Derek Ramsay was named best actor at the 43rd Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Awards Night for his role in All Of You, which also won best screenplay.
The win marked Derek’s second best actor trophy from the MMFF. The first one was for his role in the 2014 movie English Only, Please which was directed by the same director (Dan Villegas) and with the same leading lady (Jennylyn Mercado) as in All Of You.
But if Villegas and Mercado won best director and actress respectively in 2014, they failed to do so this time.
It’s Paul Soriano that won the directorial award for his work in Siargao. Theater actress Joanna Ampil won best actress for her role in the musical film Ang Larawan.
Edgar Allan Guzman won best supporting actor award for his gay role in Deadma Walking where he plays the best friend of Joross Gamboa’s cancer-stricken character.
Best Picture was Loy Arcenas’ Ang Larawan. Runners-up were Soriano’s Siargao and Villegas’ All Of You.
Siargao got the most number of awards that also includes best supporting actress for Jasmine Curtis-Smith, best cinematography for Odyssey Flores, best editor for Mark Victor, best original theme song, and best sound. And that doesn’t include the movie’s lead actress Erich Gonzales’ win as female star of the night.
Baeby Baste got the only award won by the comedy movie Meant To Beh starring Vic Sotto.
Ang Panday, meanwhile, had four awards – best visual effects; Children’s Choice Award; the Fernando Poe Jr. Memorial Award for Excellence; and the movie’s star, director and producer Coco Martin received a jury prize for creating the latest version of the movie.
Fernando Poe Jr., the late King of Philippine Movies, was the first actor to play the role of panday (blacksmith).
Ang Larawan received the best musical score award for Ryan Cayabyab and the Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Memorial Award. Nick Joaquin, who wrote the original literary play titled A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino, where the movie was translated from, also received a special jury prize.
The People’s Choice Award went to the Vice Ganda-starrer Gandarrapiddo: The Revenger Squad, while Deadma Walking‘s float during the parade last Dec. 23 was named Best Festival Float.
Meanwhile, National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera, who is also chair of the festival’s selection committee, received a special award of recognition.