Nikki Gil and Jodi Santa Maria Also Earn International Recognition

MANILA, Philippines - We haven’t even finished celebrating the nomination of Sid Lucero for Best Performance by an Actor (for his role in “Dahil May Isang Ikaw”) at the 38th International Emmy Awards, to be held on November 21-22, and already, more local actors are reaping recognitions abroad.

According to “The Buzz” head writer, Darla Sauler, two more local celebrities have shined in their respective projects. “ASAP XV” and “E-Live” host Nikki Gil got a nod for the Best Actress category in the first Vietnam International Film Festival (VNIFF) for her performance in “The Red Shoes,” where she starred opposite Marvin Agustin.

According to the text message sent by Nikki’s mom to Bulletin Entertainment, the organizers stated that “The Red Shoes” was first spotted by a festival programmer during a screening in Cinemalaya this year, who then recommended it to the selection committee of VNIFF. The movie is also in competition for Best Picture.

The first Vietnam International Film Festival will be held from Oct. 17-21, where “The Red Shoes” will be screened on Oct. 18-19. This screening will be attended by director Raul Jorolan and writer James Ladioray.

Nikki is likewise said to be flying to Hanoi on Oct. 19 to attend the festival, and she would be staying at a 5-star hotel called Melia with other Asian stars such as Hong Kong’s Daniel Wu. "The competition will be tough, but to be nominated is such an honor already," Nikki tells Bulletin Entertainment.

Conversely, “The Red Shoes” is currently in competition in Bogota, Colombia as the only Southeast Asian film in the festival, and prior to competing in Vietnam, will be in the China Golden Rooster & Hundred Flowers Film Festival. It is also slated to be released on DVD this month.

Meanwhile, Darla also blogged about Jodi Sta. Maria, who also flew to Korea to attend the premiere of her movie, “Chassis,” at the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF). The PIFF is the largest cinema event in Asia, and is held this year from Oct. 7 - 15 in the southern port of Seoul.

Also within the month of October, “Chassis” is likewise invited to the Vancouver International Film Festival. By November, it will be screened at the Argentina Film Festival, where Jodi is nominated for Best Actress.

By January, the film is said to be brought to the Rotterdam in the Netherlands for screening. As per Darla, Jodi said they are all competing “para sa ‘Pinas!”

Manila Bulletin