ko lang na hindi pala ako kita. Haha
What I liked about that in terms of playing Glenn – yung internal tension niya sa skepticism niya sa black out vis a vis yung denial niya sa posibilidad na nangyayari na ngayon yung blackout sa kanya. Para sa kanya hindi importante kung totoo man yung blackout o hindi, naniniwala siya sa magandang epekto nung fear sa disiplina at pag-unlad. Ang sarap laruin nung desire niya to be right – at nung fear that he could actually be wrong.”
Dodo Dayao, writer/director: “Masyado daw madilim yung Violator. Kaya ginawa na naming tungkol sa kadiliman yung next film. But the germ for this, actually more than just a germ but the actual premise, came to me in a dream, and the intent has always been for the film to achieve the quality of one. We knew coming in that the scenes in the blackout were going to be . . . challenging, for obvious reasons, but also because it made up the entire, ummm, ‘third act’, if you will. We also knew it wasn’t going to be as simple as getting a permit to block off a street then turning off the lights. How do you turn off the moon? How do you simulate a darkness so absolute it’s disorienting? Aminado naman kaming tatlo nila Bert at Gym na intimidating yung task, cinematographically. I think the whole team shared the same sentiment. Up until the actual day of the shoot, we were on our toes, para kaming tutugtog na walang ensayo, saulado yung piyesa pero di sigurado kung papano lalatag. But that nervous crackle of electricity is really why I do the things I do. Preprod pa lang matik na that we were going to shoot it inside a studio. We talked about mocking up parts of the “city” indoors but that would’ve given a structural comfort to an environment that needed to be uneasy and irrational We finished up with a huge empty warehouse, pitch black and supercold, with a constantly moving camera and no more than two people on cam at a time. Somehow we had simulated the conditions of the universe in the film, and that turned out to be transportive, for Jas and Glaiza and Dino certainly, and for us, too. It was an ambitious pitch. The sort of thing you would pitch to a big studio. But the fact that we weren’t a big studio production with big studio money meant we couldn’t afford to overthink and second-guess the process but it also meant we had more room to play. It really was more liberating. We needed to shoot in pitch darkness with only the light from a smartphone screen. So we shot in pitch darkness with only the light from a smartphone screen.”
INDIVIDUAL BALLOTS
Sanriel Ajero
Closing scene (Lingua Franca)
One final task (Watch List)
Final sequence (Lahi, Hayop)
Runners-up: Tanya’s friend dies “Tumalon siya” (Tagpuan); The kiss (The Boy Foretold By the Stars)
Mayk Alegre
Inuman session of fan girl and her idol, Fan Girl
Wallpaper scene with Mimi (Jasmine Curtis), Midnight in a Perfect World
Jane’s (Bela Padilla) suicide scene at the bathtub, On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets
Terence Ang
Bookshelf, Aswang
Initiation, The Boy Foretold by the Stars
Rizal in #SONAgKaisa, Heneral Rizal
Daph Bajas
Ending of The Boy Foretold by the Stars
Ending of UnTrue
Pubic hair scenes of He Who is Without Sin
Robert Cerda
OVBR – The character of Bela Padilla, wearing a witch’s mask, angry at the film-set staff
LAHI, HAYOP – Mariposa (Hazel Orencio), walking slowly, carrying a big jar.
HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN – Elijah Canlas’ character’s monologue sequence in the bathroom/area
Armando dela Cruz
In the pitch darkness, Midnight in a Perfect World
Olivia waiting for the train, Lingua Franca
At the precinct, Aswang
Macoy Delociento
Charlie Dizon running away from Paolo Avelino when she got caught at the back of his pickup. (Fan Girl)
Underwater scene of Bela Padilla and JC Santos (On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets)
Keann Johnson avoiding Adrian Lindayag at the staircase (The Boy Foretold by the Stars)
Engelbert Rafferty Dulay
The ending of Fan Girl
The Safe house long shot in Midnight in a Perfect World – How is it possible for a director who has only one feature-length film before this monstrosity came along to have such a certain, singular vision of his work? Never mind the beyond eerie world-building of the first half of the film. Never mind the striking metaphors of the film that bluntly attacks the monsters lurking in the present, regardless if at night or in broad daylight. Dayao just knows how to direct. And to have the audacity to include a shot–barely a scene, mind you–that puts you into an acid trip? I have no words.
