The Film Desk of the Young Critics Circle voted the documentary Sa Palad ng Dantaong Kulang as the best film of 2018. This marks the first time in the Circle’s 29-year history that the top award has been given to a documentary. Jewel Maranan’s film asserts a certain slowness in the urban Manila as to critique its violent accelerations. The film also bagged the Best Achievement in Cinematography and Visual Design award for Maranan.
The award for Best Performance is given to Nadine Lustre, who plays an aspiring career woman in Never Not Love You, which also bagged Best Sound and Aural Orchestration for Jason Conanan, Kat Salinas and Mikko Quizon (sound design) and Len Calvo (original score).
Best Screenplay is awarded to Masla A Papanok, written by Gutierrez Mangansakan II.
Another documentary, Call Her Ganda, was named Best Achievement in Editing, for Victoria Chalk.
The award for Best First Feature is shared by three films: Mamang by Denise O’Hara, Mamu: And a Mother Too by Rod Singh, and Ang Pangarap Kong Holdap by Marius Talampas.
The critics group narrowed down the 132 films that were released in cinemas last year to 18 films and, after thorough deliberations, to a further shortlist of 10. Except for the Best First Feature category, nominations for the 6 major categories can only come from the shortlist.
The Young Critics Circle is composed of film critics and academics from the University of the Philippines Diliman, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Santo Tomas, University of the Philippines Mindanao, and Philippine High School for the Arts. Members who voted for the 2018 citations include Emerald Flaviano (chair), Aristotle Atienza, John Bengan, Christian Jil Benitez, Lisa Ito-Tapang, Skilty Labastilla, Tito Quiling Jr., and Christian Tablazon.
The awarding ceremony will be held in August 2019 at the UP Diliman Vargas Museum.
Below is the list of winners and nominees:
BEST FILM
Winner: Sa Palad ng Dantaong Kulang, directed and produced by Jewel Maranan
Nominees:
Call Her Ganda, directed by PJ Raval (Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, Marty Syjuco, Lisa Valencia-Svensson, and PJ Raval, producers)
Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon, directed by Carlo Enciso Catu (Roderick Cabrido and Omar Sortijas, producers)
Masla A Papanok, directed by Gutierrez Mangansakan II (Manet A. Dayrit and Ed Lejano, producers)
Oda sa Wala, directed by Dwein Baltazar (Bianca Balbuena, Iana Bernardez, and Kriz Gazmen, producers)
BEST PERFORMANCE
Winner: Nadine Lustre, Never Not Love You
Nominees:
Perla Bautista, Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon
Trio performance (Perla Bautista, Menggie Cobarrubias, Dante Rivero), Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon
Celeste Legaspi, Mamang
Ina Raymundo, Kuya Wes
Marietta Subong, Oda sa Wala
BEST SCREENPLAY
Winner: Masla A Papanok (Gutierrez Mangansakan II)
Nominees:
Call Her Ganda (Victoria Chalk and PJ Raval)
Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon (John Carlo Pacala)
Kuya Wes (Denise O’Hara and Heber O’Hara)
Oda sa Wala (Dwein Baltazar)
BEST EDITING
Winner: Call Her Ganda (Victoria Chalk)
Nominees:
A Short History of a Few Bad Things (Maria Estela Paiso and Keith Deligero)
Kung Paano Siya Nawala (Lawrence Ang)
Never Not Love You (Benjamin Tolentino)
Sa Palad ng Dantaong Kulang (Lawrence Ang and Jewel Maranan)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY AND VISUAL DESIGN
Winner: Sa Palad ng Dantaong Kulang (cinematography: Jewel Maranan)
Nominees:
Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon (cinematography: Neil Daza; production design: Marielle Hizon)
Kung Paano Siya Nawala (cinematography: Ike Avellana; production design: Christina Dy)
Kuya Wes (cinematography: Theo Lozada; production design: Ericson Navarro)
Masla A Papanok (cinematography: Willie Apa Jr., Arnel Barbarona, Bagane Fiola; production design: Paramata Endawan)
Never Not Love You (cinematography: Mycko David and Carlo Mauricio; production design: Ana Lou Sanchez)
Oda sa Wala (cinematography: Neil Daza; production design: Maolen Fadul)
BEST SOUND AND AURAL ORCHESTRATION
Winner: Never Not Love You (music: Len Calvo; sound design: Jason Conanan, Kat Salinas and Mikko Quizon)
Nominees:
A Short History of a Few Bad Things (music: Lav Diaz, Duke Caing, Young Kael, Maricel Sombrio, John Caing, Bombo Pluto Ova, Stevan Marvin Jamaar, Silhouette; sound design: Rico Mambo)
Masla A Papanok (music: Jem Talaroc; sound design: Willie Apa Jr.)
Oda sa Wala (music: Richard Gonzales; sound design: Immanuel Verona)
BEST FIRST FEATURE
Winners:
Mamang (Denise O’Hara)
Mamu; And a Mother Too (Rod Singh)
Ang Pangarap Kong Holdap (Marius Talampas)