SEASONED director Jun Robles Lana took home the 3rd Best Picture award during the Gabi ng Parangal for the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) on Dec. 27 at Dusit Thani Manila in Makati.
Lana, a communication arts alumnus, helmed the comedy-drama “Call Me Mother,” starring Vice Ganda and Nadine Lustre.
“Hindi namin inaasahan na mananalo kami sa tatlong Best Pictures. ‘Gaya ng sinabi ni [Vice Ganda], sanay na kaming nakikita pero hindi pinapansin,” Lana said in his acceptance speech.
“Call Me Mother” follows a queer mother’s bid to adopt a boy, which is disrupted when the child’s biological mother suddenly expresses interest in keeping custody.
During his speech, Lana revealed that he drew inspiration for the character Twinkle’s story from his personal struggles with child custody.
“Hindi ko ma-imagine na ‘yung anak ko ay susulat para piliin niya kami. Sana walang batang kailangan pag-daanan ‘yon,” Lana added.
“Call Me Mother” marks Lana’s second overall Best Picture win in the film festival, after his 2021 MMFF entry “Big Night!” took home the grand prize.
Lana was also nominated for Best Screenplay, alongside co-writers Daisy Cayanan and Daniel Saniana. He also received a nomination for Best Director.
The film earned Vice Ganda the Best Actor award and Lucas Andalio the Best Child Performer award, along with the Gender Sensitivity Award.
College of Commerce and Business Administration alumnus Dustin Yu was named “Montesa Male Star of the Night,” alongside Will Ashley.
Yu starred in “Love You So Bad,” a love-triangle romance that draws from Philippine romantic comedy “Dahil Mahal na Mahal Kita.”
The eight-film lineup of the 51st MMFF runs in cinemas nationwide until early January.
Here is the full list of awards for each featured film in this year’s MMFF:
“Bar Boys: After School”
- Fernando Poe Jr. Memorial Award for Excellence
- Best Supporting Actress: Odette Khan
“Call Me Mother”
- 3rd Best Picture (tied with “Manila’s Finest”)
- Best Actor: Vice Ganda
- Best Child Performer: Lucas Andalio
- Gender Sensitivity Award
“I’mPerfect”
- Best Picture
- Best Actress: Krystel Go
- Best Ensemble
“Manila’s Finest”
- 3rd Best Picture (tied with “Call Me Mother”)
- Gatpuno J. Villegas Cultural Award
- Best Cinematography
- Best Original Theme Song: “Sandalan” by Vehnee Saturno
- Best Sound
- Best Musical Score
- Best Production Design
- Best Festival Float (tied with “Unmarry”)
“Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins”
- Best Visual Effects
“Unmarry”
- 2nd Best Picture
- Best Director
- Breakthrough Performance: Zack Sibug
- Best Screenplay
- Best Supporting Actor: Tom Rodriguez
- Best Editing
- Best Festival Float (tied with “Manila’s Finest”)
