Tessie Tomas, Dominic Roco lead QCinema film fest awardees

For veteran actress Tessie Tomas, winning an award is an indicator that she is “still wanted and needed” by the industry she has been part of for three decades.

Tomas was proclaimed best actress for her work in the dramatic film “Water Lemon” at the recently concluded 2015 QCinema International Film Festival awards show held at the newly built Quezon City Interactive Museum.

Fellow comedian Lou Veloso also bagged the best supporting actor trophy for this film by Lem Lorca.

Prime Cruz’s “Sleepless” won for Dominic Roco his first best actor award. The film, which tracks the lives of two insomniacs who work in a call center, likewise bagged the Netpac Jury Prize for best picture, as well as a P250,000 grant.

TESSIE Tomas won best actress for “Water Lemon”

“I feel ecstatic and very fulfilled. You can never tell when an award is coming your way,” said Tomas. She then advised aspiring thespians to “just be open to all sort of roles—big or small. And always, at all cost, give it your best shot.”

Lilit Reyes received the best screenplay award for “Water Lemon,” a story set in the sleepy coastal town of Mauban, Quezon province. It follows the story of an aging mother, her brilliant son with Asperger’s syndrome, and an old man who owns a computer shop.

“This is my first script ever produced,” Reyes said in his acceptance speech. “Many thought I’ve written a lot because I comment a lot. I left advertising even if it was a high-paying job and took the risk to pursue films late in life. I feel this recognition is a validation of my decision.”

“Apocalypse Child,” a drama set in Baler and starring Sid Lucero, won the Circle Competition best picture and P300,000 prize money. Mario Cornejo took home the best director award, while cast member Annicka Dolonius received the best supporting actress trophy.

For Cornejo, “it was amazing to win of course, but I think in the end awards don’t matter. The movie isn’t better or worse for having won an award,” he told the Inquirer.

Dominic Roco, best actor for “Sleepless.”

“Also, the best part about winning the awards was hearing the jury citation. It was beautifully written,” Cornejo pointed out, “and it was super gratifying to know that the jurors really understood what we were going for with the movie.”

“Apocalypse Child” was lauded “for its nuanced characterizations in an apparently simple story of friendship, loyalty and desire that unravels the fractured nature of identity and delves into how truth can sometimes be the contorted lies people tell about themselves,” QCinema said in a statement sent to the Inquirer.

The editor of Cornejo’s film, Lawrence Ang, was given the best artistic achievement award for having an “undeniable skill in making the film float, glide and dance on waves in a frequently overlooked aspect of filmmaking, often dismissed as a technical expertise rather than as art.”

Mihk Vergara’s “Patintero: Ang Alamat ni Meng Patalo” was the winner of the Audience Choice award. It was also conferred the Gender Sensitivity award for “its portrayal of a young girl empowered to rise above the label given to her as a loser.” Each award came with a P50,000 cash reward.

The Netpac Jury Prize for best documentary was handed to Sheron Dayoc’s “Crescent Rising.” The project also received a P200,000 cash prize.