In PMPC's 25th Star Awards for Movies, Cinema
One Originals and Strawdogs Studio Productions' digital film Yanggaw won
four major awards namely: Digital Movie of the Year, Digital Movie Director
of the Year (Richard Somes), Digital Movie Cinematographer of the Year
(Hermann Claravall & Lyle Sacris) Digital Movie Production Designer
of the Year (Michael Espanol, Donald Camon & Rashel Gumacal).
Richard Somes, the film's Ilonggo director, said in his acceptance speech, "I am overwhelmed. I actually grew up
with this story in my head and wrote it 4 years ago. I thank Cinema One
for giving me and my team the chance to bring it to life. I share this
award with the great actors and actresses who worked with me in this project
namely Ronnie Lazaro, Techie Agbayani, Joel Torre, Aleera Montalla,
Gio, Keith and Monet, my co-writer Dwight Gaston, including the
other men and women behind the scenes. For filmmakers like me, continue
with what you're doing. Don't lose sight of your dreams."
Somes was behind projects such as: Prosti
as art director (2003), Gagamboy as production designer (2004), Pa-Siyam
as production designer (2004), and the Metro Manila Film Fest entry Exodus as production designer (2005). His big screen debut as a director was for the "Ang Lihim ng San Joaquin"
episode of Shake, Rattle and Roll (2005). In 2006, he was tapped to become the production designer
and 2nd unit director of the ABS-CBN fantaserye Rounin.
The film Yanggaw, which has won numerous
awards from last year's Cinema One Originals Awards night including Best
Director, Best Editing and Special Audience Award, is a tale of an ordinary
family with extraordinary family problems and dark secrets.
Cinema One Channel head and executive producer
of Cinema One Originals Ronald Arguelles who went up the stage with Somes
was very proud of the film. He also gave a speech during the awards night held last May 28 at the Ateneo Henry Lee Irwin Theater in Quezon City. "The Cinema One Originals project is five
years old and we thank the young filmmakers who trusted us. We shall
continue to support and give them a chance to showcase their original personal
stories to the enthusiastic movie-loving audience of Cinema One.
We thank the people behind PMPC for recognizing
all our efforts."
Last year at the 24th PMPC Star Awards for
Movies, Cinema One Originals' film Confessional won Best Film of the Year,
Digital Movie Director (Jerrold Tarog and Ruel Antipuesto), Digital Movie
Editor of the Year (Pats Ranyo) and Digital Original Movie Screenplay (Ramon
Ukit) and Digital Movie Sound Engineer (Ditoy Aguila and Rudy Gonzales).
Cinema One Originals is an annual project
of Cinema One that gives filmmakers a venue for movies that defy traditional
or formulaic stories but still possess commercial viability. Don't miss
your chance to catch Yanggaw at Robinsons Galleria's IndieSine theater
from July 29 to August 4.
(Click HERE to view photos taken during the 25th Star Awards for Movies)