Gina wins Best Actress in Amiens; Manoro bags special award in Torino

The Philippines scored a double win, one in the Amiens International Film Festival (France) and another in the Torino International Filmfest (Italy), where Gina Pareño won Best Actress for Kubrador and Brillante Mendoza’s Manoro bagged the Cinemavvenire special award respectively.

It is Gina’s third Best Actress award for Kubrador. The first came from the Osian’s Cinefan in New Delhi and the second from the Brussels Filmfest of Independent Films.

Manoro, on the other hand, comes from a recent victory at the just-concluded Cinemanila International Film Festival, where it won Best Picture and Best Director honors.

The film was cited for its ability to analyze Filipino reality and its contribution to Filipino culture.

Kubrador won the FIPRESCI International Critics Jury Prize for Best Film at the 28th Moscow International Film Festival in Russia last July. Produced by lawyer Joji Alonso’s MLR Films and directed by Jeffrey Jeturian, it revolves around jueteng and chronicles the life of Amelita, a jueteng bet collector.

Manoro is a stirring drama shot in Angeles City about an Aeta community in the 2004 national elections. Written by Ralston Jover, who also wrote the script of Kubrador, Manoro stars Jonalyn Ablong, Edgar Ablong and Aeta non-actors.

Other winners in the Amiens Filmfest are 10 Canoes, 150 Spears & 3 Wives (Australia) – Best Film; Special Jury Prize – Dreams of Dust (Burkina Faso/Canada/France); Best Actor – Damian Alcazar for A Wonderful World (Mexico), Audience Award and Amiens City Award – A Wonderful World by Luis Estrada.

Other winners in the Torino Filmfest are Honor de Cavalleria (Spain), Best Film and Special Jury Prize; Guatemalan Handshake (USA), Best Director and Special Jury Prize; Notes by a Trackman (Kazakhstan) and Bled No One (Algeria/France), Fipresci. – With Ferdie Lapuz