Young Critics Circle

The Young Critics Circle - Film Desk is a society of film critics and an award-giving body for cinema in the Philippines. It was established in 1990 and had its first awarding in 1991.

Establishment

In 1990, a group of young reviewers and critics decided to form a body that aimed to evaluate works of art in various disciplines. Founding members include Mike Feria, Joy Barrios, Jojo Buenconsejo, Eric Caruncho, Melissa Contreras, Jaime Daroy, Joel David, Gin de Mesa, Patrick Flores, Francine Medina, Charlson Ong, Mozart Pastrano, Danilo Reyes, and Antonio Tinio. Each member specialized on one or more disciplines or “desks”. At present, only the Film Desk is existing.
The Film Desk of the Young Critics Circle first gave its annual citations in film achievement in 1991, a year after the YCC was organized. In their Declaration of Principles, the members expressed the belief that cultural texts always call for active readings, “interactions” in fact among different readers who have the “unique capacities to discern, to interpret, and to reflect… evolving a dynamic discourse in which the text provokes the most imaginative ideas of our time.”
The Film Desk has committed itself to the discussion of film in the various arenas of academe and media, with the hope of fostering an alternative and emergent articulation of film critical practice, even within the severely debilitating culture of "awards".

Members

The members of the YCC who review Filipino films and choose the winners of the annual YCC Citations are members of the academe coming from various disciplines, such art studies, literary studies, creative writing, anthropology, communication, philosophy, visual arts, Philippine studies, film studies, and history. Active members are:

Aristotle Atienza
John Bengan
Christian Jil Benitez
Ian Harvey Claros
Emerald Flaviano
Patrick Flores
Tessa Maria Guazon
Skilty C. Labastilla
Nonoy L. Lauzon
Janus Nolasco
Judith Camille Rosette
Tito Quiling Jr.
Jaime Oscar M. Salazar
Cristian Tablazon
Andrea Anne Trinidad, president of YCC
Awards

YCC draws its selection from both regular and non-regular releases comprising the entirety of annual Philippine cinema output. Films considered for discussion are those that had at least two screenings before a paying or non-paying audience in any public venue. The group first comes up with a long list, where each film on the list is discussed as to its merits and demerits. The list is further narrowed down to a shortlist of any number. Only short-listed films earn the privilege to be nominated for any of the six main categories that are handed out each year. Except for the Best First Feature category, YCC does not confer nominations on artistic or technical merit if the film does not qualify in the short list.
The six awards handed out since 1990 are:

Best Film
Best Performance
Best Screenplay
Best Achievement in Editing
Best Achievement in Cinematography and Visual Design
Best Achievement in Sound and Aural Orchestration.

In 2013, the group added a new category, Best First Feature, to be given to filmmakers who directed the three best debut feature films of the year.

Winners

Best Film

The Young Critics Circle Award for Best Film is awarded to honor the best Filipino film of the year. Per YCC criteria, the award for Best Film "refers to vision and direction that pay sensitive and keen attention to both the language of cinema and social reality, in the process refunctioning the possibilities of film as progressive art and popular culture. The Best Film citation is awarded to the Director not so much because he or she is the auteur or the central intelligence of the film, but because his or her work lies at the conjuncture which coordinates filmmaking."
Directors with multiple Best Film wins include:

Year	Winner/s	Director/s
1990	Andrea, Paano Ba ang Maging Isang Ina?	Gil Portes
1991	Sa Kabila ng Lahat	Lino Brocka
1992	Ikaw Pa Lang ang Minahal	Carlos Siguion-Reyna
1993	Hindi Kita Malilimutan	Jose Javier Reyes
1994	Vampira Pangako ng Kahapon	Joey Romero Joel Lamangan
1995	Nena	Ike Jarlego Jr.
1996	Mumbaki	Jose Antonio Perez
1997	Batang PX	Jose Javier Reyes
1998	Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa?	Chito Roño
1999	Sisa	Mario O'Hara
2000	Bayaning Third World Tanging Yaman	Mike De Leon Laurice Guillen
2001	Minsan May Isang Puso	Jose Javier Reyes
2002	Dekada '70	Chito Roño
2003	Babae sa Breakwater	Mario O'Hara
2004	Minsan Pa	Jeffrey Jeturian
2005	Masahista	Brillante Mendoza
2006	Inang Yaya	Pablo Biglang-awa and Veronica Velasco
2007	Foster Child	Brillante Mendoza
2008	Adela	Adolfo Alix Jr.
2009	Bakal Boys	Ralston Jover
2010	Himpapawid	Raymond Red
2011	Haruo	Adolfo Alix Jr.
2012	Qiyamah	Gutierrez Mangansakan II
2013	Porno	Adolfo Alix Jr.
2014	No winner
2015	Da Dog Show	Ralston Jover
2016	Women of the Weeping River	Sheron Dayoc
2017	Baconaua	Joseph Israel Laban
2018	Sa Palad ng Dantaong Kulang	Jewel Maranan
2019	Edward	Thop Nazareno
2020	Death of Nintendo Kintsugi	Raya Martin Lawrence Fajardo

