THE FILM Academy of the Philippines (FAP) and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) have announced the nominees for the 37th Luna Awards, to be given on Nov. 30 at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Chito Rono’s Signal Rock and Kip Oebanda’s Liway lead the pack with nine nominations each including the top awards: Best Motion Picture and Best Director.

Aside from the top awards, Signal Rock is also nominated for 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 from the 1990s, Signal Rock is about Intoy who looks after his family in Biri, Samar. He communicates with his sister who is overseas by going to unusual rock formations on an island. Signal Rock won the 2018 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino Special Jury Prize, Critics’ Choice, and Best Performance by an Actor for Mr. Bables.

Liway — based on the experiences of Mr. Oebanda and his mother as Martial Law captives — received nominations for 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.

The film tells the story of a boy named Dakip who was born in a detention cell because his parents were political detainees. Dakip’s world is a prison camp that houses other political prisoners as well as criminals. In the 2018 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, Liway won the Audience Award in the Main Competition, a Special Jury Commendation, and a Special Jury Prize for Acting for Kenken Nuyad who portrayed Dakip.

Other top nominees for this year’s Luna Awards are Erik Matti’s Buy Bust and Jerrold Tarog’s Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral with eight nominations each.

Buy Bust and Goyo were both nominated for Best Motion Picture alongside acting awards and a Best Director nod for Mr. Matti.

Nominees for the Luna Awards are voted for by their peers; nominees per category are voted for by industry professionals from the same sector.

Special Awards will also be given. The late directors Wenn Deramas and Soxie Topacio will receive the Lamberto Avellana Memorial Award. Veteran actress Nova Villa will also be receiving the Manuel de Leon Exemplary Award, while Regal Films matriarch Lily Monteverde will be given the Fernando Poe, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award.

Below is the full list of nominees:

• 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 Wi-Fi)

• 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 Wi-Fi)

• BEST EDITING — Jay Halili (Buy Bust); Marya Ignacio and Noemi Paguiligan (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 — Lily Monteverde

• Manuel de Leon Award for Exemplary Achievements — Nova Villa

• Lamberto Avellana Memorial Award — Directors Wenn Deramas and Soxie Topacio — Zsarlene B. Chua

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