Showbiz Roundup: Barbie Forteza and Jak Roberto split; MMFF 2024

Barbie Forteza (left), Jak Roberto, and the title card of the MMFF 2024 Gabi ng Parangal. —Images: Instagram/@jakroberto, Facebook/MMFF

Year 2025 started on an explosive note with Barbie Forteza and Jak Roberto ending their relationship after seven years. Neither the exes addressed the reason behind their breakup, but Forteza hoped that her ex-boyfriend would find the “love [that he] deserves.”

Meanwhile, the 50th edition of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is in full swing as word of mouth and viewer behavior were mainly considered in the selection of its entries. The move was proven to be successful as the annual festival was extended until January 14.

The festival’s Gabi ng Parangal was an unforgettable moment for the cast and crew of “Green Bones” as it bagged Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor, among notable awards.

Welcome the New Year by catching up on the biggest entertainment headlines from the week of December 27 to January 2.

Barbie Forteza, Jak Roberto break up

Barbie Forteza and Jak Roberto. Image: Instagram/@barbaraforteza

Barbie Forteza confirmed that she and Jak Roberto ended their relationship after seven years but didn’t reveal the cause of their split.

Forteza announced on her Instagram account on January 2, that she and Roberto had already parted ways while referring to their split as a “beautiful goodbye.”

“Having you in my life was the happiest I had ever been. Seven wonderful years. A lot of laughs, a lot of ramen and so much love. Your love was exceptional,” she said while sharing photos of their past dates.

The actress also expressed her gratitude to Roberto for “loving [her] the way [he] did,” and at the same time said their relationship had to “fall apart” for “better things” to come together.

“But sometimes, good things fall apart so better things can come together. Beautiful goodbye, @jakroberto. Thank you for loving me the way you did. I am excited for what’s to come for the both of us. You take care of yourself. May you find the love you deserve,” she wrote.

“I hope for everyone’s understanding and I wish you can help us put this matter to rest,” continued Forteza.

Roberto has yet to address their split, as of press time.

Dubbed as JakBie or BarJak, Forteza and Roberto were one of the longest-lasting celebrity couples from GMA. They worked together on projects such as “Meant to Be” and “Kara Mia,” with the actress often making appearances on her ex-boyfriend’s YouTube channel. They eventually established their solo careers within the network.

Viewer behavior, word of mouth considered in MMFF 2024

The posters of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2024 entries. —Images: MMFF/Facebook

According to the festival’s spokesperson Noel Ferrer, the factors considered in selecting the 2024 MMFF entries were changes in viewer behavior, word of mouth, and how filmgoers would spend their money in theaters.

“It’s a learning from the past. Dati, first day pa lang, lahat ng pera ng mga tao napupunta sa Metro Manila Film Festival. Now, it seems like people are waiting for good reviews before they spend,” Ferrer told INQUIRER.net in a chat on the sidelines of a press conference in Quezon City.

According to the MMFF spokesperson, the biggest earnings garnered from the 2023 MMFF happened on New, Year and its latter half. “The biggest spending last year was not Christmas Day. ’Di ba dati, pag napamaskuhan, ’yun agad ang gagamitin nila pang-sine.”

“The highest grossing days were New Year and the latter part of the film festival. Filmgoers are waiting for good word of mouth, ’yung tipong yayakagin ka ng buong barkada at pamilya para manood.”

These factors tipped the scales in favor of the MMFF 2023 entry “GomBurZa” which starred Cedrick Juan, Enchong Dee, and Dante Rivero. He also noted that the MMFF 2022 entry “Deleter,” which starred Nadine Lustre, beat Vice Ganda’s “Partners In Crime” in the box office at some point.

“May reinvention nang nangyayari. Hindi lang sa mga artista, kundi sa mga pelikula talaga ,” he said. “Maganda ’yun ngayon na walang formula. The people are able to explore other means of storytelling. And we’re happy that there are strong entries this year.”

While Ferrer acknowledged the pressure to beat last year’s box office record of P1 billion, he said the apparent shift in this year’s lineup would encourage “new people to watch films in the cinema.”

