Sheron Dayoc’s “Women of the Weeping River” won six awards to lead all winners in this year’s Gawad Urian awards held Thrusday at the ABS-CBN compound.
A film that depicts the armed conflict in Mindanao as seen through the eyes of a widow caught in an escalating family feud that stretches back generations, Dayoc’s film won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography for Rommel Sales, Best Editing for Carlo Francisco Manatad, and Best Supporting Actress for Sharifa Pearlsia Ali-Dans.
The film premiered last year at the QCinema International Film Festival where it took home three awards including Best Film. It later bagged three more awards including Best Film from the Young Critics Circle.
Jun Robles Lana’s “Die Beautiful,” a sleeper hit in last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival, was another big winner as it took home the Gawad Urian trophies for Best Actor for Paolo Ballesteros and Best Supporting Actress for Christian Bables. Bables will headline “Born Beautiful,” a spin-off from the film coming soon from Cignal Entertainment.
Hasmine Killip won another Best Actress award for her performance in Eduardo Roy, Jr.’s “Pamilya Ordinaryo.” Hasmine previously won the same award at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Hanoi International Film Festival, Fantasporto-Oporto International Film Festival and Harlem International Film Festival.
Avid Liongoren’s animated-live action romantic comedy “Saving Sally” took the Best Production Design plum for Erik Manalo, Rommel Laquian, and Rocketsheep Studio.
Two films starring Nora Aunor also won one award each. Kristian Cordero’s “Hinulid” won Best Sound for Mark Laccay, while Derick Cabrido’s “Tuos” won Best Music for Jema Pamintuan.
Babyruth Villarama’s “Sunday Beauty Queen,” the Best Picture of the MMFF last year, was named Best Documentary while “Nakaw” directed by Alvin Belarmino and Noel Escondo was hailed Best Short Film.
This year’s Natatanging Gawad Urian lifetime achievement award went to Vilma Santos. The legendary actress, who is currently a lawmaker representing Lipa City at the House of Representatives, has won 10 Gawad Urian Best Actress awards over the course of her career.
