Marian Rivera, Cinemalaya best actress for “Balota” —Photos by MARINEL CRUZ

The jury members of the 20th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival were “more or less unanimous” in declaring Marian Rivera and Gabby Padilla the best actresses of this year’s edition, according to filmmaker Jerrold Tarog.

Tarog shared jury duties with actress Dolly de Leon; critic, creative writer and academician Nicanor Tiongson; Berlinale film curator Nicola Marzano; and Dhaka International Film Festival founder and director Ahmed Muztaba Zamal.

“We were more or less unanimous in saying that the two actresses deserve the recognition. There wasn’t really any ‘fight’ from among us, so to speak. We would’ve wanted to award more. Let’s just say it was easy for us to give the two women the title,” Tarog told Inquirer Entertainment shortly after the ceremony on Sunday night at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque City.

Rivera won for her performance in Kip Oebanda’s “Balota,” while Padilla bagged the trophy for Jaime Pacena II’s “Kono Basho.” Young actor Enzo Osorio won best actor for Law Fajardo’s “The Hearing.” Sue Prado won best supporting actress for “Kantil,” while Felipe Ganancial was heralded best supporting actor for Richard Salvadico and Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay’s “Tumandok.”

Enzo Osorio, best actor for “The Hearing”

‘Most important film’

“Tumandok,” a docu-fiction that tells the struggles of a community of Atis, led by their chieftain and his daughter, to claim their ancestral land, is this year’s best full-length feature. “It’s the perfect combination of craft and message that’s really important,” declared Tarog. “I can speak on behalf of the jury members, we all felt it was the most important film in the entire festival.”

Meanwhile, it was Padilla’s first time to win an acting award this year. People rooted for her to win best actress for her performance in last year’s Cinemalaya entry, “Gitling,” but Pat Tingjuy, star of “Rookie,” got the coveted trophy instead.

“I still can’t believe I’d win with Ate Marian. When her name was announced, I told Arisa (Nakano, her Japanese costar in the film) that I had watched her film and she was so good—and then another award was given. My brain is still trying to process what just happened,” Padilla said.

“The power of faith and fate is really something else,” the actress said, referring to a comment that Pacena made during a previous Inquirer Entertainment interview about how the universe aligned to enable them to finish the movie. “I’m so happy that Direk Jay also won best director because, just like all of the filmmakers, he poured his heart and soul into making this. It’s extra special because it’s his first and it’s such a personal project from him. I’m so proud.”

Padilla said she could relate to her character in “Kono Basho” because like Ella, she also lost her father nine years ago. “I’d like to think that my dad is the angel who watches over me from above. Ever since we lost him, I’d like to think that he’s always been there guiding me,” said Padilla.

Gabby Padilla, best actress for “Kono Basho”

Continuing support

Sumagaysay said “Tumandok” is special to her and codirector and real-life beau Salvadico because this is their first full-length film. “But we try to take ourselves out of it because it’s the symbol of the bravery of the Ati community to work with us on this project. They see this as a sign of hope that they will finally be able to get their CADT (certificate of ancestral domain title),” said Sumagaysay. “Our promise is that our love and support to them will not end with the run of ‘Tumandok’ at Cinemalaya. We stayed with them for five years, we will stay until they get their CADT.”

Salvadico said that while they won best film, they are aware that they will still have to go through a long process in their goal to help the Ati community reclaim its land. While it is still unconfirmed, it is possible for the community to finally receive their budget in 2025. This is why they are asking for any kind of assistance from various nongovernmental organizations.

“Maybe when they become successful in securing their land title, more Atis would step into Cinemalaya in the coming years, especially since we are now aware of their art, of what they are capable of doing with their talents,” said Sumagaysay.

She added that they are also hoping to work with distributors to provide more avenues to show the film. “So we can gather more sponsors and pledges, and encourage more people to donate to the community. A percentage of what we won from the festival, as well as what we will earn from screening the film, will be contributed to fund the process to get their CADT,” the director said.

Other awards given at the 20th Cinemalaya include the following: Best screenplay, best original music score and Netpac (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) award for full-length for “Tumandok”; best cinematography and best production design for “Kono Basho”; special jury award for full-length film for JL Burgos’ “Alipato at Muog”; best editing and best sound design for Dominic Bekaert’s “An Errand”; and audience choice award for full-length film for BC Amparado’s “Gulay Lang, Manong.”

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The following are under the short film category: Best short film for Sam Manacsa’s “Cross My Heart and Hope to Die”; audience choice award for short film and best screenplay for Sonny Calvento’s “Primetime Mother”; Netpac award for short film for P.R. Monencillo’s “Abogbaybay”; special jury award for short film for Breech Asher Harani’s “Pamalandong sa Danow.”