Nora Aunor wins best actress award in Cordero’s film

By Juan Escandor Jr. NAGA CITY---For the nth time, Nora Aunor won the Best Actress award at the 24th Filipino Arts & Cinema International (Facine) film festival in San Francisco, California for her role as a grieving mother in Kristian Sendon Cordero’s film “Hinulid.” Facine is the longest running independent Filipino film festival in the United States. Aunor, who for the first time spoke her Rinconada dialect in the movie, tied for the Best Actress award with Mary Joy Apostol of Mikhail Red’s “Birdshot”. Cordero’s film which was tagged as “poetry film” by the Facine also won the Best in Visual Design by Celine Belino and Ryan Cuatrona with costume and wardrobe by Noa Carrascoso, Michael Mercado and Jerowe Pepin. Hinulid also tied in this category with Red’s “Birdshot”. Hinulid, originally Cordero’s entry to the Quezon City International Film Festival, was also among the three films nominated for the Best Film which included Lawrence Fajardo’s “Imbisibol” and Red’s “Birdshot”, which got the award. Other films shown in the 24th Facine film festival are “Die Beautiful” by Jun Robles Lana, Alvin Yapan’s “Oro”, Lemuel Lorca’s Maestra, HF Yambao’s “Kristo”, Gutierrez Mangansakan II’s “Daughters of three-tailed banner”, and Luisito Lagdameo Ignacio’s “Area”. For the Best Aural Design (Sound and/or Music), Mark Lacay of “Hinulid” was also nominated but the award was given to Teresa Barrozo of “Birdshot”. Red’s “Birdshot”, which is the Philippine entry for the Oscar’s, dominated the awards night with seven wins. “(Facine) is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering emerging artists and diverse audiences to create films that speak about Filipino communities globally, by promoting cinema as social document of Filipino culture and heritage, and as medium of artistic expression,” it’s website declares. The 24th Facine festival held from Oct. 20-22, gave recognition to individuals and entities with important contributions to the development of Filipino films. Prof. Nick Deocampo was honored with the Gawad Gintong Ani for his work as filmmaker, educator and film historian. For Gawad Lingap Sining, Facine honored two institutions---Society of Filipino Archivists for Film (Sofia) and ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project/Sagip Pelikula Advocacy Campaign. The two institutions have advocated for restoration and preservation of Filipino films. Mauro Feria Tumbocon Jr., Facine festival director, said the holding of the Filipino film festival in San Francisco was historic since the Philippines is celebrating the centenary of Filipino cinema and the 120th year anniversary of film in Asia.