THE 2001 METRO MANILA FILM FESTIVAL: CESAR MONTANO, DE ROSSI SISTERS TOP AWARDEES; "YAMASHITA" BEST PICTURE

Actor Cesar Montano, actress Assunta de Rossi and the movie, Yamashita: The Tiger’s Treasure topped the 2001 Metro Manila Film Festival. Montano and De Rossi took home the Best Actor and Best Actress awards for their performances in the films Bagong Buwan and Hubog respectively. Bagong Buwan and Hubog made it to the top three Best Picture honors but both bowed to MAQ Productions’ Yamashita which won a total of 11 awards--- Best Picture, Best Director (Chito Rono), Best Production Design (Fernan Santiago and Max Paglinawan), Best Sound (Albert Michael Idioma), Best Editor (Manet Dayrit), Best Cinematography (Neil Daza), Best Screenplay ( Roy Iglesias and Chito Rono), Best Story (Roselle Monteverde-Teo, Roy Iglesias and Chito Rono), Best Visual Effects (Roadrunner Network, Inc.). Best Make-up Artist (Warren Munar) and Best Float.

Assunta’s younger sister Alessandra was named Best Supporting Actress for Hubog, while Ronnie Lazaro bagged the Best Supporting Actress award for Bagong Buwan. Bagong Buwan also received five other awards--- Best Child Performer (Jiro Manio), Best Original Theme Song (Joey Ayala/ “Walang Hanggang Paalam”), Best Musical Score (Nonong Buencamino), Second Best Picture and the Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award.

"Yamashita: The Tiger's Treasure" (2001)- Stars Danilo Barrios, Camille Prats, Armando Goyena, Rustom Padilla, Carlo Munoz, Vic Diaz, Tetsuya Matsui and Albert Martinez/ Directed by Chito Rono

"Bagong Buwan" (2001)- Stars Cesar Montano, Jericho Rosales, Amy Austria, Carida Sanchez, Jiro Manio, Ronnie Lazaro/ Directed by MarilouDiaz-Abaya

"Tatarin" (2001)- StarsDina Bonnevie, Edu Manzano, Rica Peralejo, Raymond Bagatsing, Carlos Morales, Patricia Javier/ Directed by Tikoy Aguiluz

"Hubog" (2001)- Stars Jay Manalo, Wendell Ramos, Alessandra de Rossi and Assunta de Rossi/ Directed by Joel Lamangan

"Susmaryosep: 4 Fathers" (2001)- Stars Bobby Andrews, Bojo Molina, Polo Ravales, Gerard Madrid/ Directed by Edgardo 'Boy' Vinarao

"Bahay ni Lola" (2001)- Stars Gloria Romero, Aiza Seguerra, Manilyn Reynes and Gina Alajar/ with James Blanco, Maybelyn dela Cruz, Maxene Magalona, Miko Sotto, Isabella de Leon and Alan K/Directed by Uro Q. dela Cruz

Di Kita Ma-Reach" (2001)- Stars Mickey Macapagal Arroyo, LJ Moreno, Eula Valdez, Tonton Gutierrez, Ana Capri, Raymond Bagatsing/ Directed by Wilfredo Milan