'Baler' is filmfest's best

“Baler” swept the major awards at the 34th Metro Manila Film Festival’s Gabi ng Parangal on Saturday night at the Harbor Tent of Hotel Sofitel in Pasay City.

The turn-of-the-century historical romance co-produced by Viva Films and Bida Productions won Best Picture and the Gatpuno Award, Best Director for Mark Meily, Best Actress for Anne Curtis, Best Supporting Actor for Phillip Salvador, and Best Screenplay for Roy Iglesias.

“Baler” being the big winner in the 2008 MMFF was rather expected, the movie having earned some rave reviews and was graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB).

It also won for best editing (Danilo Anonuevo), best cinematography (Lee Meily), best production design (Aped F. Santos), and most gender-friendly film.

Done on a reported P60-million plus budget, “Baler” is a poignant love story set against the late 19th-century siege of Baler in which Filipino soldiers engaged in a fierce encounter with a 57-man Rifle Troop of the Spanish military that didn’t know the war was over.

“For the sense of history and contained melodrama, and its message of love in the crosshairs of war the film is more than commendable,” the CEB said.

Curtis won for her performance of a young Filipina who falls in love with a young indio (played by Jericho Rosales) who fights on the enemy side, and Salvador for his role as Anne’s father (head of the Filipino soldiers) who disapproves of the romance.

Best Actor was Christopher de Leon for Maverick Films’ “Magkaibigan” which was a tribute to the late actor Rudy Fernandez, and Best Supporting Actress Manilyn Reynes for Canary Films’ “One Night Only” in which she essayed the role of a tomboy.

Named second best picture was Star Cinema’s “Ang Tanging Ina Níyong Lahat” which stars AiAi de las Alas as a plain housewife who becomes President of the Philippines, while third best was M-Zet / Octoarts/ APT Productions’ “Iskul Bukol: 20 Years Later” that topbilled the zany trio of Tito, Vic & Joey.

“Dayo,” the lone animation feature from Cutting Edge Productions that was also graded A by the CEB, won for best special effects and best theme song “Lilipad Ka” as sung by Lea Salonga.

Robert Villar won the Best Child Actor award for the third episode, Nieves the Encanto Slayer, of “Shake Rattle and Roll X,” while another Regal Films production, “Desperadas 2” won for best makeup.

Like last year, the awards night was made brief to give way to the presentation of “Katy, The Musical Concert,” directed by Freddie Santos with KC Concepcion and Jericho Rosales leading an all-star cast.

According to MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando, this year’s MMFF is projected to gross more than last year’s.

The total two-day gross was reported to be P133.6 million.