Alberto Monteras II’s Respeto, an exploration of the Pinoy hiphop underground world where a young aspiring rapper and a Martial Law poet cross paths, won seven awards at the 13th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival Awards Night, Aug. 13, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Main Theater.
The film won Best Film, Best Supporting Actor, Best Sound, Best Editing, the 2017 NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema) Award and the Audience Choice Award.
The film shared the Best Cinematography Award with another full length feature Joseph Israel Laban’s film Baconaua, including two major prizes—the Special Jury Prize and Best Direction award.
Respeto was cited “for its infectious, propulsive energy, its highly convincing cast of characters and very effective ensemble acting, its breathtaking, nearly epic sweep of the underside of Manila, its expert application of the resources of cinema to depict a teenager’s drive to rise above poverty and violence, its cogent melding of contemporary rap and traditional oral literature, and its sheer humanity and coruscating poetry.”
The NETPAC jury praised the film “for tackling the complex issue of human rights violation across two generations, musically connected by the vibrant and socially-conscious use of language.”
Best supporting actor Dido de La Paz was lauded “for his powerful portrayal of an old man haunted by the demons of his past and compelled to adjust to the present.”
Corinne De San Jose bagged the Best Sound award “for the impressive evocation of the din and blare of the underside of Manila, and the effective conjuring of the roar and tumult of the hip-hop underworld” while the Best Editing Award went to Lawrence Ang.
Respeto’s Ike Avellana and Baconaua’s TM Malones shared the Best Cinematography award for their “powerful application of light and shadow and effective rendering of shots and images.”
Respeto bested eight other films in the Full Length Feature category. As Best Film winner, Respeto won the P350,000 cash award and the Cinemalaya Balanghai trophy.
Baconaua, based on an actual story of how one morning after a particularly strong squall, a sleepy fishing village woke up to the astonishing sight of the sea that had turned red, was acclaimed for director Joseph Laban’s “effective summoning of the resources of cinema to depict a sleepy fishing village reeling from the auguries of superstition while confronting the ugly specter of crime and violence.”
Angeli Bayani won Best Actress for her role in Bagahe by Zig Dulay while Noel Comia Jr. and Yayo Aguila booked the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress awards respectively for their work in Kiko Boksingero by Thop Nazareno.
Bayani was hailed for her role as an OFW suspected of dumping a newborn child in the trash bin of an airplane toilet; Comia for his heartrending performance of a boy grieving for his mother while trying to win the love of his estranged father; and Aguila for her endearing portrayal of the nanny who tries to soothe her ward’s loneliness.
Bagahe also won the Best Screenplay award for Dulay while Kiko Boksingero bagged Best Musical Score for Pepe Manikan.
Members of the Main Competition Jury were Padmashri Dr. Girish Kasaravalli, Freddie Wong, Sheron Dayoc, Lee Briones-Meily and Joselito “Lito” B. Zulueta.
In the NETPAC Jury were Ismail Basbeth, Tsengel Davaasambuu and Ricardo Lee.
