Scions of award-winning actors dominated the top acting awards at the Cinema One Originals Festival 2012.
The winners were announced tonight, December 3, at ABS-CBN's Dolphy Theater in Quezon City.
Winners of the top acting awards were Mara Lopez and Alex Medina, who played a couple in Ato Bautista's Palitan, a sex-drama.
Palitan is Mara's first lead role. Mara, the daughter of beauty queen-actress Maria Isabel Lopez, was previously known for finishing second in the last season of Survivor Philippines Celebrity Edition.
When Mara accepted the award onstage, she immediately thanked her parents for allowing her to accept the risky role.
Upon hearing this, her mother Maria Isabel, who was in the audience, shouted, "Like mother, like daughter!"
Mara beat popular actresses such as Erich Gonzales (Mariposa sa Hawla ng Gabi), Lauren Young (Catnip), and Gina Alajar (Mater Dolorosa) for the award.
Mara's screen partner Alex Medina, on the other hand, is the youngest son of character actor Pen Medina.
Alex was speechless when he accepted his award. He asked the audience, "Totoo ba 'to?"
Alex beat two other nominees: Mon Confiado (Palitan) and Adrian Sebastian (Baybayin).
New actor Nicholas Varela won Best Supporting Actor for Aberya, and new actress Ria Garcia won Best Supporting Actress for Melodrama Negra.
Kevin Dayrit's Catnip won Best Director and Best Screenplay, but the Best Picture award went to Pam Miras's Pascalina.
Iconic director Peque Gallaga was also given a lifetime achievement award.
Direk Peque is known for movies like Oro Plata Mata (1982) and Scorpio Nights (1985).
In his acceptance speech, the award-winning filmmaker encouraged the directors in the venue.
"Long may you run, all of you," he said.
He also told the directors who did not win not to lose heart.
He said the winning films are not the best films but just the films that capture the current zeitgeist.
"It's just a question of zeitgeist... How we feel about our society, how we feel about movies. That does not mean you make a bad film," he said.
The winners were chosen by a distinguished set of jury members: directors Alvin Yapan and Joyce Bernal, film scholars Paolo Bertolin and Stephin Cremin, and award-winning actor Sid Lucero.
There were 13 films vying for the awards: Mariposa sa Hawla ng Gabi by Richard Somes, Mater Dolorosa by Adolfo Alix Jr., Baybayin by Auraeus Solito, Ang Paglalakbay ng mga Bituin sa Gabing Madilim by Arnel Mardoquio, Catnip by Kevin Dayrit, Melodrama Negra by Ma. Isabel Legarda, Slumber Party by Emmanuel dela Cruz, Pascalina by Pam Miras, Anak Araw by Gym Lumbera, EDSA XXX by Khavn de la Cruz, Aberya by Christian Linaban, Palitan by Ato Bautista, and Mamay Umeng by Dwein Baltazar.
Hosts of the awards night were Matteo Guidicelli and Megan Young.
Performers included Erik Santos, KZ Tandingan, and Kean Cipriano.
Award presenters were Markki Stroem, Carlo Aquino, Alfred Vargas, Sid Lucero, Phillip Salvador, Director Joyce Bernal, Assunta de Rossi, and Erich Gonzales.
Here is the list of winners at the CinemaOne Originals Festival 2012:
Best Picture: Pascalina by Pam Miras
Best Director: Kevin Dayrit for Catnip
Best Screenplay: Catnip by Kevin Dayrit
Best Actor: Alex Medina for Palitan
Best Actress: Mara Lopez for Palitan
Best Supporting Actor: Nicholas Varela for Aberya
Best Supporting Actress: Ria Garcia for Melodrama Negra
Audience Choice Award: Melodrama Negra
Best Sound: Aberya
Best Musical Score: Catnip
Best Editing: Catnip
Best Production Design: Mariposa sa Hawla ng Gabi
Best Cinematography: Anak Araw