No less than the First Lady, Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos, graces this year's (Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences) FAMAS awards presentation held last April at the Coral Ballroom of the Manila Hilton as guest speaker.
The practice of giving awards to producers, directors, actors and actresses, and technicians was unthinkable in the early days of Philippine movies. This was because movie people then were considered second-class citizens.
Today, even the AFP civic organizations give awards to deserving movie personalities. In recent search for The Outstanding Women of the New Society (TOWNS), two actresses -- Boots Anson-Roa and Rosa Rosal were chosen. Boots was picked for her contribution in the field of arts while Rosa was singled out for her charity work.
Circulation booster
Within a few years after the first all-Pilipino movie (DALAGANG BUKID) was released in 1919, the various periodicals began to recognize the circulation-boosting power of movie write-ups Movie magazines started to proliferate, with the Literary Song Movie setting the trend.
A few years before the war, the Literary Song Movie Magazine, the Philippines Herald and other publications conducted popularity contests to choose the King and Queen of Philippine Movies. But it was not until after the war that more substantial forms of recognition were given to the movie industry and the people in it.
Maria Clara Awards
In 1950, the defunct Manila Times Publishing Col. established the Maria Clara Awards, an institution patterned after the annual Oscar Awards of the American Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) of Hollywood. The primary purpose of the Maria Clara Awards was to encourage the production of quality movies in the Philippines and to spur local movie personalities to greater achievements.
In the very first Maria Clara Awards, several producers, pictures, directors, actors, actresses and technicians vied with each other to win the bronze Maria Clara statuette by Guillermo E. Tolentino, the country's top sculptor.
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First Winners
The winners of the first Maria Clara Awards were: Narcisa Buencamino Vda. de Leon, producer of the year; Premiere's KAMAY NI SATANAS, best picture; Nena Cardenas, best actress for her performance in DOBLE CARA, a Premiere's film; Reynaldo Dante, best actor for his performance in KAMAY NI SATANAS;
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Sampaguita's Higino Fallorina, best cinematographer, for BAGUIO CADETS; Lebran's Charles Gray, best sound recoroding; and Royal Production's Mila Nimfa, best child star, for NANAY KO.
In 1951, the judges in the Maria Clara Awards were Narciso Pimentel, Jr., chairman; Sarah K. Joaquin, Alejandro R. Roces, Wilfredo Guerrero, and Prof. Ramon Tapales, members.
FAMAS born
By 1952, another institution patterned after Hollywood's AMPAS took over the task began by the founders of the Maria Clara Awards. This was the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS). It's current president is Romeo J. Arceo.
The Philippines sent entries to the eight-nation Asian Films Festival which was launched in 1954.
In 1954, Sampaguita's Luciano B. Carlos captured the best screenplay award for his work in ANG ASAWA KONG AMERICANA. The following year, the Philippines garnered five statuettes in the Asian filmfest when IFUGAO, a Premiere film, romped away with the best picture, best direction (Gerry de Leon), best actor (Efren Reyes), and best screenplay (Ding de Jesus) prizes while DAKILANG HUDAS won for Boy Soriano the best child actor trophy.
Banner Year
The year 1956 was another banner year for Philippine entries in the Asian filmfest. Rogelio de la Rosa copped the best actor award for his memorable performance in HIGIT SA LAHAT while Gregorio Fernandez snagged the award for best direction for his work in the same picture.
In 1957, BADJAO garnered four prizes, namely: best direction, Bert Avellana; best screenplay, Rolf Bayer; best photography, Mike Accion; and best editing, Gregorio Carballo.
The Asian filmfest was held in Manila for the first time in 1958. the Philippines romped away with three major awards: Romeo Vasquez, best actor, in AKO ANG MAY SALA; Rebecca del Rio, best supporting actress, in MALVAROSA; And Boy Planas, best child star, in DAY OF TRUMPET.
Fat egg
The Philippines laid a big fat egg in 1959 at the Sixth Asian filmfest held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Philippine debacle meant two things: while other countries had progressed in their filmmaking, the Philippines had remained at a standstill, or had retrogressed.
Not one of the five 1959 entries (LVN's KUNDIMAN NG LAHI and VENGANZA; Sampaguita's CONDENADO and TALIPANDAS; and Premiere's WATER LILY) garnered any prize.
In 1961, the Asian filmfest was held in Manila for the second time. The Philippines won only one award -- a special one at that -- for MY SERENADE, an LVN picture, as the best musical.
For five years after that, the Philippines did not take part in the Asian filmfest, probably shaken by its three lean years.
1966 filmfest
In 1966, the Philippines again took part in the Asian filmfest -- this time in the 13th Asian filmfest held in Seoul, Korea. It won two prizes: a special award for MAN OF DESTINY (Iginuhit ng Tadhana), the controversial bio-photoplay of President Ferdinand E. Marcos, for portraying the life and times of an outstanding Asian leader, and for best sound recording which went to Zultana's GOLDEN BUDDHA, a colored potboiler starring Zaldy Zshornack and Perla Bautista.
In 1967, Charito Solis won the best actress award in the Asian filmfest held in Tokyo for her performance in DAHIL SA ISANG BULAKLAK.
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In 1970, the Asian filmfest was rocked by a scandal when a Filipino juror exposed an irregularity in the voting procedure: the jurors of certain countries voted identically to make their entries win.
Since then, the Asian filmfest has been conducted on a non-competitive basis. The 1974 filmfest will be held in Taipei starting June 11, 1974. The local delegation will be led by Joseph Estrada, president of the Philippine Motion Pictures Producers Association.
Another festival that gives due recognition to achievements of local movie folk is the Manila Film Festival which was started under the aegis of Mayor Antonio J. Villegas.
This year's Manila filmfest, which will be held in July, promises to be the biggest and most colorful in the history of Philippine Movies.
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