‘Respeto’ wins respect, awards at Cinemalaya 2017

'Respeto' director Treb Monteras 2nd receive the Best Film trophy along with the film's cast and crew.
(PHOTOS COURTESY OF CCP/KIKO CABUENA)

AFTER receiving rave reviews from Cinemalaya audiences—who are film aficionados and festival newbies alike—“Respeto” by Alberto “Treb” Monteras 2nd also won the coveted Best Film in this year’s edition of the independent film festival.

An exploration of the Philippine hip-hop underground world where a young aspiring rapper and a Martial Law poet cross paths, “Respeto” emerged as the biggest winner at the awards night held on August 13 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Main Theater. Besides being recognized as Best Film, it also won Best Supporting Actor for Dido de la Paz, Best Sound for Corinne De San Jose, Best Editing for Lawrence Ang, the 2017 NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema) Award and the Audience Choice Award.

As additional award, the film’s Ike Avella shared Best Cinematography with Baconaua’s TM Malones.

Monteras’ directorial debut at Cinemalaya bested eight other films in the Full Length Feature category, and won P350,000 cash award and the Cinemalaya Balanghai trophy.

Cinemalaya 2017 winners with CCP president Nick Lizaso (standing, third from left) and Cinemalaya officials. 

Acting awardees (from left) Dido de la Paz (Best Supporting Actor), Angeli Bayani (Best Actress), Noel Comia Jr. (Best Actor) and Yayo Aguila (Best Supporting Actress). 

Below is the full list of winners and citations:

FEATURE FILMS

1. The AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD for the Full-Length Feature Film goes to: “RESPETO” by ALBERTO MONTERAS II

2. 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, BEST SOUND is awarded to:

CORINNE DE SAN JOSE for “RESPETO”

3. For the highly simple but very stirring musical evocation of a boy’s loneliness  in the aftermath of his mother’s death, and of his touching attempts at connecting with his estranged prizefighter-father, BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE is awarded to:

PEPE MANIKAN for “KIKO BOKSINGERO”

4. For the effective assembly and selection of images and sequences that all together credibly depict a poor but determined teenager’s drive to make it as a hip-hop minstrel despite the poverty, squalor and violence dominating the underbelly of Manila, BEST EDITING is awarded to:

LAWRENCE ANG for “RESPETO”

5. For their powerful application of light and shadow and effective rendering of shots and images, which all together portray, the plight of communities and their drive to rise above their misery, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY is awarded to:

TM MALONES for “BACONAUA”

and

IKE AVELLANA for “RESPETO”

6. For the highly relevant subject matter and the psycho-social unraveling from the trauma of abuse, BEST SCREENPLAY is awarded to:

ZIG DULAY for “BAGAHE”

7. For her quiet and endearing portrayal of a nanny seeking to relieve the loneliness of a boy who has lost his mother and is trying to endear himself to his estranged father, BEST PERFORMANCE OF A SUPPORTING ACTRESS is awarded to: 

YAYO AGUILA for “KIKO BOKSINGERO”

8. For his powerful portrayal of an old man haunted by the demons of his past and compelled to adjust to the present, the BEST PERFORMANCE OF A SUPPORTING ACTOR is awarded to: 

DIDO DE LA PAZ for “RESPETO”

9. For the 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, BEST DIRECTION is awarded to: 

JOSEPH ISRAEL LABAN for “BACONAUA”

10. For her convincing portrayal of an overseas Filipino worker subjected to state criminal and psycho-social investigation, media sensationalism, and political opportunism, which merely worsen the trauma of her abuse, BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN ACTRESS is awarded to:

ANGELI BAYANI for “BAGAHE”

11. For his charming and heartrending performance of a boy who misses his late mother and tries to learn boxing to connect with his estranged prizefighter-father, BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN ACTOR is awarded to:

NOEL COMIA JR. for “KIKO BOKSINGERO”

12. For its very engaging depiction of a small fishing village struggling to achieve community and continuity in the face of superstition, crime and violence, the SPECIAL JURY PRIZE is awarded to:

“BACONAUA” by Joseph Israel Laban

13. For tackling the complex issue of human rights violation across two generations, musically connected by the vibrant and socially-conscious use of language, the 2017 NETPAC Award for the Full-Length Category goes to:  “RESPETO” by ALBERTO MONTERAS II

14. 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, BEST FILM is awarded to:

“RESPETO” by ALBERTO MONTERAS II

SHORT FILMS

1. The AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD for the Cinemalaya Short-Feature Film goes to: 

“NAKAUWI NA” by MARVIN CABANGUNAY and JAYNUS OLAIVAR

2. For its poignant tale of a girl growing up in an island, subjected to the joys and troubles of childhood, and how she is made to cope with all of this, the BEST SCREENPLAY is awarded to:

DUWI MONTEAGUDO for “BAWOD”

3. For effectively employing the technical and creative resources of film language in its poignant portrayal of a deep-sea fisherman who finally embraced the bosom of the ocean, BEST DIRECTION is awarded to:

E  DEL MUNDO for “MANONG NG PA-ALING”

4. For its witty take on an old couple growing apart, and how they try to rekindle the passion, revealing how despite man’s increasing conquest of outer space, there will always be the universal need for human connection, the SPECIAL JURY PRIZE is awarded to:

“FATIMA MARIE TORRES AND THE INVASION OF SPACE SHUTTLE PINAS 25” by CARLO FRANCISCO MANATAD

5. For Its Creative Approach Of Using A Technology In Delivering A Wider Perspective On The Issues Of Diaspora, Love And Distance, the 2017 NETPAC AWARD goes to:

“ALIENS ATA” by KARL GLENN BARIT

6. For its powerful evocation of the storm-tossed island and how it tries to heal from the afflictions of nature, as reflected poignantly by the characters in trying to rebuild and heal the wounds of their coming of age, the BEST SHORT FEATURE FILM is awarded to:

“HILOM” by P.R. PATINDOL

Members of the Main Competition Jury were Padmashri Dr. Girish Kasaravalli, Freddie Wong, Sheron Dayoc, Lee Briones-Meily and Joselito “Lito” Zulueta. In the NETPAC Jury were Ismail Basbeth, Tsengel Davaasambuu and Ricardo Lee.

Cinemalaya is a project of the Cinemalaya Foundation, the Cultural Center of the Philippines in partnership with Ayala Malls Cinemas.  Established in 2005, Cinemalaya is an all-digital film festival and competition that aims to discover, encourage and honor cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers.

(RELEASED BY CCP)