By BENG RAGON

In a 45-minute awards show minus grand production numbers, dramatic presentations, and long acceptance speeches, the 33rd Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Awards Night succeeded in getting straight to the point and hailed top victors of the night Sen. Jinggoy Estrada honored Best Actor for "Katas ng Saudi" and Maricel Soriano named Best Actress for "Bahay Kubo."

The awarding ceremonies held Saturday, January 5, at SMX Convention Center in Mall of Asia, revealed unexpected winners like first-time director Cesar Apolinario earning the Best Director plum for the indie film "Banal."

The announcement came as a surprise more to Apolinario who was astounded by the recognition given to his directorial debut which got rave reviews from movie critics who overlooked the film’s budget constraints.

He was proud to say that "Banal" was only shot for 12 days and that he did everything the indie way.

His triumph was even acknowledged by veteran director Jose Javier Reyes, winning Best Screenplay for "Katas ng Saudi," as an inspiration to many. He said that it’s one of the best highlights of this year’s MMFF which didn’t fail to notice the remarkable work of a promising filmmaker.

Reyes, however, failed to bag the Best Picture award for his top-grosser film "Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo," landing only second to sci-fi futuristic flick "Resiklo," picked as the first Best Picture. This caught many spectators by surprise, because for the MMFF, a festival entry which earned more profit in gross receipts automatically becomes the Best Picture. Last year’s 1st Best Picture "Enteng Kabisote," which is also leading in this year’s box-office race next to "Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo," was only named 3rd Best Picture in the recent awards night.

Another surprising twist in the awards show was the victory of comedienne Eugene Domingo who got the Best Supporting Actress award for her commendable role in "Bahay Kubo." Before her foray into showbiz, Dominggo started her career in theater. In her acceptance speech, she stressed that her trophy just shows that stage actors like her also have a place in the movie industry.

Meanwhile, overwhelmed by his very first acting award, Estrada, who has been inactive in showbiz for many years, dedicated his trophy to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who have been his inspiration in his come backing movie.

"Ang tagal kong nagbakasyon sa pagiging artista. Hindi ko akalain na makakakuha pa ako ng ganitong klaseng award," he said on stage after thanking his family, colleagues in the industry, and everybody who supported him both in his political and acting career.

Soriano, who was nowhere in sight that night, bested strong contender Judy Ann Santos who won last year’s Best Actress award for "Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo." Lily Monteverde, producer of "Bahay Kubo" made under Regal Entertainment, and director Manny Valera received the award in behalf of Soriano.

Other winners in the major awards category were Best Supporting Actor Roi Vinzon for "Resiklo"; and Cesar Apolinario and May Cruz winning Best Original Story for "Banal."