GORGY RULA
Hindi binabanggit sa Cinemalaya awards night kung sinu-sino ang nominado sa bawa’t kategorya.
Sa halip, merong citation para sa mga nagwagi.
Ang citation sa Cinemalaya 2026 best actor na si Martin del Rosario para sa Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam ay para sa kanyang “deeply affecting and sensitive presence; for his remarkably restrained and effective performance which carries the film’s profound emotional weight through non-verbal mastery; for his gentle, nuanced expressions during quiet moments eloquently conveying the quiet grief, heartbreak, and resilience of a gay man fighting to look hopeful and strong while caring for his dying partner.”
Ipinagkaloob ng mga hurado ang best ensemble para sa Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam, kung saan co-stars ni Martin sina Yayo Aguila, Miguel Oldron, at Epy Quizon.
Ang citation sa kanilang ensemble performance ay “for their deeply cohesive and moving portrayals; for authentically rendering through their characters the tender dynamics and throbbing warmth of Philippine family life; for bringing profound tenderness to an agonizing existential crisis; and for portraying a devoted partner and a loving family united in care and grief as they stand by their terribly sick loved one’s side.”
Read: Pokwang and Ruby Ruiz: Cinemalaya 2026’s "Nora-Vilma"
MARTIN DEL ROSARIO SAYS HE DID NOT EXPECT WINNING BEST ACTOR
Matapos ang seremonya noong Agosto 17, 2026, Lunes ng gabi, sa Grand Atrium ng Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City, nakausap sandali ng PEP Troika si Martin.
Aniya, “Pumupunta ako lagi ng awards night nang walang expectation. But, ang alam ko lang, masaya ako na maganda yung nagawa namin.”
Isa si Martin sa mga hinulaang magbe-best actor sa Cinemalaya 22: Reel Reflections.
“Masaya, kasi ako, hindi naman ako nag-e-expect na mananalo. Pero masaya lang na na-recognize ako ng jury,” komento ng premyadong aktor.
“And hindi lang best actor, best ensemble. So, pati mga kasama ko dito… Masaya ako na nakagawa kami ng magandang pelikula.”
Ikalawang Cinemalaya movie ito ni Martin. Ang una ay Dagitab (2014) na idinirek ni Giancarlo Abrahan.
May nakalimutan ba siyang pasalamatan sa kanyang acceptance speech?
“Family ko. Nandiyan nanonood. Sa sobrang taranta ko, hindi ko sila nasabi. Sorry, Mama, Papa. Nandiyan yung family ko!” natatawang tugon ni Martin.
BOX-OFFICE HITS
2012 ang setting ng queer drama na Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam.
Nakakatuwa na kabilang ito sa apat na box-office hits ng Cinemalaya 2026, along with 2 Valid IDs, Status: Rejected, and Mag-iina.
“Doon sa pelikula namin, tinalakay yung struggles ng LGBT. Yung kung bakit kailangang magtago para maiwasan yung judgment ng lipunan,” lahad ni Martin.
“So, alam ko ngayong present time, malaki naman nababago. Pero sana isulong natin yung pantay-pantay.
“Equality, yung pagtingin sa bawat tao. Wala dapat na stigma o panghuhusga sa kung ano man. Kapansanan, maging sexuality, kasarian.”
Siyangapala, sa inaugural Cine Silip Film Festival noong Oktubre 22-28, 2025 sa select Ayala Malls cinemas, si Martin ang tinanghal na best actor para sa Haplos sa Hangin.
Read: Cinemalaya 2026: Pokwang and Ruby Ruiz tie for Best Actress, Martin del Rosario wins Best Actor
JERRY OLEA
Sa Cinemalaya 2025, ang pelikula ni Dustin Celestino na Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra Ang Kasaysayan ang nagwagi sa mga kategoryang best actor (Jojit Lorenzo), best actress (Mylene Dizon), at best supporting actor (Nanding Josef).
Ang best supporting actress ay natamo ni Rochelle Pangilinan para sa Child No. 82 (Anak Ni Boy Kana).
Sa katatapos na 22nd edition ng Cinemalaya, nakana naman ni Bituin Escalante ang best supporting actress trophy para sa obra ni Direk Dustin na A.Ni.Mal.
Pinuri ng mga hurado si Bituin “for delivering a ferocious performance of incredible brilliance; for effortlessly pivoting from mordant dark comedy to trenchant drama; and for capturing the deep pain and tight resilience of a woman navigating political scandal, commanding every scene with incredible presence and show-stopping mastery.”
Maliban kay Bituin ay ang husay-husay rin ng dalawa pang aktres sa A.Ni.Mal, ang mag-inang Maxine Ignacio at Frances Makil-Ignacio.
BITUIN ESCALANTE ON A.NI.MAL
Matapos ang gala ng A.Ni.Mal noong Agosto 7 ay nakapanayam namin sandali si Bituin.
