# 2002 Metro Manila Film Festival

The 28th Metro Manila Film Festival was held in Manila, Philippines from December 25, 2002, to January 10, 2003. Two significant changes to the festival began with this edition: the festival became nationwide in scope, and its duration lasted two weeks instead of ten days.
Regal Films' Mano Po received the most number of awards out of the nine entries with a total of twelve awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Eddie Garcia), Best Actress (Ara Mina), Best Supporting Actress (Kris Aquino), and Best Director (Joel Lamangan). The film is also the recipient of the Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Awards.

## Entries

There are two batches of films in competition, the first batch was shown from December 25, while the second batch was shown on January 1, 2003.
| Title | Starring | Studio | Director | Genre |
| First batch |||||
| Ang Agimat: Anting-Anting ni Lolo | Ramon Revilla Sr., Ramon "Jolo" Revilla, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., Mylene Dizon, Carlos Morales, Shaina Magdayao, Nancy Castiglione, Jaime Fabregas, Pen Medina, Goyong, Karylle Padilla, Gina Alajar | Imus Productions | Augusto Salvador | Action, adventure, fantasy |
| Ang Alamat ng Lawin | Fernando Poe, Jr., Ina Raymundo, Cathy Vilar, Ryan Yamazaki, Franklin Cristobal, Khen Kurillo, Romy Diaz, Augusto Victa, Alex Cunanan, William Romero | FPJ Productions | Ronwaldo Reyes | Action, adventure, family, fantasy |
| Dekada '70 | Vilma Santos, Christopher de Leon, Piolo Pascual, Marvin Agustin, Carlos Agassi, Danilo Barrios, John Wayne Sace | Star Cinema | Chito Roño | Period drama |
| Home Along da Riber | Dolphy, Jolina Magdangal, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Vandolph, Eddie Gutierrez, Long Mejia, James Blanco, Boy2 Quizon, Michelle Quizon, Palito | RVQ Productions | Enrico Quizon | Comedy, drama, musical |
| Hula Mo... Huli Ko | Rudy Fernandez, Rufa Mae Quinto | Reflection Films | Edgardo 'Boy' Vinarao | Action, comedy |
| Lapu-Lapu | Lito Lapid, Joyce Jimenez, Jeric Raval, Mark Lapid, Roi Vinzon, Jess Lapid Jr., Vic Vargas, Gloria Sevilla, Maria Isabel Lopez, Ian Veneracion, Julio Diaz, Bob Soler, Conrad Poe, Robert Rivera, Dinah Dominguez, Clod Robinson, Dante Rivero | Calinauan Cineworks | William G. Mayo | Historical action |
| Mano Po | Maricel Soriano, Richard Gomez, Kris Aquino, Ara Mina, Eddie Garcia, Gina Alajar, Boots Anson-Roa, Amy Austria, Tirso Cruz III, Cogie Domingo, Maxene Magalona, Jay Manalo, Eric Quizon | Regal Films | Joel Lamangan | Drama |
| Second batch |||||
| Lastikman | Vic Sotto, Donita Rose, Jeffrey Quizon, Michael V., Michelle Bayle, Ryan Eigenmann, Anne Curtis, Oyo Boy Sotto | Octoarts Films, M-Zet Productions | Tony Y. Reyes | Action, comedy, fantasy, superhero |
| Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut | Vhong Navarro, Jhong Hilario, Spencer Reyes, Danilo Barrios, Chris Cruz, Gloria Romero, Jaime Fabregas | MAQ Productions, Roadrunner Network, Inc. | Chito Roño | Action, adventure, fantasy, horror |

