Assorted Annoucements

Now it can be told: I DID NOT WIN THIS YEAR. Ü But over the last few days I got to know people who did win a Palanca this year, and I’m not talking about Lawrence L. Ypil (first prize, Poetry) or Sid Gomez Hildawa (second prize, Poetry), or the awesome Alfars.

Like who? Well, there’s the one who won first prize in the Dulang May Isang Yugto category (his play was performed in last month's Virgin Labfest 2, and it’s his first win). And the one who earned second prize in the Dulang Pantelebisyon category (he had won before in the Dulang Pampelikula category in 2000 and 2002). And the one who got third prize in the Futuristic Fiction—English category (he’s a friend of a very good friend of mine, and it’s his first win). And the one who also won third prize, but in the Short Story category (she won in 2004, but in the Short Story for Children category). And just in case you might ask where I got these pieces of information, I got these from some writer-friends. Ü

I’m sure more will come out in the coming days. It always does every year.

On an entirely different matter, I recently stumbled on the online version of my review of Raya Martin’s prizewinning digifilm Maicling Pelicula nañg Ysañg Indio Nacional, which was published in the July 17 issue of Newsbreak. If interested, read it here.

Speaking of digifilms, I got to watch almost all the Cinemalaya feature-length films in competition at the CCP a few weeks ago. I thought the semifictive Tulad ng Dati was the best of the lot; it truly shows what a great band The Dawn is. Batad was all right, but it reminded me too much of the Iranian film Children of Heaven and, in some parts, F. Sionil Jose’s The God Stealer. Donsol was technically polished but I felt the leads, Sid Lucero and Angel Aquino, lacked chemistry. Ang Huling Araw ng Linggo used the La Ronde structure, but in a rather simplistic way. Worse, it overstates its point in the end, as if to make sure the audience would get it. Rotonda also used the same structure—and more successfully at that—but it took too long to make its point. Plus, I HATE its inclusion of the madwoman in a dress that looked like the Philippine flag. Rio Locsin gave a fine performance as the title character in Mudraks, but I have serious problems with its handling of its chosen point of view. And as for Saan Nagtatago si Happiness, it should’ve been titled Sana Tinago Pa si Happiness. But really, Mes de Guzman’s refreshingly artless and unpretentious Ang Daan Patungong Kalimugtong (first shown last year) was the best digifilm I watched during this year's Cinemalaya festival.

And last but not the least, Dean and Ian has posted about retired Supreme Court Justice Isagani A. Cruz's disturbingly homophobic column. Well, PDI has published Manuel Quezon III's very vigorous response to it yesterday. Let the backlash begin.