The Metro Manila Film Festival 2023 Gabi Ng Parangal gathered the best and brightest stars that participated in the all-Filipino December film festival, and was held at the New Frontier Theater on Wednesday night, December 27, 2023.
Read: MMFF 2023 Top 10 official entries: Pinaghalu-halong romance, drama, horror, comedy, fantasy, action
Major acting awards were brought home by veteran Vilma Santos for When I Met You In Tokyo and newbie Cedrick Juan for Gomburza.
Among the ten nominated entries, it was Firefly that clinched the Best Picture and Best Screenplay awards. Its lead star Euwenn Mikaell Aleta also won Best Child Performer.
The Second Best Film award went to Gomburza, a film about Filipino priests who lived and died as heroes during Spanish colonial times.
Headlined by Cedrick Juan, Enchong Dee, and Dante Rivero, the film went home with the biggest number of awards—seven in all.
Aside from Second Best Film, it won the Best Director award for Pepe Diokno and the Best Actor award for Cedrick Juan.
Gomburza also won for Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, and Best Sound.
Plus it brought home the Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award.
The jurors at the MMFF 2023 Gabi Ng Parangal were headed by chairperson Chito Roño, a respected director.
Also among the jurors were actress Lorna Tolentino, writer-director Jose Javier Reyes, Mike Sandejas, Undersecretary Frisco San Juan Jr., Finance Undersecretary Maria Lualhati Dorotan-Tiuseco, Raymond Francisco, Jaime Ang, Lee Briones Meily, Tara Illenberger, and editor Jerry Olea.
Read: Director Chito Roño, actress Lorna Tolentino lead MMFF 2023 Board of Jurors
Here's the complete list of winners:
Best Picture: Firefly of GMA Pictures and GMA Public Affairs
Second Best Picture: Gomburza
Third Best Picture: Mallari
Fourth Best Picture: When I Met You In Tokyo
Best Actress: Vilma Santos for When I Met You In Tokyo
Best Actor: Cedrick Juan for Gomburza
Best Supporting Actor: JC Santos for Mallari
Best Supporting Actress: Miles Ocampo for Family of Two
Best Director: Pepe Diokno for Gomburza
Best Screenplay: Angeli Atienza for Firefly
FPJ Memorial Excellence Award: When I Met You In Tokyo of JG Productions
Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award: Gomburza produced by Jesuit Communications, MQuest Ventures, and CMB Film Services, and distributed by Cignal Entertainment
Marichu Vera-Perez Maceda Award: Mother Lily Monteverde of Regal Entertainment
Gender Sensitive Award: Becky & Badette of IdeaFirst Company
Best Cinematography: Carlos Canlas Mendoza for Gomburza
Best Editing: Benjamin Tolentino for Kampon
Best Production Design: Ericson Navarro for Gomburza
Best Visual Effects: Gaspar Mangarin for Mallari
Best Original Theme Song: "Finggah Lickin" for Becky and Badette
Best Musical Score: Von De Guzman for Mallari
Best Sound: Melvin Rivera and Louie Boy Bayson for Gomburza
Best Child Performer: Euwenn Mikaell of Firefly
Best Float: When I Met You In Tokyo