Hasmine Killip wins best actress in Apsa

Hasmine Killip

Hasmine Killip has won another best actress plum for Eduardo Roy Jr.’s “Pamilya Ordinaryo”—her fourth acting trophy for her debut film.

Killip’s latest recognition is from the 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) in Brisbane, Australia, on Thursday night.

Killip bested fellow newcomers Agrippina Steklova of the Russian Federation (for “Insight”) and Aslihan Gürbüz of Turkey (“Ember”), and seasoned veterans Natalia Pavlenkova of the Russian Federation (“Zoology”) and Youn Yuh-jung of the Republic of Korea (“The Bacchus Lady”).

At 21, Killip was the youngest in the group.

“I feel so happy and blessed,” she told the Inquirer. “This honor is not just for me, but for all our countrymen.”

She and British husband Anthony Killip are now infanticipating.

She quipped: “I will be a mom soon. Maybe my baby is my lucky charm kasi imported! Joke!”

Killip previously won best actress at the Cinemalaya fest, where “Pamilya” was declared best film. She also received a special citation for acting from the London East Asia Film Festival and best actress at the Hanoi International Film Festival.

Killip, who is now based in London, dedicates all these honors to her coworkers in the film—“the people who were with me, from the audition process until the end of the shoot.”

She pointed out that their film’s international awards prove that Filipinos can make high-quality movies.

Double win in Poland

Meanwhile, two Filipino films topped the 10th Five Flavors Film Festival, held recently in Warsaw, Poland.

Mario Cornejo’s “Apocalypse Child” bagged the fest’s main prize, while Roy’s “Pamilya Ordinaryo” won special mention.

Cornejo told the Inquirer that the Five Flavors jury consisted of “a young group of film lovers.”

“I am constantly amazed at how our very personal and very Filipino story connects to people from all over the world,” Cornejo said.

The jury hailed “Apocalypse,” which won best picture at the QCinema fest last year, as an “affectionate portrayal of Filipino identity in its global, local and individual dimensions.”

The jurors also commended the film for its “humorous yet complex confrontation with the micro legacies of colonialism, and for its universal thematic and visual appeal.”

“Apocalypse Child” tells the story of a shiftless surfer who grew up thinking he is the son of Oscar-winning filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola.

The award, which comes with a cash prize of 2,500 euros, was established by Magdalena Sroka, director of the Polish Film Institute.

Meanwhile, the jurors bestowed the special mention honor to “Pamilya Ordinaryo” for its “moving and thrilling portrayal of individual determination…[and its] effective creation of empathy through its distinctly cinematic language and electrifying portrayal of Manila.”

Roy told the Inquirer: “We are overjoyed every time we receive good news about our film.”

“Our film tackles a universal story and issue. Perhaps that’s why people from different countries appreciate it,” he pointed out. “I dedicate this latest honor to my producers, staff and crew who worked hard and supported me while making this film.”