2002 Metro Manila Film Festival


The 28th Metro Manila Film Festival was held in Manila, Philippines from December 25, 2002, to January 10, 2003. Two significant changes to the festival began with this edition: the festival became nationwide in scope, and its duration lasted two weeks instead of ten days.
Regal Films' Mano Po received the most number of awards out of the nine entries with a total of twelve awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director. The film is also the recipient of the Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Awards.
WWW mmda.gov.ph/mmff

Entries

There are two batches of films in competition, the first batch was shown from December 25, while the second batch was shown on January 1, 2003.

Winners and nominees

Awards

Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.
Best FilmBest Director
Mano Po - Regal Films
  • Joel Lamangan - Mano Po
    • Best ActorBest Actress
  • Eddie Garcia – Mano Po
  • *Fernando Poe, Jr. - Ang Alamat ng Lawin
  • *Christopher de Leon - Dekada '70
  • *Lito Lapid - Lapu-Lapu
  • *Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. - Agimat: Ang Anting-Anting ni Lolo
  • *Dolphy - Home Along da Riber
  • *Rudy Fernandez - Hula Mo, Huli Ko
  • *Vic Sotto - Lastikman
  • Ara Mina – Mano Po
  • *Maricel Soriano - Mano Po
  • *Joyce Jimenez - Lapu-Lapu
  • *Donita Rose - Lastikman
  • *Vilma Santos - Dekada '70
  • *Rufa Mae Quinto - Hula Mo, Huli Ko
  • *Zsa Zsa Padilla - Home Along da Riber
  • *Ina Raymundo - Ang Alamat ng Lawin
    • Best Supporting ActorBest Supporting Actress
  • Piolo Pascual – Dekada '70
  • Kris Aquino – Mano Po
    • Best CinematographyBest Production Design
  • Leslie Garchitorena - Mano Po
  • Tatus Aldana - Mano Po
    • Best Child PerformerBest Editing
  • John Wayne Sace - Dekada '70
  • Tara Illenberger - Mano Po
    • Best Original StoryBest Screenplay
  • Lily Monteverde and Roy Iglesias - Mano Po
  • Roy Iglesias - Mano Po
    • Best Original Theme SongBest Musical Score
  • - Home Alone Da Riber
  • Von de Guzman - Mano Po
    • Best Visual EffectsBest Make-up Artist
  • Roadrunner Network, Inc. - Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut
  • Warren Munar - Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut
    • Best Sound RecordingBest Float
  • Nestor Mutya - Hula Mo... Huli Ko
  • Ang Agimat: Anting-Anting ni Lolo - Imus Productions
    • Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Awards-
  • Mano Po - Regal Films
    		• -

    Ceremony information

    During the "Gabi ng Parangal" held in PICC on December 27, there were some controversies:

    Walking out of ''Dekada '70'' cast

    The cast of the film Dekada '70 walked out of the award ceremonies after Lualhati Bautista failed to win the Best Story and Best Screenplay awards. Even more controversial was the decision of the judges to name the first-timer Ara Mina the Best Actress for her role in Mano Po, beating multi-awarded Vilma Santos, who was in Dekada '70.

    Inclusion of two films

    The producers of the films Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut and Lastikman protested the non-inclusion of the two films as official entries, prompting the Metro Manila Film Festival committee to extend the annual event. Consequently, the committee extended the film screenings to seven days to accommodate two more films which did not make it to the entries.

    ''Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut'' issues

    Chito Roño, director of Second Best Picture Dekada '70, was curious as to why Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut was named the Third Best Picture award if the officials disqualified it as an official entry. In the same way, the production team of Ang Agimat: Anting-Anting ni Lolo was also appalled to the decision of the jurors to give the Best Visual Effects award to Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut if they only use "mono", beating their use of the more advanced "Dolby Digital System".

    Box office gross

    Final figures as of January 10, 2003.
    EntryGross Ticket Sales
    Mano Po*
    Lastikman
    Ang Agimat: Anting-Anting ni Lolo
    Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut
    Dekada '70
    Home Along da Riber
    Ang Alamat ng Lawin
    Hula Mo... Huli Ko
    Lapu-Lapu