Actress-model Anne Curtis-Smith has been recognized by Variety magazine and the International Film Festival and Awards or IFFA as one of Asia’s rising stars
She was among the top five awardees chosen during the event held on December 15 at Macao Cultural Center in Macau, China.
Curtis expressed her gratitude on Instagram particularly for the filmmakers and her fellow actors who produce movies that are appreciated both in the local and international scene.
“As I said in my short speech, I dedicate this to all the Filipino filmmakers and actors who continue to work hard to make films that are not only appreciated by our fellow pinoys but also appreciated by the global audience,” her caption read.
She added that such feat motivates her to work harder and she hoped to inspire others as well.
“This will continue to inspire me to do my best in my chosen craft, pursue my biggest dreams and hopefully inspire others to do so too,” she said.
This was the second-run of the award giving event of IFFA-Variety. Both organizations sought to highlight the acting talent of artists in Asia.
Aside from Curtis, the other awardees are Zheng Kai from China, Zira Wasim from India, Xana Tang from New Zealand and Iqbaal Ramadhan from Indonesia.
During the award show’s debut in 2017, Piolo Pascual was the chosen Filipino actor to be conferred with the award.
A superstar in the Philippines
Variety described Curtis as a “superstar” given the media coverage and social media attention she gets in the country.
“The clamor will only grow if she successfully crosses over to a bigger international career,” the article said.
The Filipino-Australian had been in the entertainment industry since the 1990s.
It was only 2005 when she got her big break when she played the titular role in ABS-CBN’s “Kampanerang Kuba,” the Filipino version of the classic “Hunchback of Notre Dame” story.
While Curtis starred in numerous shows and movies since then, Variety particularly noted her performance in Erik Matti’s critically acclaimed “Buy Bust” movie.
It caught the attention of Hollywood critics after it premiered at the New York Asian Film Festival last July.
Richard Kuipers, the writer of the magazine who reviewed the film, praised it as “superbly executed.”
He praised Curtis’ acting skills, the cinematography of Neil Derrick Bion and the chosen scores of Erwin Romulo and Malek Lopez.
Aside from Kuipers, other film critics who lauded the movie are Jeanette Catsoulis of the New York Times and Hollywood reporter Clarence Tsui.
The positive reviews mostly came from the narrative’s take on the country’s bloody drug war.
Matti’s hit action thriller tells the story of an anti-drug operation in the urban slum that had gone wrong. It featured Nina, played by Curtis, an agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Variety also mentioned Curtis’ romantic drama “Sid and Aya” and the horror “Aurora” as her notable works.
In 2014, she starred in her first Hollywood fantasy-romance titled “Blood Ransom.” However, it did not gather much positive reviews.
