The Entertainment Editors’ Choice or EDDYS (homonymic to the Hollywood TV awards the EMMYS) was held two Sundays ago at New Frontier Theatre and aired via Colours (a channel seen on both the Standard Definition and High Definition formats on Cignal, the direct TV service of PLDT) last Sunday night.
While members of the Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors of simply SPEEd feel they had done quite a job for the third year of the fledgling awards, I can’t seem to reconcile the group’s enthusiasm with the indifference of several movie production companies to support the endeavor of the group. Attendance was very much similar to the first and second EDDYS (the first was also at the New Frontier Theater and the second was at The Theatre @ Solaire).
The presence of Chairman Liza Diño of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) in the theater (she was also in the first and second EDDYS) gives this annual event led by entertainment editors the much-needed legitimacy for it to become a major event in the industry’s award-giving season.
Yet, why do I feel that the entire movie industry isn’t eager to be part of the annual EDDYS? No major producer was in the theater, I observed. Star Cinema, which was cited as Producer of the Year, seemed oblivious to it. Olivia Lamasan, who took over the company, after Malou Santos retired, didn’t even bother to collect the trophy, instead, some representative was there to collect all trophies that were won by the film company and the films it produced including the people that made those films.
Former Manila Standard editor Isah V. Red, writing for his column Simply Red now published in another daily, noted this year’s attendance to The EDDYS was encouraging. I can’t agree more. Awards aficionados noted this year the Best Actor (Dingdong Dantes for Sid & Aya) winner was around to receive his trophy. Also, Piolo Pascual (coming from somewhere and seemed his appearance was unplanned) surprised the crowd and even the presenters on stage when he suddenly emerged to accept the Rising Producers of The Year trophy for Spring Films (the company he, director Joyce Bernal, and talent manager Erickson Raymundo own). The other winner was T-Rex Entertainment but producer Rex Tiri was around to accept the citation.
Also, the theater had more stars than the two previous EDDYS with the stars that were given recognition as ICONS were there as well—Eddie Gutierrez, Dante Rivero, Christopher de Leon, Tirso Cruz III, Lorna Tolentino, former Senator Jinggoy Estrada, accepting the award of his father, former Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.
Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla and wife Bacoor Mayor Lani Mercado presented the Manuel Pichel Award to columnist Ethel Ramos. Former Mayor Herbert Bautista was also a presenter.
The slew of stars and other celebrities that presented the awards to the winners, most of them were not even around, was impressive.
But, an awards show is not an awards show if the winners are nowhere near the venue to receive the honors the award-giving group is bestowing them.
I watched a lot of awards show broadcast in cable channels (Hollywood, like the Philippine movie/TV world, has more awards as well, although its season climaxes with the annual OSCARS given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and preceded by the Golden Globes of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. I notice that in both awards show, the nominees, whether actors or production crew, are always present (except for one or two that are either busy filming or physically unable to attend). And when the winner isn’t able to accept personally the award, an equally important personality from the company of the production film would accept the award. And those that don’t win don’t look bad or show faces of disappointment. They applaud and congratulate their colleagues and fellow workers in film.
That is the kind of professionalism these film workers display during an awards show, which I don’t see in local awards show.
I ask myself, when will the Philippine show business grow up and become mature enough to accept defeat and be happy for the people that win awards.
More importantly, I ask, when will the industry warm up to The EDDYS?
