The Manila Film Festival Awards: The choices were good, but...

No one raised an eyebrow when Rudy Fernandez and Sharon Cuneta were proclaimed best actor and actress at the Manila Filmfest awards rites at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Even before the other night’s awards, moviegoers already knew in their hearts (the text poll showed it) that these two were shoo-ins for the plum awards.

This, coupled with the excellent showing of the ongoing film festival in the theaters should make everybody happy, right? Wrong.

There were too many glaring boo-boos that stared at the televiewers straight in the eye. Those who witnessed everything live had a ringside view of this comedy of errors.

Who can blame Dina Bonnevie for protesting after the voice-over wrongly announced that Piolo Pascual and Nancy Castiliogne were to present the next award, when it was her son, Oyo Boy, with Anne Curtis who were actually assigned to do the job?

And to think Oyo Boy even came in his brand-new Barong Tagalog, Dina retorted.

The nostalgia portion was another case in point. Judy Ann Santos and Dingdong Dantes’ named were called for that number with Alessandra de Rossi, Polo Ravales and Anne Curtis. But when Dingdong was about to enter the stage, he got the surprise of his life when he heard his ‘singing voice’ filling the venue. He hasn’t even opened his mouth!

Thus, Dingdong and Judy Ann stayed in the wings instead, and waited for their cue to present the next award.

This one, the televiewers did not see because it was edited out. But the live audience clearly saw how Sharon Cuneta stopped singing in the middle of her number after the CD player containing the minus one accompaniment of her song stopped dead in its tracks.

How about videos that don’t match voice-overs (e.g. the name of the best actress nominee with the face of the actress herself), or John Lapus saying "Take Two," suddenly vanishing from the screen and reappearing after commercials have been shown?

And is it true a talent manager walked out after the organizers turned down his request to let the actress he is managing mount the stage at the last part of the show – the most-awaited portion of the awards night?

Meantime, let’s take a look at choice scenes from the awards night.

The Honor Roll

• Best Actress – Sharon Cuneta (Magkapatid)

• Best Actor – Rudy Fernandez (Diskarte)

• Best Picture – Magkapatid

• Best Director – Joel Lamangan (Magkapatid)

• Best Supporting Actress – Gloria Romero (I Think I’m in Love)

• Best Supporting Actor – Joonee Gamboa (Diskarte)

• Best Screenplay – Mel Mendoza- Del Rosario (Magkapatid)

• Best Story – Mel del Rosario (Magkapatid)

• Best Cinematography – Larry Manda (Utang ni Tatang)

• Best Production Design – Bona Fajardo (Utang ni Tatang)

• Best Editing – Francis Vinarao (Diskarte)

• Best Theme Song – I Think I’m in Love

• Best Music – Archie Castillo (I Think I’m in Love)

• Best Sound – Albert Michael Idioma (Magkapatid)

• Special Award – Manila Mayor Lito Atienza