Cebu City, Philippines—Will Cebuano director Keith Deligero’s film, “A Short History of a Few Bad Things” take home awards in the much awaited 67th Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards Nights?
This will be known when the awarding ceremony, dubbed the 67th FAMAS Gabi ng Parangal, takes place on April 28, 2019 at the Meralco Theater in Pasig, Metro Manila.
The film has five nominations. These are Best Picture, Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Original Screenplay, and Outstanding Achievement in Editing.
“Maybe we did something they really liked,” Deligero said when asked how they were able to get five nominations.
According to Deligero, he is usually okay with not being nominated since he is used to being snubbed.
“But for this one, it is really special since there is a mention of “FAMAS” in the film. Being nominated brought the film into a next level meta for me. I hope we get to win something that would be meta homerun for the film,” he told Cebu Daily News Digital.
The movie is produced by Gale Osorio. It was released in October 2018 as part of the Cinema One Originals Film Festival.
According to its official Facebook page, “A Short History of a Few Bad Things” tells a story of Felix Tarooy (Victor Neri), a troubled detective in Cebu City who struggles to solve a series of killings while a conspiracy works to keep the truth just out of his reach.
“The film is about a history of violence that we try to move on from and try to forget but it keeps haunting us,” ssid.
The Cebuano filmmaker revealed that two or three exterior scenes were shot in Taytay, Rizal for practical reasons while the rest was shot in Cebu.
Aside from his movie, other films nominated under the Best Picture category are “Dalawang Mrs. Reyes”, “Ang Panahon ng Halimaw”, “Dog Days”, “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral”, “Gusto Kita With All My Hypothalamus”, “Kung Paano Siya Nawala”, “Never Not Love You”, “Never Tear Us Apart a.k.a Fisting”, and “Oda sa Wala.”
The second nomination goes to Neri
under the Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role category.
Actors who are also vying for the same award are Alwyn Uytingco (Asuang), Eddie Garcia (ML), Carlo Aquino (Exes Baggage),JM de Guzman (Kung Paano Siya Nawala), Dante Rivero (Kung Paano Hinihintay Ang Dapithapon), James Reid (Never Not Love You), Mon Confiado (El Peste), Christian Bables (Signal Rock), and Ybes Bagadiong (Dog Days).
Publio Briones III who plays Chief Ouano got the third nomination for the “A Short History of a Few Bad Things”and ist listed for the Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role category.
He is nominated along with Levi Ignacio (BuyBust), Arjo Atayde (BuyBust), Teroy Guzman (Citizen Jake), Gabby Eigenmann (Citzen Jake), Joem Bascon (Double Twisting Double Back),
Soliman Cruz (Gusto Kita With All My Hypothalamus), Menggie Cobarrubias (Kung Paano Hinihintay Ang Dapithapon), Richard “Ebong” Joson (Liway), Arron Villaflor (Mamu, And a Mother too), and Nanding Jose (Signal Rock).
Paul Grant got the fourth nomination for this film under the Best Original Screenplay category.
He is nominated along with Jun Lana and Elmer Gatchalian (Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes), Lav Diaz (Ang Panahon ng Halimaw), Marius Talampas (Ang Pangarap Kong Holdap), Carl Papa, Rayne Brizuela and Lawrence Nicodemus (Asuang), Dwein Baltazar (Gusto Kita With All My Hypothalamus), Dwein Baltazar (Oda sa Wala), Rody Vera (Signal Rock), and Jason Paul Laxamana (So Connected).
The film’s fifth nomination is Outstanding Achievement in Editing by Maria Estela Paraiso.
Other nominees in this category are Jay Halili (BuyBust), John Torres and Mervine Aquino (Dog Days), Apol Dating (Double Twisting Double Back), Lawrence S. Ang (Kung Paano Siya Nawala), Ilsa Malsi (Never Tear Us Apart a.k.a Fisting), Dwein Baltazar (Oda sa Wala), Hiyas Baldemor Bagaboldo (Pag-ukit Sa Paniniwala), and Ilsa Malsi (Gusto Kita With All My Hyporthalamus).
Based on its official Facebook page, FAMAS was established in 1952 and the oldest and most prestigious existing film industry award-giving body in the Philippines.
Deligero said that he likes the new set up of FAMAS after it was restructured last year under the vision of Ricky Lee.
The selection team is composed of contemporary filmmakers, critics and from the academe.
“I think the new set up is advantageous for filmmakers like me who make “uncategorizable” or “miscellaneous” films in a traditional sense otherwise films like mine would have been snubbed again. From my perspective, I think the institution is going for the voices of the filmmakers instead of the traditional showbiz way,” he said. /bmjo