MMFF AWARDS 2011 - ASIONG SALONGA WINS BIG

MMFF 2011 Awards: Asiong Salonga wins big
Posted on 05:26 PM, December 29, 2011
BY JEFFREY O. VALISNO, Sub-Editor

THE CONTROVERSIAL last-minute replacement to the roster of entries to this year's Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) emerged as the most victorious movie in Wednesday night's award rites.




Manila Kingpin: The Untold Story of Asiong Salonga bested six other entries to win 11 of the 22 awards up for grabs, including the honor for Best Picture.

It was the first time in almost two decades that an action movie won as Best Picture in the annual film festival. The last time an action movie won as the festival's Best Picture was in 1992 with Andres Manambit, Angkan ng Matatapang starring Eddie Garcia.

Manila Kingpin made it as an official entry to this year's film fest only after Robin Padilla's action flick Mr. Wong, and Nora Aunor's tearjerker Hototay failed to finish shooting in time for the MMFF deadline last month.

"This victory is really a great blessing," Manila Kingpin actor and producer Emilio Ramon "E.R." P. Ejercito III (popularly known as George Estregan, Jr.) told reporters after the Gabi ng Parangal (Night of Honor) held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater at the Resorts World Manila in Pasay City.

Manila Kingpin dominated the technical awards, winning the honors for production design (Fritz Siloria, Mona Soriano, and Ronaldo Cadapan), editing (Jason Canapay and Ryan Orduna), cinematography (Carlo Mendoza), and screenplay (Roy Iglesias and Rey Ventura).

The black-and-white biopic of Tondo gangster Nicasio "Asiong" Salonga also bagged the awards for Best Original Theme Song ("La Paloma" by Ely Buendia), Best Sound Recording (Mike Idioma), and Best Musical Score (Jerry Lazaten).

The movie also won the Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award, and the Best Director honor for Amable "Tikoy" Aguiluz, and his eventual replacement, a certain Gary dela Cruz.

Mr. Aguiluz earlier criticized Mr. Ejercito's decision to re-shoot several scenes of the movie. The director also did not like the producer's decision to re-edit, and re-score the movie.

Mr. Aguiluz then filed a case at the Makati City Prosecutor's Office against the film's producer for violating Republic Act 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.

Last Friday, Mr. Aguiluz got a temporary restraining order (TRO) directing the movie's producer to remove the director's name from the credits of the movie, and from all film posters.

Newbies and veterans

In the acting categories, Dingdong Dantes snatched his first Best Actor award for his portrayal of a rich architect looking for the perfect wife in the suspense flick Segunda Mano.

The 31-year-old actor won over Mr. Ejercito, Vic Sotto (Engteng ng Ina Mo), Jericho Rosales (Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow), and Ryan Agoncillo (My Househusband [Ikaw Na!])

Maricel Soriano won her fourth MMFF Best Actress trophy for her role as the feisty TV executive in the drama Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.

Ms. Soriano beat last year's Best Actress winner Ai-Ai delas Alas (Enteng ng Ina Mo), as well as Judy Ann Santos (My Househusband), Eugene Domingo (Shake Rattle and Roll 13 "Lunod" episode) and Maricar Reyes (Shake Rattle and Roll 13 "Tamawo" episode).

John Regala's performance as Asiong' Salonga's nemesis Totoy Golem in Manila Kingpin earned him the Best Supporting Actor Award, while Eugene Domingo won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her wacky portrayal as the next-door neighbor in My Househusband. Ms. Domingo was also the MMFF Best Supporting Actress last year for Tanging Ina Mo Rin (Last Na 'To).

Box-office top-grosser Enteng ng Ina Mo won the Second Best Picture Award (with a P550,000 cash prize), and the honor for Best Make-up (Florencia Panero, Niccolo Medina, and Jayvee Flores).

The 13th installment in the horror trilogy Shake Rattle and Roll won as Third Best Picture (with a P300,000 cash prize). It also won the awards for Best Story (Chris Martinez and Marlon Rivera for the episode "Lunod"), and Best Child Performer (Bugoy Cariño for the episode "Tamawo").


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[brokenkeyboeard]

I agree with you @weichiang89!!! sana nga...

[weichiang89]

Kung ang mga ipapalabas kada Film fest e tulad nung Asiong Salonga, mas gaganda ang industria ng pelikula sa Pilipinas.

Puro fantasy driven movies na lang parati e, nakaka sawa na rin minsan.