‘Metro Manila’ wins Best Film, Best Director at British Independent Film Awards

Jake Macapagal and Althea Vega play a provincial couple who moves to the big city with their two children in 'Metro Manila'.

Set in the Philippines and featuring a Tagalog-speaking all-Filipino cast, the British-produced crime drama “Metro Manila” was the surprise big winner of the Moët British Independent Film Awards held Sunday at the Old Billingsgate Market in London.

The UK’s official entry to the Oscars Best Foreign Language Film category, “Metro Manila” pocketed three major awards — Best Film, Best Director and Best Achievement in Production.

Filipino actors John Arcilla and Jake Macapagal were also nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Most Promising Newcomer.

The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival last January where it bagged the Audience Choice Award. Last May, Fox International Productions acquired the rights to remake the film about a hard-luck farmer who moves his family to the big city where they find even bigger challenges to hurdle.

During the film’s Manila premiere in October that preceded its Philippine theatrical run, Ellis said it was quest for authenticity that convinced him to shoot the film in the actors’ native tongue, even though he himself neither spoke nor understood Tagalog.

“I just couldn’t imagine going to the Philippines and making a film there where the actors spoke English. Great films always transcend their subtitles. I had to at least aim in the same direction or otherwise risk the film’s authenticity,” he pointed out.

For co-producer Mathilde Charpienter, filming “Metro Manila”, which took place between December, 2010 and January, 2011, was not without its share of challenges. Thanks to the cooperation of the film’s Filipino cast and crew, the experience ultimately proved to be rewarding.

“Filming ‘Metro Manila’ was a compelling and tremendous experience. I still remember leaving Heathrow airport on a cold and rainy day, to land on a boiling hot Filipino afternoon, jet lagged, thinking ‘Are we really going to make this?’. We gave ourselves 3 weeks to find a production team, a Filipino cast and all our locations and props,” Charpentier recalled.

Never in a million years we could have made it this fast in the UK with such a small budget but the Filipino people love to help, don’t mind the challenge, and even though they don’t forget the business part, they offer what they have with an open heart.”

Following is the complete list of winners at Moët British Independent Film Awards:

Best British Independent Film: “Metro Manila”

Best Director: Sean Ellis – “Metro Manila”

Best Actress: Lindsay Duncan – “Le Week-End”

The Douglas Hickox Award [Best Debut Director]: Paul Wright – “For Those In Peril”

Best Screenplay: Steven Knight – “Locke”

Best Actor: James McAvoy – “Filth”

Best Documentary: “Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer”

Best Achievement in Production: “Metro Manila”

Best Supporting Actress: Imogen Poots – “The Look Of Love”

Best Technical Achievement: Amy Hubbard – Casting – “The Selfish Giant”

Special Jury Prize: Sixteen Films & Friends (aka Team Loach)

Best Supporting Actor: Ben Mendelsohn – “Starred Up”

Best British Short: “Z1″

Most Promising Newcomer: Chloe Pirrie – “Shell”

The Raindance Award: “The Machine”

Best International Independent Film: “Blue Is The Warmest Color”

Variety Award: Paul Greengrass

Richard Harris Award: Julie Walters

‘Metro Manila’ wins Best Film, Best Director at British Independent Film Awards

Source: InterAksyon.com (December 09, 2013 at 10:53AM)

Continue...