National Artist for Film and Father of Philippine Independent Cinema Kidlat Tahimik was given a fitting tribute in the 22nd Guanajuato International Film Festival (GIFF) in Mexico on July 27.
Tahimik led the honor roll of achievers in film during the Year of the Pig.
The rest include:
• Brillante Mendoza — three awards for Alpha Right to Kill: Jury Prize, 11th Beaune International Police Film Festival (BIPFF), France, April 7; Special Jury Award, 15th Bucharest International Film Festival (BIFF), Romania, June 30; and Kumamoto City Award (runner-up), 29th Focus on Asia Fukuoka International Film Festival (FIFF), Japan, Sep. 19.
• Raymund Ribay Gutierrez — two awards for Verdict: Special Jury Prize, Horizons Section, 76th Venice International Film Festival (VIFF), Italy, Sept. 7, and NETPAC Award, 2nd Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIFF), China, Dec. 8. His film, Judgement, won the Gold Remi (Dramatic Original), 52nd Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival (WHIFF), Texas, USA, April 14.
• Louie Ignacio — four awards: Special Jury Award, Orient Express Section, 39th Oporto (Fantasporto) International Film Festival, Portugal, March 2 and Gold Remi (Foreign Film), 52nd WHIFF for School Service. Also: Jury Prize, 2nd Innuendo International Film Festival, Milan, Italy, July 28 and Bronze Remi (Dramatic Short Film), 52nd WHIFF for Ngiti ng Nazareno.
• Carlo Enciso Catu — two awards: Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon, Audience Award, 25th Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas (VIFFAC), France, Feb. 18; and Jury’s Special Award, Directors Week Section, 39th Oporto-Fantasporto International Film Festival.
• Mikhail Red — Udine Focus Asia Award for The Grandstand, 17th Hong Kong Asia Financing Forum (HAFF), March 20 (worth 7,000 euros).
• Adolf Alix — White Post-Production Award for Circa (One Hundred Years of Memories), 17th Hong Kong Asia Financing Forum, granted post-production services with a value of US$15,000 by White Light Studio in Bangkok, Thailand.
• Joel Lamangan — Special Jury Prize for Rainbow’s Sunset, 52nd WHIFF.
• Chito Roño — Best Film for Signal Rock, 4th ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA), Sarawak, Malaysia, April 27.
• Jun Robles Lana — Jury Prize for Best Director for Kalel, 15, at the 23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (TBNFF), Estonia, Nov. 30.
• Richard Somes — two awards: Best Film and Best Director for El Peste, 3rd European Philippine International Film Festival (EPIFF), Florence, Italy, May 9.
• Khavn Dela Cruz — Jury Prize for Balangiga: Howling Wilderness, 5th Bangkok ASEAN Film Festival (BAFF), Thailand, July 8.
• Dan Villegas — Golden Sarmatian Lion Award (President’s Prize) for Hintayan ng Langit, 12th Orenburg International Film Festival (OIFF, East&West, Classics and Avant Garde), Russia, Aug. 27.
• Denise O’Hara — Best Feature Film for Mamang, Women Filmmakers Section, 17th Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF), Bangladesh, Jan. 18.
• Iar Lionel Benjamin Arondaing — Special Jury Prize for Musmos na Sumibol sa Gubat ng Digma, 18th Baikal International Film Festival (BIFF), Irkutsk, Russia, Sept. 23.
• Arjanmar Rebeta — Signs Award (Short Film) for Palabas: A Country in Moving Pictures, 17th International Signes de Niut, Berlin, Germany, Jan. 21.
• PJ Raval — Audience Choice Award for Call Her Ganda, 12th Seattle Asian American Film Festival (SAAFF), Washington, USA, Feb. 26.
• Petersen Vargas — Grand Prize for Some Nights I Feel Like Walking, 3rd Southeast Asian Fiction Film Lab (SAFFL), Bangkok.
• Che Espiritu — Best Narrative Feature for Pan de Salawal, 14th Belize International Film Festival (BIFF), Belize City, Nov. 10.
• Alyx Ayn Arumpac — FIPRESCI Prize for Aswang, 32nd International Documentary Film Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Dodo Dayao — Dear Wormwood, Best Project Award at 4th International Film Festival & Awards Macau (IFFAM), China, Dec. 10.
• Quezon’s Game, directed by Mathew Rosen, won four awards in the 52nd WHIFF: Best Foreign Movie, Gold Remi (Best Director) for Rosen, Gold Remi (Best Art Design) and Gold Remi (Best Producers) for Olivia Lamasan, Linggit Tan-Marasigan, Lorena Rosen and Carlo Katigbak.
• Kristoffer King, who passed away on Feb. 23, bagged two acting awards: Best Actor for Kristo, 4th (AFFA) and Best Performance for Verdict, Silver Screen Awards, 30th Singapore International Film Festival, Nov. 30.
• Eddie Garcia and Tony Mabesa tied as Best Actors for Rainbow’s Sunset, 52nd WHIFF.
• Dante Rivero, Best Actor for Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon, 39th Oporto (Fantasporto) International Film Festival.
• Judy Ann Santos, Best Actress for Mindanao, 41st Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), Egypt, Nov. 29.
• Max Eigenmann, Best Performance by an Actress Award for Verdict, 13th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), Brisbane, Australia, Nov. 22.
• Ai-Ai de las Alas, Best Actress for School Service tied with Ina Raymundo for Batang Wes, Directors Week Section, 39th Oporto (Fantasporto) International Film Festival.
• Barbara Miguel, Best Supporting Actress for 1-2-3 Wan Tu Tri (Gasping for Air), 4th AIFFA.
• Crisel Consunji won two acting awards for Still Human: Best Newcomer, 38th Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild, March 10; and Best New Performer, 38th Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) April. 14.
• Eric Ramos, Gold Remi, Best Story Innovation for Rainbow’s Sunset, 52nd WHIFF.
— With a report from Celso de Guzmnan Caparas
(E-mail reactions at rickylophilstar@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)