Did you know that newcomer Jason Abalos snagged the Best Actor trophy by the Gawad Urian and Young Critics' Circle Awards for the movie Endo?
Or that the movies—Banal (Luna Awards), Tirador (Gawad Urian), Katas ng Saudi (FAMAS), Pisay (Golden Screen Awards), Foster Child (Young Critics' Circle Awards) and Ataul for Rent (Gawad Pasado)—each received the Best Picture award for 2008?
Worth mentioning, too, are the double winners Jinggoy Estrada and Lorna Tolentino for their OFW husband-and-wife role in Katas ng Saudi. Both stars were honored by the FAMAS and Golden Screen Awards. Aga Muhlach and Maricel Soriano were also noted for their performance in A Love Story by the Luna Awards and Box-Office Entertainment Awards.
PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) posed those questions randomly to several people and discovered that awareness of the facts was low. "Ah, talaga? May movie palang ganun," remarked one respondent.
With the 2008 Metro Manila Film Festival kicking off on Christmas Day to showcase once again the best in local movies, let's talk about awards in general. What's the big deal? How come people may remember the stars/personalities but not the events that formally mark their true worth in the movie industry?
In the U.S., the first quarter of the year is Awards Season: Golden Globe in January and Academy Awards/Oscars, February. By contrast, our local award givers are active throughout the year. In the past, though, March to May was scheduled as the period for awards nights. But lack of sponsors became a problem, and so, rescheduling became necessary.
This year, achievements were first recognized in March by the Gawad Tanglaw Awards, followed by the Gawad Pasado Awards in April, and the awards ceremony of the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation, Inc. in May. Star Awards and Golden Screen Awards (EnPress) came in in June; awards by the UP Young Critics Circle were handed out in August.
The Big Three held their events later: the Luna Awards (Film Academy of the Philippines) was held last September, the Gawad Urian Awards in October, and the FAMAS gave trophies in November.
ROCKY ROAD FOR AWARDS. Awards for praiseworthy acting in the Philippines started in 1950 via the Maria Clara Awards. In 1952, though, a group of writers saw deficiencies in the Maria Clara Awards. They formed the Film Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards composed of Palanca literary-contest awardees, movie columnists and writers.
Coined by film veterans Jonathan Edward Lim and Rosa Rosal, it became better known as the FAMAS, which monopolized the award-giving scene from the 50's till the early 70's. But not without its share of controversies. In 1960, for example, the big studios Sampaguita Pictures and the Vera-Perez Productions withdrew their membership due to a difference of opinion with the FAMAS group.
The disagreement started when the FAMAS failed to give Sampaguita an award in spite of a previous FAMAS ruling that the Big Four studios-LVN, Sampaguita, Premiere Productions and Lebran International-would receive top honors each. As a result, the FAMAS changed their rules from then on and disallowed studio representation in their membership.
Another controversy that also led to a breakaway was when FAMAS announced an unheard-of Best-Actress tie between Boots Anson Roa and Vilma Santos. The decision to have a ‘tie' did not sit well with a lot of insiders.
In 1976, the breakaway group of film critics ended the awards monopoly of FAMAS when they organized the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino and Gawad Urian, which would eventually gain the respect of the industry. Unlike others, Gawad Urian has not been tainted by any controversy, like vote-buying or politicking, which is why an Urian award is said to be coveted by many an actor.
In 1981, another awards-giving group joined the ranks of FAMAS and Gawad Urian—the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), created by Executive Order 640—A under then President Ferdinand Marcos. The FAP awards are now better known as the Luna Awards. Another noteworthy function of the FAP is its assistance in managing the Metro Manila Film Festival, from which it gets a share of the proceeds.
The term "grand slam" was coined after the three dominant groups were established, That is, when an actor, actress, a director, movie, etc., wins an award from all three, it is said that s/he makes a ‘grand slam'. Vilma Santos has that distinction-winning three Best Actress trophies from the FAMAS, Gawad Urian and FAP for her role in Relasyon.
Many other award-giving bodies sprouted after the Big Three: Star Awards for Movies (Philippine Movie Press Club), Catholic Mass Media Awards (Archdiocese of Manila), Gawad Pasado (Film Desk Critics' Circle), Golden Screen Awards (Entertainment Press Society), UP Young Critics Circle Awards, Box Office Entertainment Awards (Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation), and Gawad Tanglaw (Film Academician Critics / University of Perpetual Help Las Pinas).
