Urian Best Actress Award - "...Actress and Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos won her seventh Urian Best Actress Award last Sunday night at UP Theater for her performance in Star Cinema's "Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa?" Vilma Santos won her first Gawad Urian Award for Best Actress in 1982 for the movie "Relasyon." She again earned the best actress award in 1983 and 1984 for the movies "Broken Marriage" and "Sister Stella L.,"for "Pahiram ng Isang Umaga" in 1989, which she shared with Nora Aunor ("Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit"). Succeeding awards came for "Ipagpatawad Mo" in 1991 and "Dahil Minahal Kita: The Dolzura Cortez Story" in 1993. In her acceptance speech, Vilma shared her award with her co-nominees - Nida Blanca, Elizabeth Oropesa, and Rosanna Roces. 8-year-old Serena Dalrymple took home her first Gawad Urian award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in "Bata, Bata Paano Ka Ginawa." Another first-time Gawad Urian winner was Jaime Fabregas, this year's recipient of the Best Supporting Actor award for the movie "Jose Rizal." Raymond Bagatsing won his second consecutive Gawad Urian Best Actor Award for the movie "Serafin: Kriminal ng Baryo Concepcion." He received his first Urian best actor award (for "Milagros") last year. The movie "Jose Rizal" went home with the most technical awards. Although "Bata, Bata Paano Ka Ginawa" won this year's Best Picture Award, Marilou Diaz Abaya took the Best Director honors for "Rizal.' Other awards received by "Rizal" were Best in Sound (Michael Albert Idioma), Best in Music (Nonong Buencamino), Best Production Design (Leo Abaya), and Best Cinematography (Rody Lacap). The other winners were: Best Editing, Danny Gloria for the movie "Gangland" and Best Screenplay, Lualhati Bautista for "Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa?" The "Natatanging Gawad Urian" was bestowed on actress Mona Lisa who started her career in 1938 in Parlatone Hispano Filipino's "Ang Pagbabalik." Her most recent work was under Nick de Ocampo, "Mother Ignacia..." - Sol Jose Vanzi, March 30, 1999 (READ MORE)
Film Academy of the Philippines Best Actress - "...GMA Films probably heard the bad news from the grapevine before the Film Academy of the Philippines' 17th Annual Academy Awards started Sunday night, and decided to boycott. The table reserved for GMA Films remained conspicuously vacant throughout the awards night held at the PICC. Their hunch, or inside info, was right. The much-acclaimed movie José Rizal, failed to win any award. GMA’s staunch competitor, Star Cinema, romped away with most of the major awards. Best Picture was Star Cinema's Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa? The film directed by Chito Roño, which tackled women's issues, gave Vilma Santos another Best Actress award. The movie also won Best Supporting Actress honors for child star Serena Dalrymple. Carlo Aquino was named best supporting actor and Manny Morfe, for best production design. Birador, another Star Cinema film, bagged the best director and best editing awards for Edgardo Vinarao, best cinematography for Juanito Pereira and best screenplay for Senen Dimaguila. Rudy Fernandez was named best actor for portraying a struggling policeman in Birador. This is his second award from the Film Academy of the Philippines after Batuigas: Pasukuin si Waway in 1984. Other awards went to Pusong Mamon, which won the best musical score and best theme song awards for Dennis Garcia, originally of the Hotdogs Band. Best Sound was received by Ramon Reyes for GMA Films' Sa Pusod ng Dagat. The awards itself had generated controversy when José Rizal's producers, Butch Jimenez and Jimmy Duavit, and two production staffers Rody Lacap and Nonong Buencamino, were considered ineligible to be nominated and therefore ineligible for any award..." - Sol Jose Vanzi, April 27, 1999 (READ MORE)
FAMAS Lifetime Achievement Award - "...Multi-awarded dramatic actress Vilma Santos can no longer be nominated for the FAMAS Best Actress Award, since she had been elevated to the Hall of Fame for having won five FAMAS Best Actress trophies over the years. But on its 47th year, the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences, the oldest cinema award- giving body in Asia, wants to give Vilma due recognition for her continued excellence and longevity as a Box Office Queen. The body also wants to recognize her contribution to the industry by being a model public servant and popular Mayor of Lipa City. On April 8, FAMAS Awards night, Vilma will be bestowed this year's FAMAS Lifetime Achievement Award. Vilmanians would consider this, plus the grand slam and the Hall of Fame honors, as proof that their idol, Ate Vi, is way above her arch rival Nora Aunor. But Noranians would be quick to retort that nothing can match the glory and recognition Nora Aunor received when she was named Centennial Artist during the Philippine Centennial celebrations. As much as their fans love to fight over who is better or more popular, the two actresses are actually very good friends in real life, calling each other "kumare" and running to each other's assistance whenever necessary..." - Sol Jose Vanzi, March 28, 1999 (READ MORE)
Brussels International Film Festival Best Actress - "...Here is a much-deserved birthday gift for Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos: she has just won the Best Actress award at the just-concluded Brussels International Film Festival for her portrayal as a single mother in Star Cinema's Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa. The film’s director, Chito Roño, was named Best Director in the same event. “Bata, Bata” was Vilma's only movie for 1998. It was shown four months after she was elected Lipa City Mayor. Before it went to Brussels, Bata, Bata won for Vilma the Best Actress trophy at the Urian Awards, the Star Awards and the Film Academy Awards. She could have also won the FAMAS award, but as a member of the FAMAS Hall of Fame, Vilma is disqualified from competing in the FAMAS Best Actress category. The story was written by Lualhati Bautista, also the author of the controversial “Sutla,” starring Priscilla Almeda..." - Sol Jose Vanzi, Nov. 16, 1999 (READ MORE)
Hawaii International Film Festival - "...Four local movies have so far been chosen by Christian Gaines of the Hawaii International Film Festival for exhibition in the prestigious event in November. Four more will be picked in July when Gaines returns to Manila. Hawaii filmfest '99 is focused on the Philippines. The first four movies selected were Chito Roño's "Bata, Bata...Paano Ka Ginawa?," Joel Lamangan's "Sidhi," Carlitos Siguion Reyna's "Kahapon May Dalawang Bata," and Gil Portes' "Saranggola." Of the four, only "Saranggola" has not yet been commercially released. Gaines viewed a rough copy (interlock) of "Saranggola" whose post-production work is yet unfinished. "Saranggola" stars Ricky Davao and Lester Llansang as father and son. Script by Butch Dalisay. Also being eyed for Filipino movies’ participation is the Sundance (Utah) filmfest (Robert Redford's very own project), where Gaines is in charge of the world cinema division. "Saranggola" is an aspirant to the June Manila Film Festival. Gaines is inviting Cesar Montano as juror and Vilma Santos as special guest to the Hawaii filmfest, where "Jose Rizal" was shown last year..." - Sol Jose Vanzi, April 17, 1999 (READ MORE)