Judy Ann Santos is still pinching herself after being named the youngest Hall of Famer in the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), a recognition she admits left her “floating with happiness.”
The 47-year-old actress joined industry greats at the launch of the MMFF’s commemorative coffee table book, which took eight months to complete and features icons who have shaped the festival’s five-decade run.
Among those honored were National Artist Ricky Lee, director Jose Javier Reyes, Ericson Navarro, Lee Briones-Meily, Roy Iglesias, and Lotlot de Leon, who accepted on behalf of her late mother, National Artist Nora Aunor, the actress with the most best actress trophies in MMFF history.
Lotlot, fighting back emotion, apologized for arriving late from work but said no distance would have stopped her from attending. “No matter what, I’ll do this for my mother,” she told the crowd. “Thank you once again for honoring Nora Aunor. May her life and work continue to inspire.”
For Santos, who has three best actress wins for Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo, Mindanao, and Espantaho, the Hall of Fame nod felt surreal.
“Thank you for calling me the youngest, I don’t hear that very often anymore,” she said in the vernacular. “I never imagined I’d reach the point of being named a Hall of Famer. This is crazy! But with the trust of directors, writers, and producers who gave me meaningful projects, I was shaped by the films I did here at the MMFF.”
“The recognition is almost as heavy as the trophy from last year’s 50th awards night. But it’s worth it because it makes so many people happy,” she added in jest.
On Instagram, the actress showed off her copies of the MMFF book and Ricky Lee’s Pinilakang Tabing, calling them “two important books” in her life. She recalled how Lee and director Joel Lamangan first entrusted her with a serious role in the TV drama Sabel. “I will forever be grateful for that trust,” she said.
The book launch gathered festival stalwarts, with MMDA chairman Romando “Don” Artes leading the ceremonies alongside Laurice Guillen, Boots Anson-Roa, Wilson Tieng, Noel Ferrer, Paolo Villaluna, Joey Romero, and Irene Jose, who led the opening prayer.
Artes described the MMFF as “not just a film festival, but a celebration of Filipino culture, art, and creativity.” He said the book serves as both a record of the past and an inspiration for the future.
The volume’s cover highlights a roster of legends including Hilda Koronel, Christopher de Leon, Vilma Santos, Vic Sotto, Cesar Montano, Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes, Vice Ganda, Dolphy, Nora Aunor, and Fernando Poe Jr. Inside, the table of contents features National Artists such as Lamberto V. Avellana, Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal, Eddie Romero, Marilou Diaz-Abaya, and Ricky Lee.
With its pages of photographs and stories, the book marks half a century of a festival that has both entertained Filipinos and shaped careers. As Santos put it, the honor is one she now proudly shares with her children and husband, proof that, in her words, “Philippine cinema is worth every ounce of effort.”
