Walang Forever wins big at MMFF

Walang Forever, a romantic comedy starring Jennylyn Mercado and Jericho Rosales, was the runaway winner at the 41st Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) at the Kia Theater, Quezon City on December 27.
Walang Forever won a total of 6 awards including Best Picture, Best Story, Best Screenplay as well as the FPJ Memorial Award for Excellence.
Stars of Walang Forever Rosales and Mercado were named Best Actor and Actress for their performances. It's the second, back-to-back win for Mercado who also received the Best Actress award last year for her performance in English Only Please.
Despite the MMFF's controversial decision to disqualify it in the Best Picture category, Honor Thy Father still managed to win five awards. Erik Matti received the awards for Best Director, Best Supporting Actor went to Tirso Cruz III, Best Child Performer went to Krystal Brimner, Best Make-Up Artist to Ryan Panaligan and Erika Racela and Best Original Theme Song to Tao as performed by Armi Millare.
Three other films also won big in the MMFF. Pedring Lopez's supernatural action thriller Nilalang, which dominated most of the technical awards while lead actor Cesar Montano who replaced Robin Padilla in the film was also honoured as the Male Celebrity of the Night.
Randolph Longjas' horror-comedy, Buy Now, Die Later won 2nd Best Picture, Best Production Design and Best Float while Jose Javier Reyes' My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore, reportedly the festival's top grosser, also won 3rd Best Picture, the Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award and in a surprise upset, Best Supporting Actress for overnight sensation Maine Mendoza.