JM AND RITA LEAD ACTING WINNERS AT SINAG MAYNILA 2025

Kapamilya JM De Guzman and Kapuso Rita Daniela copped the Best Actor and Best Actress awards at this year’s edition of the Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival.

- By JERRY DONATO

JM De Guzman and Rita Daniela have been named Best Actor and Best Actress at the recent Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival. He plays a law firm messenger, who is wrongfully accused, in 'Selda Tres,' while she portrays a dedicated teacher, who seeks solace and refuge in a village in 'Madawag ang Landas Patungong Pag-Asa.' Both have met the accolade with surprise and gratitude.

The actor’s performance as the law firm messenger Julius in “Selda Tres” and the actress-singer's role as a rural, dedicated teacher Araceli in “Madawag ang Landas Patungong Pag-Asa’” were recognized during the filmfest’s closing event last Sunday.

JM and Rita worked under the tutelage of directors GB Sampedro and Joel Lamangan, respectively.

“This is my second,” said Rita about her acting win in a recent group chat, following the Sinag Maynila Gabi ng Parangal. “My first one was from an international film festival in Manhattan. It was (for) the movie “Huling Ulan sa Tag-Araw’ by direk Louie Ignacio naman.”

Available online information says that her portrayal of a bar entertainer and family breadwinner named Luisa earned for Rita the jury prize for Best Performance in a Feature Film at the 2022 International Film Festival Manhattan.

“Ito talagang, uy, (for this one), I didn’t expect kasi three years na po namin itong nagawa, eh (we completed “Madawag ang Landas Patungong Pag-Asa three years ago),” added she.

“Nagulat na lang ako na (I’m surprised that) it’s part of Sinag Maynila, and then, yun ang bilis ng pangyayari (things happened so quickly).”

And it took three years for Rita to finally watch the entirety of the film and the hard work she put into it.