Cebuano film "Eleuteria" earns 6 nods at the 2011 Golden Screen Awards

CEBU, Philippines - It’s all systems go for the 8th Golden Screen Awards of the Entertainment Press Society to be held tomorrow, April 2, at the Teatrino at the Promenade Greenhills, San Juan City. The show starts at 7pm.

The awards night will be hosted by Eugene Domingo and Roderick Paulate, the best actress and best actor awardees for the comedy or musical category of the Golden Screen Awards in 2009. This year’s awards night promises to be an exciting event for the nominees in the various categories. 

Doing the opening number are the EB Babes. Singing three of the nominated theme songs are Frencheska Farr (“Bakit Ako Narito”—theme from the movie “Emir”), Mj Ringor (“Napapagod din Ang Puso”—theme from movie “Tarima”) at Johnrey Danno (“Malayang Bilanggo”—theme from the movie “Layang Bilanggo”).

The Rainmakers, one of the popular groups of the ‘70s, will pay tribute to the Movie Icons of Our Time namely Fernando Poe, Jr., Nida Blanca, Ramon Revilla, Sr., Susan Roces, Amalia Fuentes, Dolphy, former president Joseph Estrada, Nora Aunor, Vilma Santos, Gloria Romero, Sharon Cuneta, Maricel Soriano, and Judy Ann Santos.

These well-loved stars will each receive a Plaque of Recognition from the Golden Screen Awards as a testament of their longevity in the business, their stature as multi-awarded film icons and their contribution to the film industry.

Doing the finale number is Ms. Imelda Papin.

The 8th Golden Screen Awards is sponsored by Manila Genesis, Ineng’s Special BBQ, Moringa 02, Beau Visage, Glutamax, Fernando’s Bakery, Lyf Center Medical Spa and PLDT.

Award-winning actor Phillip Salvador is the recipient of the Gawad Lino Brocka Lifetime Achievement Award.

Today, the 11-member jury of the 8th Golden Screen Awards (this columnist is one of them) will meet and deliberate before voting for the eventual winners. As with past GSA Awards night, the jury meets the day before the awards night to deliberate on the nominees before casting their votes. 

It is an afternoon of spirited discussion, at times emotional and very passionate, as one by one, the jurors defend their choices. It’s a very democratic process as each juror is made to explain his or her vote for every contender in each category.

There are no clear front-runners in the awards race as we at GSA, treat each nominee on equal footing with each other. We do have our personal choices but we really take to heart in listening to the merits of each nominee, be it an actor or a film, during the deliberation. Would you believe we even listen to the nominated theme songs as a breaker to refresh our minds as to which one we really would want to vote for?

The Golden Screen Awards is one activity that is close to our hearts. We are involved in it since Day One, or since we started it eight years ago. This year is particularly memorable because we are dedicating the awards night to our departed colleague, Archie de Calma, who passed away on May last year, a few days after our 7th Golden Screen Awards night which was held on his birthday. We know Archie is watching over us and we won’t fail him as we promised him that we would continue to safeguard the integrity and credibility of the Golden Screen Awards. We will keep that promise. 

Our best wishes to the nominees and congratulations to the eventual winners!

Here are the nominees in the major categories of the 8th Golden Screen Awards:

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Drama) - Bea Alonzo (Sa’Yo Lamang), Donna Isadora Gimeno (Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria), Lovi Poe (Mayohan), Meryl Soriano (Donor), Lorna Tolentino (Sa ‘Yo Lamang) and Dawn Zulueta (Sigwa).

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Drama) – John Lloyd Cruz (Miss You Like Crazy), Sid Lucero (Muli), Coco Martin (Noy) and Fanny Serrano (Tarima).

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Musical or Comedy) – Ai Ai de las Alas (Ang Tanging Ina, Last Na ‘To), Eugene Domingo (Here Comes The Bride), Toni Gonzaga (My Amnesia Girl), Angelica Panganiban (Here Comes the Bride), and Tuesday Vargas (Here Comes the Bride)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Musical or Comedy) - Jaime Fabregas (Here Comes The Bride), John Lapus (Here Comes The Bride) and John Lloyd Cruz (My Amnesia Girl).

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Drama, Musical or Comedy) – Julia Clarete (Emir), Eugene Domingo (Ang Tanging Ina , Last Na  ‘To), Dulce (Emir), Daday Melgar (Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria), Zsa Zsa Padilla (Sigwa), Cherry Pie Picache (Noy) and Gloria Romero (Tarima).

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Drama, Musical or Comedy) – Nico Antonio (Magkakapatid),  Tirso Cruz III (Sigwa), Allen Dizon (Sigwa), Dolphy (Rosario), Sid Lucero (Rosario), Coco Martin (Sa ‘Yo ‘Lamang), and Kenneth Ocampo (Muli).

Break-through Performance by an Actress - Carla Abellana (SRR12: Funeraria), Andi Eigenmann (Mamarazi), Maxx Eigenmann (Romeo and Juliet) and Frencheska Farr (Emir)

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor – Martin del Rosario (Dagim), Samuel Quintana (Dagim), Tom Rodriguez (Here Comes the Bride), Rocky Salumbides (Tarima) and Greg Tecson (Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria). (FREEMAN)