“We’ll never know who’ll top the box office! Before, we’re sure who would top the box office. Now, we’re not sure. Which is good because there is an equal chance,” he said.

Ferrer added that the entries of the 2024 MMFF were all about variety that suits varying tastes.

This year’s entries include “Green Bones,” “Isang Himala, “Uninvited,” “The Kingdom,” “My Future You,” “Hold Me Close,” “Topakk,” “Espantaho,” “Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital,” and “And the Breadwinner Is…,” which will run from Dec. 25 to Jan. 14, 2024.

‘Green Bones’ win big at MMFF 2024 Gabi ng Parangal

“Green Bones,” “Isang Himala” win big at MMFF 2024 Gabi ng Parangal | Image: MMFF/Facebook

“Green Bones” emerged victorious at the MMFF 2024 Gabi ng Parangal after it secured a total of six awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Dennis Trillo, and Best Supporting Actor for Ruru Madrid.

Following closely behind, “Isang Himala,” which claimed 4th Best Picture, also emerged as one of the night’s biggest winners, with Kakki Teodoro taking home Best Supporting Actress, among other wins.

Meanwhile, Judy Ann Santos delivered a career-defining performance in “Espantaho,” earning her the Best Actress trophy. Rounding out the top honors were “The Kingdom” and “My Future You,” named 2nd Best Picture and 3rd Best Picture, respectively.

Here is the full list of winners:

• Best Picture: “Green Bones”
• 2nd Best Picture: “The Kingdom”
• 3rd Best Picture: “My Future You”
• 4th Best Picture: “Isang Himala”
• Best Actress: Judy Ann Santos of “Espantaho”
• Best Actor: Dennis Trillo of “Green Bones”
• Best Supporting Actress: Kakki Teodoro of “Isang Himala”
• Best Supporting Actor: Ruru Madrid of “Green Bones”
• Best Director: Michael Tuviera for “The Kingdom” and Crisanto Aquino for “My Future You.”
• Best Child Performer: Sienna Stevens of “Green Bones”
• Breakthrough Performance: Seth Fedelin of “My Future You”
• Best Screenplay: “Green Bones”
• Best Float: “Uninvited” and “Topakk”
• Best Cinematography: “Green Bones”
• Best Editing: “My Future You”
• Best Production Design: “The Kingdom”
• Best Sound Design: “Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital”
• Best Original Theme Song: Juan Karlos’ “Ang Himala Ay Nasa Puso” from the musical entry “Isang Himala.”
• Best Musical Score: “Isang Himala”
• Best Visual Effects: “The Kingdom”
• Special Jury Citation: Vice Ganda of “And The Breadwinner Is…”
• Gender Sensitivity Award: “And The Breadwinner Is…”
• Special Jury Prize: “Topakk” and “Isang Himala”
• MMFF Lifetime Achievement Award: Joseph “Erap” Ejercito-Estrada
• FPJ Memorial Award for Excellence: “Topakk”
• Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award: “The Kingdom”

‘No cooking show’

The stars of the Metro Manila Film Festival 2024 entries gather at the Kartilya ng Katipunan at Padre Burgos Street in Manila, as the Parade of Stars was about to commence. —Image: Facebook/MMFF

There was due process in determining the results of the MMFF 2024 Gabi ng Parangal which, according to the festival’s spokesperson Noel Ferrer, were “fair and final.”

Ferrer addressed the awards ceremony’s results on his Facebook page on December 28, where he reiterated that the integrity of the jury “cannot be assailed.”

“You may agree or disagree with their choices… but the integrity of each and every member of the Jury since we took charge in 2016, especially on this 50th Edition of the MMFF cannot be assailed,” he said.

The spokesperson reiterated that there were “no leaks and definitely no cooking show” in the ceremony, saying the winners were chosen in a deliberation that lasted from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the day of the ceremony.

“No leaks, definitely no cooking show … only the Jury Chair and the MMFF Executive Director knew the results, not even I or any member of the Execom. Rest assured, there was due process and the judgment was fair and sound and final!” he said.