The corridor scene in Overseas – As an offspring of an expatriate whose sole dream is to provide all their family’s needs and wants, I am more than disappointed to know that many of our brothers and sisters suffer physically, mentally and emotionally in various parts of the world. And the worst part? It’s as though our own nation barely gives a rat’s arse about it. Cut to: a desk filled with untouched documents concerning our fellow kin. Yes, we live in that kind of a society. Disgusting, ain’t it? But it’s the truth.
Miguel Edosma
End scene in Fan Girl
Turo’s death in Watch List
Dominic and Luke ending kiss in The Boy Foretold by the Stars
James Espinoza
Ending / final sequence (Lingua Franca)
Jomari and other kids talking about drugs (Aswang)
First kiss (The Boy Foretold by the Stars)
Vinson Gabato
Secret Jail Cell in Aswang
Lights Out in Midnight in a Perfect World
Church Scene (Paghahandog ng Sarili) in Lingua Franca – a sad and heartfelt scene. Always loved Paghahandog ng Sarili but never realized its emotional heft with the right circumstances.
Cydel Gutierrez
Elehiya sa Paglimot’s scene where Kristoffer Brugada’s father recognizes a baby (his nephew), clapped and looked happy despite his condition. It’s as if the old will always be familiar with the young and Alzheimer’s can’t stop that.
The Boy Foretold by the Stars’ scene where Brother Mike was doing a progressive lecture about homosexuality; a breath of fresh air for the BL genre without actually sounding preachy and meh.
Aswang’s revelation of a “secret cell behind a bookshelf” of at least a dozen illegally detained people during the bloody drug war inside the Manila District Police Station 1 in Tondo district. Horrifying and Infuriating.
Fred Hawson
Pitch darkness scene lit with phones (Midnight in a Perfect World)
First kiss in the candlelit field (Boy Foretold by the Stars)
Final scene of the helpless Maria (Watch List)
Emil Hofileña
Midnight in a Perfect World – Mimi and Jinka look for Tonichi in the darkness, with nothing but their cellphone lights
Elehiya sa Paglimot – Pedring recognizes his wife
Fan Girl – ending
Jayson Javier
Silent scene in On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets where Jane (Bela Padilla) was standing next to an abstract painting
Jane (Charllie Dizon) taking pictures of “Paulo Avelino’s” prosthetic penis, demonstrating everyone’s voyeuristic aspect as a Fan Girl
First kiss of Dominic (Adrian Lindayag) and Luke (Keann Johnson) among the lighted candles
Princess Kinoc
(Fan Girl) When Charlie Dizon’s Jane walks out to do an errand for Paulo, feeling uneasy, and then she sees his mistress coming to his secret home. She runs back to the home to try to control the situation, or does she?
In Lingua Franca, when Trixie and Isabel talk about the first time they realize they were gay.
All the scenes in Heneral Rizal, especially that slow, encapsulating first sequence with Rizal facing backwards. You see the dust and moot lingering in the air. You realize that it kind of represents Rizal in some ways, his legacy lingering in the air but we never try to embody it.
Skilty Labastilla
Last scene, Dreaming in the Red Light. Hands down the year’s most heart-crushing scene, when Tisay, the daughter of a former prostitute who spends most of the film finding ways to live life with dignity, ends up walking the same street that her mother used to frequent.
Secret jail cell, Aswang
Maria’s first kill, Watch List
Jay Lacanilao
Jane throws herself and child out of Paulo’s car out of seething hatred and disgust for her idol in Fan Girl
Maria finds her husband murdered in Watch List
Initiation retreat in The Boy Foretold by the Stars
Wowie Lagman
Fan Girl – Charlie Dizon jumps out of speeding vehicle. More than being one of the highlights of Jane’s character’s quest to find her voice and stand up to her oppressor, this scene is memorable because of its similarity to a Lady Bird scene, where Saoirse Ronan threw herself out of a speeding car to spite her mother. I consider this one of the best for the simple reason that it made me laugh when it happened.
