Jun Robles Lana’s “Die Beautiful” won five awards to lead all winners in the Film Academy of the Philippines’ Luna Awards held Saturday at Resorts World Manila.
The gay black comedy won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bables), Best Screenplay (Rody Vera) and Best Editing (Benjamin Tolentino).
However, in what is considered an upset, seasoned veteran Bembol Roco edged out “Die Beautiful” lead star Paolo Ballesteros in the Best Actor category. Roco won for Paolo Villaluna’s “Pauwi Na” for his performance of a poor family patriarch who has had enough of their hand-to-mouth existence in the city and decides to go home to his province with his brood.
A protégé of the late, great Lino Brocka, Roco previously won a Best Actor award three times: in 1975 for Brocka’s “Maynila sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag,” in 1977 (FAMAS) for Gil Portes’ “Sa Piling ng mga Sugapa,” (Gawad Urian) and in 2011 for Adolfo Alix, Jr.’s “Isda” (Cinemalaya).
“Pauwi Na” was an entry in the recently concluded Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino film festival and is still currently showing in theaters.
Hasmine Killip won another Best Actress trophy for her performance as a homeless teenage mother in Eduardo Roy, Jr.’s “Pamilya Ordinaryo.” She previously won the same award in the Cinemalaya film festival, the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and most recently, the Gawad Urian.
Taking the Best Supporting Actress plum is indie film sensation Chai Fonacier for her role as a transman in Victor Villanueva’s “Patay na si Hesus.” The film was the sleeper hit of the recently concluded Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino and like “Pauwi Na” is still showing in theaters.
Paolo Dy’s “Ignacio de Loyola,” a biopic on the life and times of the founder of the Jesuit order romped away with four technical awards for Best Cinematography (Lee Briones-Meily), Best Production Design (Leo Velasco, Jr.), Best Musical Score (Ryan Cayabyab) and Best Sound (Albert Michael Idioma).
In addition to the main awards, special awards were also handed out to veteran actor Eddie Garcia (Golden Reel Award for his contributions to film as actor and director), Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista (Fernando Poe Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award) for his continued support of Philippine cinema.
Mario O’Hara and Lolita Rodriguez were honored posthumously with the Lamberto Avellana Memorial Award while Des Bautista and Bibsy Carballo were recognized with the Manuel De Leon Award for Exemplary Achievements.
