Edward, an engaging film about a young man’s coming-of-age set in a public hospital ward, takes the top prize in the Young Critics Circle Film Desk’s 30th Annual Circle Citations. The second full-length film of Thop Nazareno will also receive the Best Screenplay award (for Nazareno, John Bedia [his second YCC Screenplay award after The Chanters in 2017], and Denise O’Hara).
Members of YCC note Edward‘s great performances, as well as its excellent use of the hospital space, where the setting becomes a kind of character, an animating presence. The film premiered in last year’s Cinemalaya Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize. Nazareno’s first feature, Kiko Boksingero, received the YCC prize for Best First Feature of 2017.
Still from Edward, YCC Best Film of 2019
Isabel Sandoval, a Cebu-born filmmaker now based in the United States, takes the coveted Best Performance award for her role in Lingua Franca as Olivia, an undocumented trans woman working as a caregiver in New York who falls in love with her employer’s grandson. Sandoval wrote and directed the film, which screened as an exhibition film in the 2019 Quezon City International Film Festival. Sandoval was earlier nominated for Best Performance by YCC in 2010 for her debut film Señorita.
Isabel Sandoval plays Olivia in Lingua Franca
The YCC also awards Lingua Franca the prize for Best Achievement in Cinematography and Visual Design, for cinematographer Isaac Banks and production designers Maxwell Nalevansky and Clint Ramos.
Best Film nominee Verdict will receive the prize for Best Editing, for Diego Marx Dobles.
For Best Achievement in Sound and Aural Orchestration, YCC awards Cleaners, for music curator Glenn Barit; sound editors Daryl Libongco, Nicole Amores, RJ Cantos, Aeriel Ellyzon Mallari; and re-recording mixer John Michael Perez.
The Best First Feature awardees are Cleaners (Glenn Barit), John Denver Trending (Arden Rod Condez), and Verdict (Raymund Ribay Gutierrez).
In light of recent events, the awarding ceremony will be postponed until next year, to coincide with the 2020 citations. Reviews for longlisted films, as well as citations for nominated and winning films, will be posted next month. Further updates will be announced through the YCC Facebook page and Twitter account.
The Young Critics Circle Film Desk, established in 1990, is an academe-based group of interdisciplinary film critics. The members who took part in this year’s deliberations are Aristotle Atienza (Ateneo de Manila University), John Bengan (University of the Philippines Mindanao), Christian Jil Benitez (Chair; AdMU), Emerald Flaviano (UP Diliman), Patrick Flores (UP Diliman), Tessa Maria Guazon (UP Diliman), Skilty Labastilla (AdMU), Janus Nolasco (UP Diliman), Tito Quiling Jr. (University of Santo Tomas), Jaime Oscar Salazar (UP Diliman), Cristian Tablazon (Philippine High School for the Arts), and Andrea Anne Trinidad (AdMU).
Below is the list of winners and nominees:
BEST FILM
Winner: Edward, directed by Thop Nazareno
Nominees:
Lingua Franca, directed by Isabel Sandoval
Verdict, directed by Raymund Ribay Gutierrez
BEST PERFORMANCE
Winner: Isabel Sandoval, Lingua Franca
Nominees:
Louise Abuel, Edward
Royce Cabrera and Kokoy de Santos (duo performance), Fuccbois
Max Eigenmann and Kristoffer King (duo performance), Verdict
Gio Gahol, Sila-Sila
Jansen Magpusao, John Denver Trending
BEST SCREENPLAY
Winner: Edward (Thop Nazareno, John Bedia, and Denise O’Hara)
Nominees:
Cleaners (Glenn Barit)
Fuccbois (Eduardo Roy, Jr.)
John Denver Trending (Arden Rod Condez)
Lingua Franca (Isabel Sandoval)
Verdict (Raymund Ribay Gutierrez)
BEST EDITING
Winner: Verdict (Diego Marx Dobles)
Nominees:
A Is for Agustin (Johnny Bassett)
Cleaners (Noah Loyola and Che Tagyamon)
Edward (JR Cabrera and Thop Nazareno)
For My Alien Friend (Jet Leyco)
Fuccbois (Carlo Francisco Manatad)
John Denver Trending (Benjo Ferrer)
Lingua Franca (Isabel Sandoval)
No Data Plan (Miko Revereza)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY AND VISUAL DESIGN
Winner: Lingua Franca (cinematography: Isaac Banks; production design: Maxwell Nalevansky and Clint Ramos)
Nominees:
A Is for Agustin (cinematography: Kara Moreno and Grace Pimentel Simbulan)
Cleaners (cinematography: Steven Evangelio; production design: Alvin Francisco)
Edward (cinematography: Kara Moreno; production design: Alvin Francisco)
For My Alien Friend (cinematography: Jet Leyco)
Fuccbois (cinematography: Albert Banzon; production design: Carmela Danao)
John Denver Trending (cinematography: Rommel Sales; production design: Harley Alcasid)
No Data Plan (cinematography: Miko Revereza)
Verdict (cinematography: Joshua Reyles; production design: Ryan Faustino)
BEST SOUND AND AURAL ORCHESTRATION
Winner: Cleaners (music curation: Glenn Barit; supervising sound editing: Daryl Libongco; sound editing: Nicole Amores, RJ Cantos, Aeriel Ellyzon Mallari; re-recording mixing: John Michael Perez)
Nominees:
Edward (original score: Pepe Manikan; sound design: Russel Gabayeron and Immanuel Verona)
Fuccbois (original score: Andrew Florentino; sound design: Immanuel Verona)
John Denver Trending (original score: Len Calvo; sound editing: Mikko Quizon; re-recording mixing: Kathrine Ariane Salinas)
Lingua Franca (original score: Teresa Barrozo; sound design: Albert Michael Idioma)
BEST FIRST FEATURE
Winners:
Cleaners (Glenn Barit)
John Denver Trending (Arden Rod Condez)
Verdict (Raymund Ribay Gutierrez)
Nominees:
A Is for Agustin (Grace Pimentel Simbulan)
No Data Plan (Miko Revereza)