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.”
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
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
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
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
Best Animated Short Film
Ang Amomonggo sa Aton
Blue Is Not My Favorite Color
Flush
Maris
*Mga Ulap Tayong Nagiging Ulan
My Mamily
Best Documentary Short Film
Lingkis
Panambi
Random People
The Right to Life
*River of Tears and Rage
To Pick a Flower