Awards are also given out in film festivals, Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, Manila Film Festival and the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).
Is winning an award still relevant?
As far as media mileage goes, what sticks out in the public mind about all the awards events this year are not really the awardees but the sensations. For instance, at the Gawad Urian Awards, while presenting the Best Actor trophy, former heartthrob-action star Rustom Padilla dressed like a woman, complete with makeup and hairdo. If the Best Actor or Best Actress is already a big name in the industry, of course, people sit up for a look at what she's wearing or for whatever issue is hounding him.
Yet there are good arguments in favor of awards.
"Award-giving bodies are important for several reasons," says Jamal Ashley Abbas, a film critic and former lecturer of Film and Communication courses at the University of the Philippines.
"First, it is supposed to give recognition to meritorious works. This means that the quality of the creative works—the standards or the norms—is maintained or upgraded.
"Second, if the people recognize the merit of the award-giving bodies, then the people being awarded are also recognized. This means better box-office results and more job offers in the future."
Abbas opines, "Nowadays, I don't know if people still give any credence to these award-giving bodies though. Winners do not get higher pay for their next film. They don't get more offers because of the award. A Best Actress winner like Gloria Romero could not even get top billing for the film she won the award for or for her subsequent films."
So, how credible are award-giving organizations?
"In the U.S. [Oscars, Golden Globe, NY Film Critics], England [BAFTA], France [Cesar], Cannes Filmfest, et cetera, the award-giving bodies are still highly relevant. An award gives extra boost to the box office, and the DVD sales. An award can open doors to newcomers like in the case of American Idol's Jennifer Hudson who won for her role in Dreamgirls," Abbas notes.
"In the case of the Philippines, the award-giving bodies have lost their credibility some time ago. [For example] the Manila Filmfest scandal where the presenter read somebody else's name instead of the winner.
"Also, the soundness of the choices is often questioned. There is simply too much politics in the choice of winners. But more importantly, the public does not care anymore. Awards simply do not bring prestige to the recipient or more cash at the box office."
Ethel Ramos, a highly respected member of the entertainment press and manager of award-winning actor Aga Muhlach, disagrees. "Ay importante pa rin, oo naman. May excitement pa rin na naiibigay sa mga artista."
Ms Ramos also emphasizes that actors and actresses, especially the newcomers, go into a lot of trouble and preparation to attend awards nights. "Kung hindi importante ‘yan, imagine mo na lang bakit sila mag-aaksaya pumunta sa mga affairs na yan? Magkano ba ginagastos ng mga artista para lang umattend ng awards night? Hindi mura ang magpaayos, magpa-makeup at bumili ng susuutin di ba? Isipin mo kung magkano ang gown ni Paul Cabral na lang. At ang alam ko pati mga producers and directors talagang hinihintay nila yang mga awards night. They want to be recognized. Achievement yan."
On the other hand, Ronald Constantino, a columnist and another veteran in the industry, explains why awards nights are not as avidly followed by the public as before. "Maybe kasi there are too many of them. May mga maliliit pa yan... sa mga schools, et cetera. Madami. Sa dami nang mga awards—awards, sometimes, you cannot distinguish one from the other.
"As I see it, siguro mas awaited ‘yan ng mga baguhang artista. Dun sa mga nanalo year after year or dun sa mga marami nang awards, medyo wala na siguro yang mga awards nights."
Asked which of the many award-giving bodies he thinks has the most credibility, Constantino replies without a beat, "Urian. Urian lang."
Jamal Ashley Abbas remarks, "In the Philippines, before, winning FAMAS or Urian awards gave some prestige. Studios made a great fuss about being a FAMAS winner. But now..."
He points out that production of films has lessened through the years, a fact that relates directly to the popularity and awareness of acting awards and awards nights.
"Many people blame the Filipino movies' low quality as the reason for the dying film industry. And the award-giving bodies are partly to blame for honoring works that are of mediocre quality," Abbas says.
In the end, he emphasizes, who would care? If good films or awareness of good films don't exist, what's there to give awards for?