The Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2023 Gabi ng Parangal was graced by industry A-listers, but some of the night’s big winners were stars in their own right: theater actors and creatives.
“Magpapakilala lang po ako sa inyong lahat, marami sa inyo ang hindi nakakakilala sa akin.” (I would like to introduce myself since a lot of you don’t really know me) was how best actor awardee Cedrick Juan (Gomburza) started his acceptance speech, before he mentioned how he started his acting career through theater. In another acceptance speech, Best Supporting Actor winner JC Santos (Mallari) acknowledged his theater roots and thanked his mentor, the late National Artist for Theater Tony Mabesa.
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Cedrick and JC were among the theater actors who successfully crossed over to mainstream film and TV, and are now reaping the benefits of their hard work. But aside from them, Gabi ng Parangal was also graced by other theater-to-mainstream veterans, like Kakai Bautista (When I Met You in Tokyo) and Eugene Domingo (Becky and Badette), who was surprised to share the award for Best Original Theme Song for Becky and Badette. Like JC, Uge took up Theater Arts in UP Diliman, and was also under Mabesa’s tutelage. Theater multi-hyphenate and multi-awardee Bart Guingona was also part of Family of Two. Moreover, Rak of Aegis star Pepe Herrera was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor in Rewind.
In another feat, multi-awarded playwright and theater pillar Rody Vera was part of not just one, but two MMFF entries: Firefly (as script adviser) and Gomburza (as the main writer). His contributions in both theater and film have become indelible and powerful. Acting-wise, musical theater actor and singer Floyd Tena was also part of two productions: Family of Two and Gomburza. We also spotted other brilliant performances by thespians Arnold Reyes, Joel Saracho, Dylan Ray Talon, Don Melvin Boongaling, Brian Matthew Sy, and Leo Rialp.
In an industry where theater professionals have been perennially relegated as nameless talents and relied on as dependable but cheap labor, this moment is an important testament to the importance of theater-trained performers and creatives, that the abundance of immense talent and intense training in theater arts is a standard that can elevate the entertainment industry, and these talents will always come through, their presence is inevitable and hard to ignore. Mabuhay ang teatro sa Pilipinas!
Aside from the big wins and important roles by personalities who started in theater, Metro Manila Film Festival 2023 Gabi ng Parangal was a big win for the industry, with majority of the lead stars attending to celebrate the return of the Pinoy Cinema audience. Inside the New Frontier Theater in Cubao, there was no air of competition, only celebration, salutations and numerous beso-beso between cast and crew from different movies, proving that the Philippine film industry is a small world, but a big family.
Here are the complete winners of the MMFF 2023 Gabi ng Parangal (in order of announcement)
- Best Float: When I Met You in Tokyo
- Best Child Performer: Euwenn Mikaell, (Firefly)
- Best Sound: Melvin Q. Rivera and Louie Boy Bauson (GomBurZa)
- Best Musical Score: Von de Guzman (Mallari)
- Best Original Theme Song: “Finggah Lickin” (Becky & Badette)
- Best Visual Effects: Gaspar Mangarin (Mallari)
- Best Production Design: Ericson Navarro (GomBurZa)
- Best Editing: Benjamin Tolentino (K(Ampon))
- Best Cinematography: Carlo Canlas Mendoza (GomBurZa)
- Gender Sensitivity Award: Becky & Badette
- Marichu Vera-Perez Maceda Memorial Award: Lily Monteverde
- Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award: GomBurZa
- Fernando Poe Jr. Memorial Award for Excellence: When I Met You in Tokyo
- Best Screenplay: Angeli Atienza (Firefly)
- Best Director: Pepe Diokno (GomBurZa)
- Best Supporting Actress: Miles Ocampo (Family of Two)
- Best Supporting Actor: JC Santos (Mallari)
- Best Actor: Cedrick Juan (GomBurZa)
- Best Actress: Vilma Santos (When I Met You in Tokyo)
- 4th Best Picture: When I Met You in Tokyo
- 3rd Best Picture: Mallari
- 2nd Best Picture: GomBurZa
- Best Picture: Firefly
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