Honor thy mother

JOHN Lloyd Cruz and the No. 1 woman in his life, Aida

Although he is no neophyte when it comes to winning acting awards, John Lloyd Cruz still felt a certain kind of thrill over his latest honor—the 2016 Star Asia Award from the 15th New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF).

He told the Inquirer that he is raring to attend the NYAFF, which will screen his critically acclaimed film, Erik Matti’s “Honor Thy Father,” on July 2 at the Walter Reade Theater of the Lincoln Center in Manhattan. (The NYAFF will be held in the Big Apple from June 22 to July 9.)

“I am particularly excited to receive the award and dedicate it to my Mother Goose. My mom,” he quipped.

The actor admitted that he was initially apprehensive about his mom Aida’s reaction to “Honor Thy Father,” which was quite a departure from his usual feel-good, rom-com flicks.

Affected

Before the film’s premiere last year, he had serious doubts about his craft and how his family would accept it. “I wondered if my art mattered to my mom. But seeing her reaction after the enthusiastic audience had left the theater, I was proven wrong.”

It was a turning point for John Lloyd. “The film affected her in a way I’ve never seen before. She got it. She locked me in her arms, sobbing.”

He called it a “rare and unforgettable moment.”

“That’s what keeps playing in my mind when I think of that film,” he related. “To be given the Star Asia Award for it is an honor like no other.”

John Lloyd is the first Filipino and Southeast Asian actor to receive the prize, according to fest programmer Stephen Cremin.

READ: NY fest honors John Lloyd

He shares the recognition with two other Asian superstars—Hong Kong’s Miriam Yeung, who is best known for the box-office hit “Little Big Master,” and South Korea’s Lee Byung-hun, who has crossed over to Hollywood in the action flicks “GI Joe,” “Red 2” and “Terminator Genisys.”

The fest’s website called John Lloyd “the Philippines’ most popular movie star, who broke box-office records with the romantic drama ‘A Second Chance’…and transformed himself in ‘Honor Thy Father,’ a powerful crime epic.”

Said John Lloyd: “My art is my joy and pain. It’s what keeps me alive. But when my art affects the No. 1 woman in my life…my mom…it gives me a unique sense of pride and satisfaction. I never thought awards could hold so much meaning.”