'Alipato at Muog' wins Best Picture at the 48th Gawad Urian

URIAN HAS AWARDED Best Picture to Alipato at Muog, a documentary about farmer-activist, Jonas Burgos, whose abduction in 2007 points heavily to the involvement of military personnel. Burgos remains missing to this day, and the doc is director JL Burgos' call to surface his missing brother. The film also received awards for Best Documentary and Best Editing.

It's worth retelling — over and over — that the MTRCB had a big hand in the attempted censorship of Alipato at Muog during its theatrical run, where it was initially given an X-rating for its "tendency" to "undermine the faith and confidence of the people in their government and/or the duly constituted authorities." Again, the military is suspected to be heavily involved in the abduction center in Alipato at Muog. The film was later reclassified as an R-16 film.

Another documentary, Richard Salvadico's Tumandok, took home the most awards last night, with four awards, including Best Supporting Actor posthumously awarded to Felipe Ganancial, who unfortunately passed away last May. Tumandok also won Best Direction, Best Screenplay, and Best Music. The film is a docu-fiction film that intimately recounts Ati people's struggles in reclaiming their ancestral land.

Here's the full list of winners at the 48th Gawad Urian awards.

48th Gawad Urian Winners

• Best Picture: Alipato at Muog
• Best Actor: Dennis Trillo, Green Bones
• Best Actress: Arisa Nakano, Kono Basho
• Best Supporting Actor: Felipe Ganancial, Tumandok
• Best Supporting Actress: Kakki Teodoro, Isang Himala
• Best Direction: Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay and Richard Jeroui Salvadico, Tumandok
• Best Screenplay: Arden Rod Condez and Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay, Tumandok
• Best Documentary: Alipato at Muog
• Best Short Film: Bisan Abo, Wala Bilin (Even Ashes, Nothing Remains) 
• Best Cinematography: Dan Villegas, Kono Basho
• Best Production Design: Marxie Maolen Fadul, Green Bones
• Best Editing: JL Burgos, Alipato at Muog
• Best Music: Paulo Almaden, “The Ati People of Kabarangkalan and Nagpana,” Tumandok
• Best Sound: Jannina Mikaela Minglanilla and Michaela Docena, The Hearing
• Natatanging Gawad: Dante Rivero

Gawad Urian is presented by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, a group founded by critics, writers, and scholars in May 1976, which aims to serve as "the critics' voice." It is inarguably thought as the foremost film award-giving body in the country in terms of prestige and credibility.