They forgot the Big Picture Award!

The Metro Manila Filmfest Awards have been given out, but there was one award they forgot to announce. They gave out the the third Best Picture, the second Best and the Best Picture. But the envelope for the Big Picture Award wasn’t opened.

What’s the Big Picture Award? It represents the real big winner of the Filmfest.

Life can always be viewed from two perspectives: The small picture and the big picture. In more ways than one, you can lose the small picture yet be a winner in the big picture.

After its back-to-back win with Jose Rizal and Muro Ami, GMA Films tried a valiant attempt at winning a "three-peat" with Deathrow. Though the best picture award went to a wonderful film, Tanging Yaman, the GMA Films family was proud enough to have made an immediate impact on society with two Senators promising to strengthen laws governing the juvenile justice system. That’s as significant an award for us at GMA Films.

Looking at our objectives from the small picture perspective, GMA Films lost the races for both the awards and the box-office. But there are things more important than awards and box office. And that’s what the Big Picture Award is all about.

Many believed that the movies in this year’s Filmfest were all winners. No doubt about it, each and every movie stood out with class. Tanging Yaman, this year’s winner, told a compelling story about what is most important to every Filipino – the family. Spirit Warriors breached the standards of local special effects and ran away with opening day box-office honors. Markova gave Dolphy and his talented sons a film they could be proud of and tackled a sad slice of our history. Ping Lacson revealed we have the talent to give John Woo a run for his money. Sugatang Puso proved small is really beautiful. Deathrow bravely put the juvenile justice system on trial.

All six movies sent a strong statement the we, the filmmakers, are taking the Filipino audience seriously. Amidst a dying industry, all the producers in this year’s Filmfest were determined to bring back the waning faith in Filipino movies. Special recognition should be given to Charo Santos for Star Cinema, Dolphy for RVQ Productions, Eric Cuatico for Millennium Films and I’m especially happy for Mother Lily who scored a double-win with Sugatang Puso and Spirit Warriors. Special mention goes to directors Laurice Guillen, Joel Lamangan, Joey Reyes, Toto Natividad, Chito Roño and Gil Portes.

Aside from the producers and directors, all those involved in this year’s Filmfest should take a bow and stand up with heads held high. We were all part of a movie event that would hopefully shift the tide and bring back the local movie industry to greatness.

There’s one more unopened award envelope with me, and it contains the winner of the Big Picture Award. The award transcends the technical and creative merits of a particular film or even its box-office receipts. It represents the award for the real winner of this year’s Filmfest.

Drum-roll please. . .

And this year’s Big Picture Award goes to. . . The Filipino Movie Industry!

Congratulations to everyone involved in this year’s Filmfest, the Big Picture Award goes to You!

Note: While I was writing this, a bomb just exploded at the Petron station in Makati barely a few meters from my residence. We in the film industry condemn such acts of violence. In our own way, we are trying to move our country forward. I hope all those who perpetrated this act of terrorism end up in Deathrow. Oh yeah, the movie is still showing.