Sabi namin, hindi namin mawari kung sila nina Maxine at Frances ay ikakategoryang lead o support.
“Well, it’s the writing, I think. Andami namang magaling na artista sa Pilipinas pero ilan yung script, ilan yung pagkakataon na mabigyan ng ganoon kagandang karakter,” saad ni Bituin.
“Ang galing kasi ni Dustin sumulat ng tauhan, e. So I’m grateful it was given to me.”
Nahirapan ba siya sa mahahabang linya ng karakter niyang si Ate Grace, na kandidata para maging gobernadora ng fictional province na San Feliciano?
“Akala ko mahihirapan ako pero dahil totoo yung pagkasulat niya, hindi siya mahirap,” tugon ni Bituin.
“You had to inhabit it and then I felt like that was enough.”
Gustung-gusto namin yung eksenang nag-duet sila ni Frances, bumirit siya at napa-walk out ang lumuluhang si Frances.
“Ako, I’m surprised how much I enjoyed the scene with my husband (Reymund Domingo),” pagsisiwalat ni Bituin.
“Kasi, I suppose it’s hard to fake pero you’re also conscious. Very self-conscious doing it because you’re real-life partners… but when the moment started, we got lost in it.
“And I genuinely enjoyed how it felt after.”
Gaano nila katagal ni-rehearse iyon?
“Actually, we had about four readings, and then one camera rehearsal each,” sey ni Bituin.
“But that was in a span of two years. So, yung memorization, sporadic siya pero nandoon na. We were just given the opportunity to know them more.
“Mas kilala namin yung mga karakter. Kasi antagal na namin silang binabasa. So, yun yung gift, I think.
“Doon kami sinuwerte na hindi sila fake na mga tao. We didn’t have to act them. They were just there.”
Ramdam niya yung kirot o sakit na dinanas ng kanyang karakter?
“Yun na nga yung surprising thing, e. When you watch people like these, parang feeling mo, you cannot relate to them,” wika ni Bituin.
“That you won’t make the same decisions. Pero iyun ang nakakatakot, e. They are just people like us. We probably make the same decisions, or different reasons.
“I would like to think I won’t make the same decisions pero if you’re in that situation, really, realistically, that’s why you just decide — hindi ako tatakbo ng politika dahil…
“You never know, e. Ang laki ng maaapektuhan nung isang desisyon mo. Whereas kung… hindi na ako papasok diyan.”
Ang sakit ng ending ng A.Ni.Mal. Critique sa majority ng botanteng Pilipino.
“Totoo, e! They’re still here. We’re still voting the same people. We make excuses for them because we love them,” sambit ni Bituin.
“When are we gonna own up to the decisions we make? Kailan tayo aamin? Nagkakamali tayo.
“Puwede namang umamin, e. Puwede namang magkamali. Boto ka nang boto ng mali! Paulit-ulit!”
Read: Mag-iina dominates Cinemalaya 2026; Giancarlo Abrahan calls out political dynasties
NOEL FERRER
Sa closing ceremony ng Cinemalaya 2026, ibinahagi ni Cinemalaya Foundation President Laurice Guillen na may nagsabi sa kanya na ang 22nd edition ng nasabing indie filmfest ay maituturing na “Cinemabata.”
Marami kasing mga batang aktor na itinampok sa feature-length films, partikular sa Hand of God, Ganggang, at Kaka sa Yawan.
May mga batang artista na nagpasiklab din sa short films, partikular sa Sorbetes, Hoy, Hoy, Ingat!, at Honey, My Love, So Sweet.
Tabla ang dalawang bata bilang best supporting actor — si Lucas Andalio para sa Mag-iina, at si KD Omalin para sa Hand of God.
Si Lucas ay MMFF 2025 best child performer para sa Call Me Mother, na mag-i-streaming soon sa Netflix.
Ang Cinemalaya citation kay Lucas sa Mag-iina ay “for taking on a most complex role; for seamlessly navigating through intense, grotesque character shifts alongside seasoned co-stars; for instantly owning the screen, holding his own among an elite cast to pull off a jarring, grotesque transformation from innocent child to dark force that remains crucial to the film’s impact; and for an astonishingly mature performance for someone so young.”
Co-stars ni Lucas sa Mag-iina sina Janine Gutierrez, Cherry Pie Picache, Agot Isidro, Ness Roque, at Jackie Lou Blanco.
Ang Cinemalaya citation kay KD ay para sa isang “deeply moving performance and extraordinary screen presence, for fully capturing the spirit of a young boy torn between conflict and hope, and for effectively rendering the sensibility of a Mindanao child soldier whose life transforms as he discovers a love and talent for football, giving powerful life to a dream of escaping violence for a brighter future.”
Co-stars ni KD sa Hand of God sina Ruru Madrid, Iza Calzado, Ronnie Lazaro, Sue Ramirez, Jhong Hilario, at Cholo Barretto.
Read: Cinemalaya 2027 pushes through as FAP, FDCP step in for funding