Kintsugi, Lawrence Fajardo’s drama about a Kapampangan ceramicist working in Japan that screened in the online edition of Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino; and Raya Martin’s Death of Nintendo, an ode to youth in the summer before the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption, which premiered at the QCinema International Film Festival, lead the nominations of the Young Critics Circle Film Desk, including Best Performance and Best Film.
Only Kintsugi and Death of Nintendo received Best Film nominations. Four other films – Alyx Ayn Arumpac’s documentary Aswang, Dolly Dulu’s comedy The Boy Foretold by the Stars, Christian Acuña’s fantasy Magikland, and Jason Paul Laxamana’s drama He Who Is Without Sin – garnered nominations across the seven categories in the annual critic group’s citations for distinguished achievement in film.
Nominated for Best Performance (given to either lead or supporting role; or to an individual, duo, or ensemble) are Elijah Canlas (He Who Is Without Sin); Enzo Pineda and Canlas (duo performance for He Who Is Without Sin); Adrian Lindayag and Keann Johnson (duo performance for The Boy Foretold by the Stars); JC Santos for Kintsugi; Phi Palmos for Kinstugi; and Kim Chloe Oquendo, Noel Comia Jr., Jigger Sementilla, and John Vincent Servilla (ensemble for Death of Nintendo).
YCC considered 52 films released for screening in 2020, many of which were distributed online after the COVID-19 lockdown in March forced the closure of movie houses and modified the production and programming of film festivals. After rounds of virtual deliberations, the critics group selected 10 films for a longlist, which was later trimmed into a shortlist of 4 films. YCC follows a rule of only nominating shortlisted films, with the exception of the Best First Feature category.
Below is the complete list of nominations.
BEST FIRST FEATURE
Aswang, directed by Alyx Arumpac
The Boy Foretold by the Stars, directed by Dolly Dulu
Magikland, directed by Christian Acuña
BEST SOUND AND AURAL ORCHESTRATION
The Boy Foretold by the Stars (score: Jhaye Cura and Paulo Protacio; sound engineering: Pietro Marco Javier and Jannina Mikaela Minglanilla)
Death of Nintendo (score: Yudhi Arfani and Zeke Khaseli; sound design: Andrew Milallos and Alec Rubay)
Kintsugi (score: Peter Legaste; sound design: Lamberto Casas, Jr.)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY AND VISUAL DESIGN
The Boy Foretold by the Stars (cinematography: Marvin Reyes; production design: Lars Magbanua)
Death of Nintendo (cinematography: Ante Cheng; production design: Whammy Alcazaren and Thesa Tang)
Kintsugi (cinematography: Boy Yñiguez; production design: Hai Balbuena and Rolando Inocencio)
BEST EDITING
Death of Nintendo (Cyril Aris)
He Who Is Without Sin (Mai Calapardo)
Kintsugi (Lawrence Fajardo)
BEST SCREENPLAY
He Who Is Without Sin (Jason Paul Laxamana)
Kintsugi (Screenplay: Herlyn Alegre; story: Herlyn Alegre, Lawrence Fajardo, Brillante Mendoza)
BEST PERFORMANCE
Elijah Canlas, He Who Is Without Sin
Elijah Canlas and Enzo Pineda (duo), He Who Is Without Sin
Adrian Lindayag and Keann Johnson (duo) The Boy Foretold by the Stars
Kim Chloe Oquendo, Noel Comia Jr, Jigger Sementilla, and John Vincent Servilla (ensemble), Death of Nintendo
Phi Palmos, Kintsugi
JC Santos, Kintsugi
BEST FILM
Death of Nintendo, directed by Raya Martin
Kintsugi, directed by Lawrence Fajardo