{"id":18014,"date":"2025-12-29T01:02:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T17:02:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/?p=18014"},"modified":"2025-12-29T01:02:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T17:02:26","slug":"im-perfect-makes-history-at-mmff-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/2025\/12\/29\/im-perfect-makes-history-at-mmff-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I\u2019M PERFECT\u2019 MAKES HISTORY AT MMFF 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHOTO CAPTION: The Cast of ImPerfect starring Krystel Go and Earl Amaba, Nathan Studios producer Sylvia Sanchez-Atayde and director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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IN a watershed moment for Philippine cinema and global disability representation, the romance drama I\u2019mPerfect was crowned Best Picture at the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Gabi ng Parangal last Saturday at the Dusit Hotel in Makati City. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Produced by Nathan Studios and directed by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, the film shattered glass ceilings by being the first mainstream Filipino feature to star two leads with Down syndrome\u2014Krystel Go and Earl Amaba\u2014in a romantic narrative.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not only for marking a milestone for the first time ever for the movie\u2019s 51-year history, but it also made actress Krystel Go win a historic first ever best actress trophy \u2014 the first for an actor with Down Syndrome. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cInclusivity in one word that\u2019s how I simply described this historic milestone for Philippine cinema,\u201d Bernardo said. \u201cI pushed for this film for several years since 2009, the first time I wrote the script. I thought nobody would produce the film. I thanked Nathan Studios for the fantastic opportunity.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n

The victory marks a decisive shift in the industry, proving that inclusive storytelling can triumph over traditional box-office formulas. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Accepting the award, Director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo revealed the project powered by the CMB film services and VLTF Co Production was a labor of love, often rejected for its \u201crisky\u201d premise that led to historic achievements. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI doubted myself, but I never gave up on them. It was a big reward that this film had already released in cinemas and saw them dancing on the stage, getting the attention they deserved and being interviewed is an absolute success,\u201d she said. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI am already a big winner as I proved my point. These awards are priceless, and they are the icing on cake. These are the rewards,\u201d Bernardo added, referring to the Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Ensemble Performance (Special Jury Prize) awards. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cVOICES FINALLY HEARD\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n

Executive Producer Sylvia Sanchez, who championed the project when others turned it away, was visibly emotional. In a poignant moment on stage, she was embraced by the cast, declaring the victory a testament to the capability of the Down syndrome community. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cPersons with disability: you made history tonight,” Sanchez said. <\/strong><\/p>\n

This award has just proven to the public that people with Down syndrome are capable, professional, and worthy of the spotlight. <\/strong><\/p>\n

GLOBAL SIGNIFICANCE \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The victory of I\u2019mPerfect is poised to ripple beyond the Philippines, offering a new benchmark for global cinema. <\/strong><\/p>\n

By casting neurodivergent actors to tell their own stories\u2014rather than relying on neurotypical actors to mimic them\u2014the film challenges international standards of authenticity and representation. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Beyond the top prize, I\u2019mPerfect secured critical wins that underscore the film\u2019s artistic excellence: Best Picture; Best Actress: Krystel Go (A historic first for an actor with Down syndrome in the festival\u2019s 51-year history) and Best Ensemble Performance (Special Jury Prize) <\/strong><\/p>\n

ABOUT NATHAN STUDIOS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nathan Studios is a multimedia production company committed to telling “stories with a heart” and pushing the boundaries of Filipino content for a global audience and the film is currently screening in cinemas nationwide.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PHOTO CAPTION: The Cast of ImPerfect starring Krystel Go and Earl Amaba, Nathan Studios producer Sylvia Sanchez-Atayde and director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo   IN a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2,5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18014"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18014"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18014\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18016,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18014\/revisions\/18016"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}