Paano Maging Babae – Student submits test paper. After spending several excruciating minutes answering misogynistic questions, a young student makes the necessary corrections to the insulting test paper, darkening certain words until it only says “paano maging babae,” and then promptly walks out of the room. I enjoyed how in this scenario, the professor is a fat, unkempt man to really define what being a chauvinistic pig is, and how the young woman managed to maintain her poise and didn’t resort to lashing out at the professor or settle for the safest route, which is to answer the questions for the sake of not failing. Instead, she takes the intelligent approach and corrects what’s written in the test paper, and takes a stand.
Quing Lalam Ning Aldo – Imagining her son’s back home, cooking. While the movie, in its entirety, is flat in some areas, the scene where the lead is visualizing her son as a young boy, busy cooking, is notable because of its execution. The clean, sweeping camera movements, touching score, and how each frame was stitched together made for a palpable sense of loss, longing, and excitement.
Nicol Latayan
Vince appearing to advise James, James and Pat and Dave
The bookshelf escape/discovery, Aswang
Initiation Scene, The Boy Foretold by the Stars
Jason Tan Liwag
Living Room Scene with Charlie Dizon and Paulo Avelino (Fan Girl). As Charlie Dizon and Paulo Avelino talk, drink, and dance for the first time, the power dynamics between the fan and the idol become blurred – creating a tense and captivating scene where rules are meant to be broken.
Dominic and Luke’s first kiss (The Boy Foretold by the Stars)
Macky Macarayan
Rizal crosses paths with the protesters, Heneral Rizal
Jane’s monologue at the AA meeting, On Vodka, Beers and Regrets
Joker Manio
The lights going out as midnight strikes in Midnight in a Perfect World
Ending montage in 1-2-3 (Gasping for Air) as we see Reyna back in her usual routine
The aswang monologue in Aswang
Manuel Pangaruy
When the father in Elehiya sa Paglimot forgot the concept of God/how to pray
That scene with Joshua Garcia towards the end in James & Pat & Dave
That very last scene in Kintsugi
Jim Paranal
Jane (Charlie Dizon) smoked inside Paulo Avelino’s car in FanGirl.
Mimaw’s confession of her feelings towards Paolo (Noel Comia, Jr.) in Death of Nintendo.
Andrei’s (Jal Galang) emotional confession to his father that he’s HIV positive and his father (late Menggie Cobarubbias) promised to help him in Gulis.
Nico Quejano
Final scene of Lahi, Hayop before fadeout.
Alan Peter Cayetano telling Mocha Uson on how to bribe local media in A Thousand Cuts
Glaiza de Castro running in darkness with only her mobile phone to light her in A Midnight in a Perfect World
Robin Quiñones
Midnight in a Perfect World: Mimi & Jinka left the safe house with smartphones as the only light source
Aswang: rescue of people illegally detained in a hidden jail cell
Elehiya sa Paglimot: Tatay Pedring forgot the concept of praying
Jay Rosas
Blackout scene with cellphones in Midnight in a Perfect World
Nancy visiting her damaged house in House in Pieces
Confession scene of Kendrick in My Lockdown Romance
Bernard Santos
The ending of Fan Girl when Charlie Dizon smokes a cigarette.
The exploitation scene of Elijah and Enzo in the dining table, where Enzo is touching Elijah under the table.
The ending of Untrue
Naz Malvas Tabares
Last scene of Fan Girl where Jane, having experienced everything with her idol, finally learns to stand up to oppressors
Last scene of Midnight in a Perfect World. Tension fills the screen as the film reaches its conclusion
Fan Girl – Jane reveals herself as a diehard fan as she got caught by Paulo Avelino.
John Tawasil
The dance scene in Lingua Franca
Jay-r Trinidad
Inside the room 360 scene in Midnight in a Perfect World.
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