What it takes to win at the Urian

Everything is set for the 26th Gawad Urian to be held this Saturday, May 17, at the AFP Theater at Camp Aguinaldo. To be produced for television by APT Enterprise, Inc., the Urian Awards proceedings will be seen via a slightly delayed telecast on the same evening at 9 over RPN-9. (Nominees, guests and other participants are requested to be at the theater no later than 7 p.m.)

Since it is the awards season again, people (mostly film students) have been asking anew how the members of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (MPP) select the winners for the Urian. Well, there are nine Manunuri members at present and everyone is asked to monitor local movies showing in Metro Manila theaters all year round. Members who happen to catch any film that is noteworthy are required to notify the others and that movie becomes required viewing for everyone. Sometimes we see a movie just for the cinematography-like in the case of Yam Laranas’ work in Hibla.

The group then meets every quarter and we sit down and discuss our quarterly citations. Then, very early the next year, we go over our list of citations and we watch the films a second time by borrowing prints from the various studios. Immediately after we are done with the screenings, we work on our list of nominees. No, we don’t necessarily limit our list of nominees to just five–unlike in other award-giving bodies. This year, for instance, there are eight nominees in the Best Supporting Actress category.

However, there have been years when we would only have two or three nominees per category. On two occasions, there were only two nominees for Best Picture: In 1983 when only two films vied for this category–Karnal and Broken Marriage which eventually brought home the award. This was repeated nine years later in 1992 when only two films qualified for Best Picture: Ikaw ang Lahat sa Akin and Ikaw Pa Lang ang Minahal, adjudged as the Manunuri’s choice for the year.

Although the acting winners get more prominence during the awards night, the most important category in any award-giving body is really the Best Picture. It is this category that should really be announced last during the program.

During the first Film Academy Awards in 1983, however, the FAP began the tradition of honoring the Best Actress winner last. The FAMAS followed suit and also the Star Awards when it was created two years later. But the Gawad Urian stuck to tradition.

But an incident which happened in the 1990 Urian Awards made the Manunuri give up this tradition. I remember it well. It was at the CCP Main Theater and the Best Actress winners (it was a tie between Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos) had just been announced and there was bedlam. (Can you imagine the Noranians and Vilmanians in one hall?) Then came the announcement of the Best Picture winner with Pilar Pilapil and Ronaldo Valdez as presenters. The minute Mr. Valdez and Ms. Pilapil read the envelope (it was Pahiram ng Isang Umaga that won), everyone just stood up and headed for the exit and I felt sorry for the presenters and the one accepting the trophy (a staff member of Regal Films).

That did it. The following year, I suggested doing away with tradition and we had the announcement of the Best Picture winner third to the last–with the declaration of the Best Actress as the finale. I know this isn’t the right thing to do, but sometimes it is quite difficult to discipline our audiences.

However, this shouldn’t take away the fact that the Best Picture is still the most important of all the categories in any awards presentation.

And so, below, is the Manunuri’s set of criteria for selecting the year’s Best Picture and, after that, for the other categories as well.

Best Picture – The Best Picture reflects the creative integration of the various elements of cinema to an eminent degree. According to the MPP criteria, films should be judged on how effectively they fuse content and form. The content of the film is considered effective it is a truthful portrayal of the human condition as perceived by the Filipino and if it deals with the Filipino experience to which the greater number of moviegoers can relate.

The form of the film is considered effective if the filmmakers are able to use and integrate creatively the various elements of the cinema – direction, screenplay, acting, cinematography, production design, editing, music and sound.

In the case of two films, which are equally-made, the film with the more significant subject matter is to be preferred.

Best Direction – Direction is effective if the director succeeds in the realization of the screenplay, projecting his insight into the material by creatively integrating all the elements of the film.

Best Screenplay – A screenplay is effective if it explores significant subject matter of experience and conceives this with originality according to the particular demands of the film medium.

Best Performance – Acting in a film is effective if the performer succeeds in making the audience believe in the character he is playing, understand the motives that impel the character to action and appreciate the character’s personal and social relationship.

Best Cinematography – Cinematography is considered effective if it successfully visualizes content through lighting, composition, movement and related camera techniques.

Best Production Design – Production design is considered effective if it is able to simulate creatively the locale, sets, makeup, costumes and props that would project the period, atmosphere and character called for by the reality of the screenplay.

Best Editing – Editing is considered effective if it creatively compresses or expands time, space and movement to heighten any statement the filmmaker wishes to make.

Best Music – Music is considered effective if it underscores meaning, heightens mood and emotions, helps define character and reinforces the rhythm and pace of the film. Over and above these uses, the MPP would encourage original music for film.

Best Sound – Sound in film is effective if dialogue, music, sound effects and silence are vividly reproduced and are creatively orchestrated.