Headed by UP Film Institute professor emeritus Nicanor Tiongson, the board of jurors was also composed of FDCP chairperson Jose “Joey” Javier Reyes, Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, actor John Arcilla; Philippine Daily Inquirer journalist Marinel Cruz, Film Academy of the Philippines director general Paolo Villaluna, Roy Iglesias, Philippine Motion Pictures Producers Association producer Jesse Ejercito, Videlle “Lee” Briones-Meily, Thomas Orbos, Cesar Ona Jr., Racquel Wong, and Robinsons Movieworld operations director Evylene Advincula.

Eugene Domingo’s ‘in memoriam’ segment

Eugene Domingo during the MMFF 2024 Gabi ng Parangal. —Image: Screengrab from Facebook/MMFF

Days after Eugene Domingo went viral for her inclusion in a segment at the MMFF 2024 Gabi ng Parangal, the festival’s executive committee clarified that it was meant to be a tribute to the “luminaries” who played a significant role in its 50-year history.

Domingo caught the attention of netizens after she was included in a Gabi ng Parangal segment aimed to pay tribute to the “stars who came before us,” according to a spiel from Gabbi Garcia, who was one of the ceremony’s hosts.

With a performance from John Arcilla, Mark Bautista, Robert Seña, and Arman Ferrer, a video featuring Nora Aunor, as well as the late actors Spanky Manikan and Cherie Gil was flashed onstage before Domingo’s face was shown.

This led to netizens being confused about the video’s purpose, with some calling out the festival for mistakenly leading them to believe that Domingo had already passed away. Others also demanded the festival to apologize to the actress-comedienne.

This led the MMFF executive committee to clarify that Domingo’s inclusion in the segment was meant to celebrate her contributions to the annual film festival.

“We’ve noted concerns regarding the video tribute featuring Ms. Eugene Domingo at the recent Gabi ng Parangal. This was intended as a tribute to luminaries both living and passed, and who have contributed to the MMFF over its 50-year history, not an In Memoriam segment,” it said in a statement posted on December 29.

Aside from Domingo, former president Joseph Estrada, Christopher de Leon, Hilda Koronel, Ruel Vernal, Amy Austria, Vilma Santos, Charo Santos, and Nora Aunor were also included in the MMFF’s tribute.

“We hope this clears up any misunderstandings and allows us to focus on celebrating the film industry’s achievements,” it added.

Domingo has yet to address the viral segment.

Andrea Brillantes is 2024’s ‘Most Beautiful Face’

Andrea Brillantes. —Image: BJ Pascual via Instagram/@blythe

Andrea Brillantes’ breathtaking beauty has once again captivated TC Candler and the Independent Critics as she topped its “The Most Beautiful Faces of 2024” list. HORI7ON’s Kyler Chua, meanwhile, ranked 21st on the list of “The Most Handsome Faces of 2024.”

TC Candler uploaded its “The Most Beautiful Faces of 2024” list on its YouTube channel on December 28, where Brillantes emerged as the top choice on the UK-based platform. This marks her second time on the list after taking the 16th spot in 2023.

Other Filipinas who made it are Janine Gutierrez (28th), Liza Soberano (31st), Belle Mariano (52nd), Ivana Alawi (69th), Gehlee Dangca of K-pop girl group UNIS (82nd), and Aiah Arceta of P-pop girl group BINI (88th).

Meanwhile, Chua is the highest-ranking Filipino at No. 21, making it his second time to appear on the annual list. He ranked 27th in 2023.

Meanwhile, SB19’s Justin De Dios entered the list for the first time, ranking 41st.

Chris Hemsworth emerged as the most handsome face of the year, while Mirror’s Keungto, Zhang Zhehan, Halil Ibrahim Ceyhan, and Enhypen’s Ni-ki made it to the second, third, fourth, and fifth ranks, respectively.

TC Candler and The Independent Critics, consisting of 20 people, aim to widen the public’s perception of beauty through the annual “Most Beautiful” and “Most Handsome,” in hopes of proving that beauty goes beyond aesthetic perfection.