Transgender tops Cinema One’s best actress race

Iyah Mina

There was no protest from among the jury members of the 2018 Cinema One Originals after they were told that transgender comedian, Iyah Mina, preferred to compete in the best actress category, according to festival director Ronald Arguelles.

“I first asked her which category she wanted to be nominated for because I didn’t want to make my own assumption and be questioned later on,” Arguelles told the Inquirer shortly after the awards ceremony held at the Dolphy Theater inside the ABS-CBN Compound in Quezon City on Sunday night.

“When Iyah said she wanted to compete in the best actress category, all jury members agreed. There was no discussion at all,” Arguelles pointed out.

The members of the jury were filmmakers Mac Alejandre and Rory B. Quintos, actor-film producer Piolo Pascual, festival programmer John Badalu and film critic-professor Patrick Campos.

For her performance in Rod Singh’s “Mammu; and a Mother, Too,” Mina eventually went home with the award, becoming the first Filipino transgender to win in the said category.

“Salamat sa pantay na pagtingin. This isn’t just for me but also for the trans community,” she said. Villaflor, her leading man, bagged the best supporting actor honor.

“I’m so grateful to direk. He turned me into an actress,” said Iyah. “Since everyone was so used to seeing me as a standup comedian, he told me I should be flexible; that while I’m capable of making people laugh, I should also be able to make them cry.”

Iyah was also thankful to Arron for making her feel comfortable on the set. “Our characters were supposed to be in a relationship for seven years. In fairness to him, he never made me feel that he was just acting. He was sincerely affectionate, on- and off-cam,” recalled Iyah.

Arron, who agreed to a butt exposure in the film, said everything he did for the project was worth it. “That scene was crucial for the film so I agreed to do it immediately. I’m already 28,” he pointed out. “I’ll do anything for a good story and a talented director.”

The film also won the Audience Choice award.

Mary Joy Apostol admitted she was surprised to have won the best supporting actress award for Bobi Bonifacio’s “Hospicio,” since her role hardly had any speaking lines.

“I didn’t even know that I was nominated,” she declared. “I showed emotions merely through facial expressions.”

Best actor winner Alwyn Uytingco went up the stage wearing a black cape, a hat and a pair of scleral contact lenses. “I just want to wear the costume, probably for the last time,” he told the Inquirer, referring to what he wore in Raynier Brizuela’s “Asuang.”

Arguelles said Uytingco’s toughest opponent for the award was Joem Bascon for Joseph Abello’s “Double Twisting Double Back.”

Carl Papa turned emotional when he accepted the best picture award for the animated drama, “Paglisan.” He explained: “The project is very personal not just for me but also for the entire team. Through it, we tried to show viewers how we really felt inside, and they showed their appreciation by giving us this award.”

The film about Alzheimer’s disease also won the awards for best sound and screenplay. It shared best music with Whammy Alcazaren’s “Never Tear Us Apart,” which won the Jury Prize, best director, cinematography, production design and editing.

Keith Deligero’s “A Short History of a Few Bad Things” received a Special Citation, while Andrew Stephen Lee’s “Manila is Full of Men Named Boy” was declared best short. The award for the best one-minute student film was given to Christlin Conagan’s “Para Kay Tatay.”