Indie actor ready for mainstream

EDGAR ALLAN GUZMAN: Aiming for a film in the Metro Manila Film Festival. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Cinemalaya 2011 Best Actor Edgar Allan Guzman feels he’s ready for mainstream cinema.

The lead star in the romantic-comedy indie film “Ligo Na U, Lapit Na Me” said he hopes to work with his idols Coco Martin, Christopher de Leon and John Lloyd Cruz, and perhaps join the annual Metro Manila Film Festival.

“I want everyone to know what I’m capable of doing,” Guzman told Inquirer Entertainment. “I’ve always dreamed of winning an acting award. It’s proof that I’ve done a good job.”

In “Ligo Na U” (directed by Eric Salud), he plays Intoy, who is secretly in love with his schoolmate Jenny (Mercedes Cabral), the most beautiful girl on campus. They form a complicated friendship, with Jenny giving Intoy special privileges, including going to bed with her on condition that they won’t fall in love with each other.

“I didn’t expect the award,” Guzman said, adding that it was good enough that tickets to its screenings at the UP Cine Adarna in Diliman, Quezon City, were sold out.

Regal Entertainment has picked up “Ligo Na U” for distribution and will be shown in theaters nationwide starting August 17.

Guzman attributed the film’s success to its unique and interesting story, not to mention the catchy title. “Ligo Na U” is based on a novel by Eros S. Atalia. Jerry Gracio wrote the script.

“I did the film with an injured arm, but I still made sure to give it my all,” Guzman recalled. He sustained third-degree burns after a go-kart accident while taping for the TV5 game show “Lucky Numbers.”

Like Mr. Pogi

The thrill of bringing home an acting award, Guzman said, is similar to his bagging the Mr. Pogi title in the noontime show “Eat Bulaga” in 2006—which led to film and TV offers. He has since appeared in GB Sampedro’s “Astig” and Joven Tan’s “Magdamag”—Cinemalaya entries in 2009 and 2010, respectively. He’s also a regular on TV5’s “Party on 5,” “Fantastik” and “Lokomoko U” and was in the cast of the network’s miniseries “Lady Dada.”

His performance in “Astig” earned for him a nomination in the 2009 Pasado Awards, mounted by an organization of teachers. It also brought him to the Pusan International Film Festival in Korea and the Osaka Asian Film Festival in Japan.

Guzman also released two acoustic albums, “Love Drive” and “YM (Young Men),” with the carrier single “Mas Mahal na Kita Ngayon” nominated for Best Novelty Recording in the 2010 Awit Awards.

He looks forward to getting cast in more Cinemalaya films next year.