Be Proud Of Us Pinoys

And the Winners of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2011 were named already.

The stars were all glamorous as they dazzled at the Resorts World Performing Arts Theatre for the 37th MMFF Awards Night.

Many have already placed their bets on “Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story” to bag several awards in the 2011 MMFF. Indeed, “The Asiong Salonga Story”, despite the controversies surrounding the movie, bagged most of the major awards. The movie received a total of 8 major awards,  including best picture, best director, best supporting actor, best screenplay, best production design, best original theme song and best cinematography awards, plus 3 minor awards.

Of course, the big news still was the disqualification of the Regal Films entry, ‘Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.’ The film was penalized for allegedly making changes in the pre-approved script without the permission of the executive committee of the film festival. Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reportedly noticed the changes when Tolentino watched the film again last Monday.

“After the script was approved, iba yung lumabas, iba yung cast [what was shown was different, even the cast was different]. Pareho lang yung title [Only the title was the same],” Tolentino said.

He said the producer, Mother Lily Monteverde, who was summoned early Tuesday by the MMFF executive committee, admitted to the violations.

This prompted the committee, via unanimous decision, to disqualify the Regal Films entry from competing in the Best Picture, Director, Screenplay and Gatpuno Villegas Cultural awards.

However, the producer and director of the film are crying foul over the decision. According to Mother Lily Monteverde and Jun Lana, ‘Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’ was viewed by the filmfest last December 18 and nothing was mentioned regarding the violation. What, then, happened between the 18th and the 26th?

Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) executive committee chairman Francis Tolentino expressed sadness after some of the stars and crew of "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" and "Shake, Rattle and Roll XIII", both movies that are under Regal Films, skipped the MMFF Awards Night held Wednesday.

"She (Regal Films matriarch Lily Monteverde) was able to persuade some of the stars not to attend the awards night last night," Tolentino said.

"'Yun po ang nakakalungkot doon, binoykot kami ng 'Shake, Rattle and Roll' as well as 'Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow' cast and crew although Maricel Soriano still won the Best Actress award," he added.

During the awards night, the MMFF also expressed its intention to help the victims of tropical storm Sendong.

The MMFF made a donation to the flood-stricken population in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City.

Complete List of MMFF 2011 Winners

• Best Float - Ang Panday 2


• Best Production Design - Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story


• Best Editing - Jason Cahapay and Ryan Orduna (Asiong Salonga)


• Best Musical Score - Nonong Buencamino (Asiong Salonga)


• Best Sound Recording - Mike Idioma (Asiong Salonga)


• Best Visual Effects - Riot, Inc. (Ang Panday 2)


• Best Make-Up - Enteng ng Ina Mo


• Best Original Theme Song - “La Paloma” by Ely Buendia (Asiong Salonga)


• Best Cinematography: Carlo Mendoza (Asiong Salonga)


• Gender Sensitivity Award - My Househusband


• Best Child Performer - Bugoy Cariño (Shake, Rattle & Roll 13)


• Best Supporting Actor - John Regala (Asiong Salonga)


• Best Supporting Actress - Eugene Domingo (My Househusband)


• Best Original Story - Shake, Rattle & Roll 13: Lunod


• Best Screenplay - Roi Iglesias and Rey Ventura (Asiong Salonga)


• Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award - Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story


• Best Director - Gary dela Cruz (Asiong Salonga)


• Best Actor - Dingdong Dantes (Segunda Mano)


• Best Actress - Maricel Soriano (Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow)


• Best Picture - Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story
  2nd Best Picture - Enteng ng Ina Mo
  3rd Best Picture - Shake, Rattle and Roll 13

Special Awards

• Lifetime Achievement Award - Eddie Garcia


• Posthumous Award - Lito Calzado


• Male Kutis Ganda Celebrity Award - Ryan Agoncillo


• Female Kutis Ganda Celebrity Award - Ai Ai de las Alas


• Male Celebrity Sexiest Appeal of the Night - ER Ejercito


• Female Celebrity Sexiest Appeal of the Night - Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo


• Male Face of the Night: Richard Gomez


• Female Face of the Night - Izza Calzado


• SMDC Most Glamorous Stars: Ryan Agoncillo and Iza Calzado

New Wave Section

• Special Jury Prize - Biyahe Ni Barbie (Kookai Labayen, De La Salle College of St. Benilde)


• Best New Wave Student Film - Payaso


• Gender Sensitivity Award (Student Category) - Speechless by Miriam College


• Gender Sensitivity Award (Full-Length Category) - HIV by Neil Tan


• Best New Wave Actor - JM de Guzman (Pintakasi)


• Best New Wave Actress - Iza Calzado (HIV)


• Best New Wave Full-Length Indie Film - Pintakasi


• Best New Wave Student Short Film - Mate

Official MMFF 3-day gross (December 25, 26, 27) from Executive Chairman Francis Tolentino:

• Enteng ng Ina Mo: P71, 321,253.10


• Panday 2: P53,116,256.25


• My Househusband, Ikaw Na!: P50,968,771.16


• Segunda Mano: P45,822,358.00


• Shake Rattle & Roll 13: P33,756,256.11


• Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: 19,235,256.33


• Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story: P11,365,745.33

The MMFF 2011 awards night was held at the Resorts World Performing Arts Theater on Wednesday, December 28, 2011.

The MMFF 2011 awards night video replay will be aired on Sunday’s Best on ABS-CBN on January 1, 2012.


Final Note:

In 2012, Is President Noynoy Aquino going to be ruthless and unforgiving like Asiong Salonga the Manila Kingpin, or tough but compassionate like Flavio the Panday?

Will Chief Justice Renato Corona Shake, Rattle & Roll during the Impeachment Trial?

Are we also going to be seeing the owner of the Segunda Mano PNP choppers arrested and put in detention?

I can’t wait to see all the issues of Yesterday get some answers Today... and all the perpetrators, both mastermind and minions, be put in jail Tomorrow.

If everything goes well, I'm positive a lot of girls will be enchanted with PNoy and we'll soon see him building a House because he will finally be a Husband to a lovely wife.

If everything goes terribly wrong we might as well just furiously shout "Teng Ina Mo!"