Well, there you go, as i have earlier said, Baler is one worthwhile film to see among the entries to the 34th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). In the 2008 MMFF Awards Night held Saturday evening at the Sofitel Hotel, it managed to garner ten awards. It won for Anne Curtis her first acting award, and a Best Actress award at that!

Baler was also declared Best Festival Picture, and also won Best Director for Mark Meily, Best Supporting Actor for Philip Salvador, and the Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award. Manilyn Reynes won Best Supporting Actress for “One Night Only” while Christopher de Leon won Best Actor for “Magkaibigan.”

In the technical film-making categories, Baler almost sweep the MMFF awards night winning Best Screenplay for Roy Iglesias, Best Cinematography for Lee Meily, Best Production Design for Aped Santos, and Best Editing for Danny Anonuevo.

Animated film “Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia” won four awards with Best Visual Effects for Robert Quilao, Best Busical Score for Jessie Lasaten, Best Theme Song for “Lipad” (by Jessie Lasaten and Artemio Abad Jr., performed by Lea Salonga), and Best Sound for Albert Idioma and Wally Dellosa. Jose Javier Reyes won Best Original Story for “One Night Only”; Robert Villar won Best Child Performer (”Shake, Rattle, and Roll X”); and Noli Villalobos for Best Make-Up (”Desperadas 2″).

MMFF Top grossers “Ang Tanging Ina Ninyong Lahat,” which so far earned 41 million pesos in its first two days of showing, was declared the 2nd Best Festival Picture, while “Iskul Bukol: 20 Years After,” which raked in P35.6 million in 2 days, was declared the 3rd Best Festival Picture.

Incidentally, Baler has a 2 day box-office receipt total of P15.2 million to place third among the top-grossers.

Kris Aquino tops the 2008 YES! magazine’s Top 20 Celebrity Endorsers. Ranking is based on the most money earned by the celebrity endorser. What is surprising is the six degrees( or even closer) of separation in the Top 20 Celebrity Endorsers, like mother and daughter Sharon Cuneta and KC Concepcion; former husbands and wives, Movie Queen and now Batangas Governor Vilma Santos and OMB Chair Edu Manzano, not to mention former wife Maricel Soriano; brother and sister Richard and Ruffa Gutierrez, among others, such an interesting mix..Here is the rest of the Top 20 Celebrity Endorsers of 2008:

1. Kris Aquino - 22 tri-media endorsements
2. Sharon Cuneta - 5 tri-media endorsements
3. Marian Rivera - 25 tri-media endorsements (tied with)
KC Concepcion - 9 tri-media endorsements
4. Aga Muhlach - 6 tri-media endorsements
5. Piolo Pascual - 15 tri-media endorsements
6. Judy Ann Santos - 24 tri-media endorsements
7. Vilma Santos - 4 tri-media endorsements
8. Robin Padilla - 5 tri-media endorsements
9. Richard Gutierrez - 9 tri-media endorsements (tied with)
Maricel Soriano - 7 tri-media endorsements
10. Dingdong Dantes - 9 tri-media endorsements
11. Dawn Zulueta - 7 tri-media endorsements
12. Lucy Torres-Gomez - 10 tri-media endorsements (tied with)
Angel Locsin - 11 tri-media endorsements
13. Manny Pacquiao - 9 tri-media endorsements
14. Sarah Geronimo - 10 tri-media endorsements
15. Lea Salonga - 4 tri-media endorsements
16. Edu Manzano - 10 tri-media endorsements
17. John Lloyd Cruz - 8 tri-media endorsements
18. Toni Gonzaga - 8 tri-media endorsements
19. Anne Curtis - 5 tri-media endorsements
20. Ruffa Gutierrez - 7 tri-media endorsements

Because of so many complains on the results, particularly from Angel Locsin fans, YES! Magazine through Summit Media President Ms. Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng, answered the hullaballoo:

“I have spoken to Ms. Maglipon, our Editor-in-Chief, and this is how they computed for the results. They actually counted the number of endorsements that Ms. Locsin has 12 active endorsements and then asked around the industry about her talent fee. The YES! team then multiplied the number of endorsements versus the rate card in order to come out with an annual number. Please read YES! and tell us if we got the number of endorsements wrong. If you can give us facts, we will definitely print your letter and admit our error.”

To know more about the List and many other celebrities, grab a copy of the October 2008 issue of YES! Magazine, with Dawn Zulueta on the main cover, available now in your favorite magazine stands and bookstores.