By RAMPADOR ALINDOG
The local film awards season officially begins this weekend as the 9th Entertainment Editors’ Choice Awards, or The Eddys, gathers many of the country’s biggest stars and most acclaimed films in what is expected to be one of Philippine cinema’s most closely watched recognition events.
Organized by the Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors (SPEEd), the awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, July 5, at the Ceremonial Hall of the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City.
This year’s edition brings together a wide cross-section of the local film industry, with commercially successful titles, critically acclaimed productions, and some of the country’s biggest screen personalities competing for honors. The concentration of high-profile films and artists underscores the awards’ role as an early barometer of the industry’s strongest contenders as the awards season gets underway.
Fourteen competitive categories will recognize achievements in acting, directing, writing, and technical filmmaking, among others.
Competing for Best Picture are “Bar Boys: After School,” “Eraserheads: Combo on the Run,” “I’m Perfect,” “Journeyman,” “Quezon,” “Sunshine,” and “UnMarry.” The nominees reflect a broad mix of genres and storytelling approaches, from historical drama and documentary to coming-of-age, romance, and socially relevant narratives.
The Eddys will also present special honors recognizing achievements in both entertainment and public service.
Receiving this year’s Box Office Heroes awards are Vice Ganda for “Call Me Mother,” Maricel Soriano and the cast of “Meet, Greet, & Bye,” Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino for “My Love Will Make You Disappear,” and Richard Gutierrez for “Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins.”
The Isah V. Red Award will be presented to Chaye Cabal Revilla and Donny Pangilinan for their contributions to community service. Director and songwriter Joven Tan will receive the Joe Quirino Award, while veteran television reporter Lhar Santiago will be honored with the Manny Pichel Award for his contributions to entertainment journalism.
The ceremony will be hosted by Pops Fernandez and Kim Atienza, with Calvin Neria serving as director.
Performances throughout the evening will feature Fred Moser and Kanata of “Pinoy Big Brother,” together with the cast of “I’m Perfect,” as well as musical numbers from Isha Ponti, Jamie Rivera, Andrea Gutierrez, and David Young. AKTOR PH chairman Dingdong Dantes is also scheduled to present the organization’s ongoing initiatives in partnership with SPEEd and Unilab.
Now in its ninth year, The Eddys has established itself as one of the country’s major film awards, with entertainment editors recognizing outstanding achievements in Filipino filmmaking. Its opening of the awards season makes it one of the first opportunities each year for the local industry to celebrate the performances, filmmakers, and productions that defined Philippine cinema over the previous 12 months.
