The Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) has just announced the nominees of the 27th Star Awards for Movies, to be held on June 17, 2011 (venue yet undisclosed).

A total of 15 mainstream features and 14 independently-produced digital productions qualified for nominations in the performance, creative, and technical categories.

Leading the list of nominees, among the mainstream full-length features, is Laurice Guillen's Sa 'Yo Lamang, a religious family drama, with 13 nominations, including best picture, direction and original screenplay (Ricardo Lee, Karen Ramos, Ralph Jacinto Quiblat).  

Next is the Filipino musical film, Emir by Chito Roño, which tells the story of 18-year-old Amelia who works as a nanny to the son of a Sheik in a Middle East kingdom. Emir garnered 11 nominations, including best picture and direction (Chito Roño), screenplay (Jerry Gracio), new movie actress (Frencheska Farr), supporting actress (Dulce), and child performer (Mahdi Yazdian Barjani).

ACTING NOMINEES. Sa 'Yo Lamang also got several nominations for the performances of the cast, led by Lorna Tolentino and Bea Alonzo (lead actress), Christopher de Leon (lead actor), Enchong Dee and Coco Martin (supporting actor).

Coco won a double nomination, also as lead actor, of the semi-documentary film Noy, which featured President Noynoy Aquino on the campaign trail.

The other nominees in this category are John Lloyd Cruz (Miss You Like Crazy), Baron Geisler (Donor), Yul Servo (Rosario), and Fanny Serrano (Tarima).

Aside from Lorna and Bea, the other nominees in the lead actress category are Ai-Ai delas Alas (Ang Tanging Ina N'yo (Last Na 'To!), Anne Curtis (In Your Eyes), Angelica Panganiban (Here Comes The Bride), Lovi Poe (Mayohan), and Dawn Zulueta (Sigwa). 

MAINSTREAM DIRECTORS. Wenn Deramas's Ang Tanging Ina N'yo (Last Na 'To!) and Albert Martinez's Rosario, which won top plums at last year's Metro Manila Filmfest, likewise, garnered major and technical nominations in this year's Star Awards for Movies.

At the MMFF 2010, it was Deramas who won best director, while Martinez failed to even get a nomination and it drew mixed industry reactions.

This time, Rosario has been nominated for best direction.  

Rosario got a total of 10 nominations, the third highest number which equalled those of the comedy Here Comes The Bride, written and directed by Chris Martinez.

Completing the lineup for the mainstream features is a major nomination (best picture) for the "Punerarya" episode of the horror trilogy Shake, Rattle & Roll 12.  

Directed by Jerrold Tarog, the third part of the trilogy also won nominations for direction, screenplay (Aloy Adlawan and Onay Sales), cinematography (Mackie Galvez) and performances of  Nash Aguas (child performer) and Carla Abellana (new movie actress).

DIGITAL INDIE NOMINEES. In the Indie-Digital category, Jerrold Tarog's other film, Senior Year, which he also wrote, edited, scored, and sound-designed won 8 nominations; including the other two nominations for production design (Benjamin Padero) and original theme song, "Kahapon," a composition by Johnny Danao.