For the first time in 37 years, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) joins the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) in co-organizing the prestigious Luna Awards, which is regarded as the Philippine counterpart of the Academy Awards. The partnership between FDCP and FAP shows their commitment to work hand-in-hand in ensuring competence and excellence in the Philippine movie industry. The Luna Awards has a distinct voting process because nominees are voted for by their peers—nominees per category are voted for by industry professionals from the same sector.

On November 12, Tuesday, FDCP and FAP have recognized a total of 16 movies as nominees for the 37th Luna Awards. Leading the pack with nine nominations apiece are “Signal Rock” by Chito Roño and “Liway” by Kip Oebanda.

The nominations earned by “Signal Rock” are Best Picture, Best Director for Roño, Best Actor for Christian Bables, Best Supporting Actor for Mon Confiado, Best Supporting Actress for Daria Ramirez, Best Screenplay for Rodolfo Vera, Best Sound for Albert Michael Idioma and Alex Tomboc, Best Production Design for Mark Sabas, and Best Cinematography for Neil Daza. Based on a true story in the 1990s, “Signal Rock” is about Bables’ character, Intoy, who looks after his family in Biri, Samar. He communicates with his sister who is overseas by going to unusual rock formations in an island. “Signal Rock” won the 2018 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino Special Jury Prize, Critics’ Choice, and Best Performance by an Actor for Bables.

“Liway” garnered nine nominations in the categories of Best Motion Picture, Best Director for Oebanda, Best Actress for Glaiza de Castro, Best Supporting Actor for Soliman Cruz, Best Screenplay for Oebanda and Zig Dulay, Best Production Design for Aped Santos, Best Cinematography for Pong Ignacio, Best Musical Score for Nhick Ramiro Pacis, and Best Editing for Chuck Gutierrez. Like “Signal Rock,” “Liway” is based on a true story, but dating back earlier to the Martial Law era. It tells the story of a boy named Dakip who was born in a detention cell because his parents are political detainees. Dakip’s world is a prison camp which houses other political prisoners as well as criminals. In the 2018 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, “Liway” won the Audience Award in the Main Competition, Special Jury Commendation, and Special Jury Prize for Acting for Kenken Nuyad who portrayed Dakip.

Other top contenders for this year’s Luna Awards are Erik Matti’s “Buy Bust” and Jerrold Tarog’s “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral” with eight nominations each. Among the nominations of “Buy Bust” are Best Motion Picture, Best Director for Matti, and Best Supporting Actor for Arjo Atayde. The nominations for “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral” include Best Motion Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Carlo Aquino, and Best Supporting Actor for Epy Quizon. The Luna Awards Board of Governors have also selected two late directors, a veteran actress, and a longtime producer to be recipients of Special Awards. These are Wenn Deramas and Soxie Topacio for the Lamberto Avellana Memorial Award (Posthumous Award), Best Supporting Actress nominee Nova Villa for the Manuel de Leon Exemplary Award, and Regal Films matriarch Lily Monteverde, widely known as “Mother Lily,” for the Fernando Poe, Jr. (FPJ) Lifetime Achievement Award.

The distinguished personalities and professionals in the nominations list are expected to come together during the Nominees’ Night on November 20, Wednesday. The celebration continues at the 2019 Luna Awards Night on November 30, Saturday, at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Among the many things to watch out for at the Luna Awards Night is the special "Sine Sandaan" feature on the 100 Years of Philippine Cinema, which is being celebrated from September 12, 2019 to September 11, 2020, pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 622, Series of 2018. Through the Luna Awards and their future joint endeavors, FDCP and FAP vow to continue to promote Philippine Cinema so that it may further flourish in its Centennial celebration.

Below is the official list of nominees for the 37th Luna Awards:

BEST MOTION PICTURE

Liway (Exquisite Aspect Ventures, VY/AC Productions, and Cinemalaya)

Buy Bust (Viva Films and Reality Entertainment)

Signal Rock (CSR Productions)

Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (TBA Studios and Globe Studios)

Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus (Epicmedia Productions, CineFilipino, Unitel, and Cignal Entertainment)

BEST DIRECTOR

Chito Roño (Signal Rock)

Dwein Baltazar (Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus)

Erik Matti (Buy Bust)

Kip Oebanda (Liway)

Irene Villamor (Meet Me in St. Gallen)

BEST ACTOR

Eddie Garcia (Rainbow’s Sunset)

Christian Bables (Signal Rock)

Nicco Manalo (Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus)

Daniel Padilla (The Hows of Us)

Dingdong Dantes (Sid & Aya)

BEST ACTRESS

Angelica Panganiban (Exes Baggage)

Glaiza de Castro (Liway)

Ai Ai delas Alas (School Service)

Anne Curtis (Sid & Aya)

Agot Isidro (Changing Partners)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Arjo Atayde (Buy Bust)

Soliman Cruz (Liway)

Carlo Aquino (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral)

Epy Quizon (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral)

Mon Confiado (Signal Rock)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Aiko Melendez (Rainbow’s Sunset)

Daria Ramirez (Signal Rock)

Max Collins (Citizen Jake)

Nova Villa (Miss Granny)

Sunshine Dizon (Rainbow’s Sunset)

BEST SCREENPLAY

Carmi Raymundo, Gillian Ebreo, Crystal San Miguel, and Cathy Garcia-Molina (The Hows of Us)

Rodolfo Vera (Signal Rock)

Rodolfo Vera and Jerrold Tarog (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral)

Irene Villamor (Meet Me in St. Gallen)

Zig Dulay and Kip Oebanda (Liway)

BEST SOUND

Albert Michael Idioma and Alex Tomboc (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral)

Albert Michael Idioma and Alex Tomboc (Signal Rock)

Whannie Dellosa and Steven Vesagas (Buy Bust)

Axel Fernandez (Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus)

Jason Conanan, Mikko Quizon, and Kat Salinas (Meet Me in St. Gallen)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Michael Español and Roma Regala (Buy Bust)

Aped Santos (Liway)

Mark Sabas (Signal Rock)

Roy Lachica (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral)

Maolen Fadul (Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Neil Derrick Bion (Buy Bust)

Neil Daza (Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus)

Pong Ignacio (Liway)

Neil Daza (Signal Rock)

Tey Clamor (Ang Babaeng Allergic sa WiFi)

BEST MUSICAL SCORE

Jerrold Tarog (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral)

Malek Lopez and Erwin Romulo (Buy Bust)

Emerzon Texon (Meet Me in St. Gallen)

Nhick Ramiro Pacis (Liway)

Emerzon Texon (Ang Babaeng Allergic sa WiFi)

BEST EDITING

Jay Halili (Buy Bust)

Marya Ignacio and Beng Bandong (The Hows of Us)

Maynard Pattaui and Edlyn Tallada-Abuel (Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes)

Chuck Gutierrez (Liway)

Jerrold Tarog (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral)

Special Awards

Fernando Poe, Jr. (FPJ) Lifetime Achievement Award

Ms. Lily Monteverde

Manuel de Leon Award for Exemplary Achievements

Ms. Nova Villa

Lamberto Avellana Memorial Award

Director Wenn Deramas

Director Soxie Topacio

Share