Best Performance

The YCC award for Best Performance refers to acting, to the playing out of a role or character that implicates emotion, feeling, and experience in the social conditions of the personal and in the political economies of habit and gesture and how these forge the body politic. The Best Performance citation is handed to the Performer, whether male or female, adult or child, in major or supporting role, individual or ensemble.
Since there is only one award given for performance, the YCC Best Performance Award is highly coveted in the Philippine film industry. Since the first awarding in 1991, Nora Aunor has the most nominations with thirteen, and the most wins with five.
Aunor has been nominated for:

Andrea, Paano Ba ang Maging Isang Ina?
Ang Totoong Buhay ni Pacita M.
Inay
The Flor Contemplacion Story
Muling Umawit ang Puso
Bakit May Kahapon Pa?
Babae
Naglalayag
Thy Womb
Ang Kwento Ni Mabuti
Taklub
Tuos

She won for Andrea, Paano Ba ang Maging Isang Ina?, Ang Totoong Buhay ni Pacita M., Inay, The Flor Contemplacion Story, and Thy Womb.
Other multiple winners include:

Year	Winner/s	Film
1990	Nora Aunor	Andrea, Paano Ba ang Maging Isang Ina?
1991	Nora Aunor Aga Muhlach	Ang Totoong Buhay ni Pacita M. Joey Boy Munti
1992	Maricel Soriano	Ikaw Pa Lang ang Minahal
1993	Nora Aunor Aga Muhlach	Inay Hindi Kita Malilimutan
1994	Maricel Soriano	Vampira
1995	Nora Aunor	The Flor Contemplacion Story
1996	Christopher de Leon	Madrasta
1997	Patrick Garcia	Batang PX
1998	Vilma Santos	Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa?
1999	Elizabeth Oropesa	Bulaklak ng Maynila
2000	Gloria Romero Hilda Koronel Dina Bonnevie Edu Manzano Johnny Delgado Joel Torre Cherry Pie Picache Marvin Agustin Jericho Rosales CJ Ramos Shaina Magdayao John Prats Dominic Ochoa Janet McBride Carol Banawa	Tanging Yaman
2001	Jaclyn Jose	Minsan May Isang Puso
2002	Vilma Santos Piolo Pascual	Dekada '70
2003	Katherine Luna	Babae sa Breakwater
2004	Dennis Trillo Jomari Yllana	Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita Minsan Pa
2005	Coco Martin	Masahista
2006	Maricel Soriano	Inang Yaya
2007	Jason Abalos	Endo
2008	Anita Linda	Adela
2009	Janice de Belen	Last Viewing
2010	Carla Abellana Raul Arellano	Shake, Rattle and Roll 12: Punerarya Himpapawid
2011	Diana Zubiri	Bahay Bata
2012	Nora Aunor	Thy Womb
2013	Carlo Aquino Jhong Hilario	Porno Badil
2014	Eula Valdez and Nonie Buencamino	Dagitab
2015	Lou Veloso	Da Dog Show
2016	Laila Ulao	Women of the Weeping River
2017	Anthony Falcon	Mga Gabing Kasinghaba ng Hair Ko
2018	Nadine Lustre	Never Not Love You
2019	Isabel Sandoval	Lingua Franca
2020	JC Santos Kim Chloe Oquendo, Noel Comia Jr., Jigger Sementilla, and John Vincent Servilla	Kintsugi Death of Nintendo