## Winners and nominees
### Awards

Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.
| Best Film | Best Director |
| Mano Po - Regal Films Dekada '70 - Star Cinema (2nd Best Picture) Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut - MAQ Productions and Roadrunner Network, Inc. (3rd Best Picture) Ang Agimat: Anting-Anting ni Lolo - Imus Productions Home Along da Riber - RVQ Productions Ang Alamat ng Lawin - FPJ Productions Hula Mo... Huli Ko - Reflection Films Lastikman - Octoarts Films and M-Zet Productions Lapu-Lapu | Joel Lamangan - Mano Po |
| Best Actor | Best Actress |
| Eddie Garcia – Mano Po Fernando Poe, Jr. - Ang Alamat ng Lawin Christopher de Leon - Dekada '70 Lito Lapid - Lapu-Lapu Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. - Agimat: Ang Anting-Anting ni Lolo Dolphy - Home Along da Riber Rudy Fernandez - Hula Mo, Huli Ko Vic Sotto - Lastikman | Ara Mina – Mano Po Maricel Soriano - Mano Po Joyce Jimenez - Lapu-Lapu Donita Rose - Lastikman Vilma Santos - Dekada '70 Rufa Mae Quinto - Hula Mo, Huli Ko Zsa Zsa Padilla - Home Along da Riber Ina Raymundo - Ang Alamat ng Lawin |
| Best Supporting Actor | Best Supporting Actress |
| Piolo Pascual – Dekada '70 | Kris Aquino – Mano Po |
| Best Cinematography | Best Production Design |
| Leslie Garchitorena - Mano Po | Tatus Aldana - Mano Po |
| Best Child Performer | Best Editing |
| John Wayne Sace - Dekada '70 | Tara Illenberger - Mano Po |
| Best Original Story | Best Screenplay |
| Lily Monteverde and Roy Iglesias - Mano Po | Roy Iglesias - Mano Po |
| Best Original Theme Song | Best Musical Score |
| ("Nasaan Ka Man") - Home Alone Da Riber | Von de Guzman - Mano Po |
| Best Visual Effects | Best Make-up Artist |
| Roadrunner Network, Inc. - Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut | Warren Munar - Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut |
| Best Sound Recording | Best Float |
| Nestor Mutya - Hula Mo... Huli Ko | Ang Agimat: Anting-Anting ni Lolo - Imus Productions |
| Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Awards |
| Mano Po - Regal Films |

## Multiple awards

| Awards | Film |
| 12 | Mano Po |
| 3 | Dekada '70 |
| 3 | Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut |

## Ceremony information

During the "Gabi ng Parangal" held in PICC on December 27, there were some controversies:

### Walking out of Dekada '70 cast

The cast of the film Dekada '70 walked out of the award ceremonies after Lualhati Bautista failed to win the Best Story and Best Screenplay awards. Even more controversial was the decision of the judges to name the first-timer Ara Mina the Best Actress for her role in Mano Po, beating multi-awarded Vilma Santos, who was in Dekada '70.

### Inclusion of two films

The producers of the films Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut and Lastikman protested the non-inclusion of the two films as official entries, prompting the Metro Manila Film Festival committee to extend the annual event. Consequently, the committee extended the film screenings to seven days to accommodate two more films which did not make it to the entries.

### Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut issues

Chito Roño, director of Second Best Picture Dekada '70, was curious as to why Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut was named the Third Best Picture award if the officials disqualified it as an official entry. In the same way, the production team of Ang Agimat: Anting-Anting ni Lolo was also appalled to the decision of the jurors to give the Best Visual Effects award to Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut if they only use "mono", beating their use of the more advanced "Dolby Digital System".

## Box office gross

Final figures as of January 10, 2003.
| Entry | Gross Ticket Sales |
| Mano Po | ₱67,220,645.40* |
| Lastikman | ₱59,107,245.90 |
| Ang Agimat: Anting-Anting ni Lolo | ₱46,528,274.28 |
| Spirit Warriors: The Shortcut | ₱39,941,856.68 |
| Dekada '70 | ₱37,945,673.25 |
| Home Along da Riber | ₱28,143,340.90 |
| Ang Alamat ng Lawin | ₱20,453,252.95 |
| Hula Mo... Huli Ko | ₱10,334,808.45 |
| Lapu-Lapu | ₱5,686,715.90 |
| TOTAL | ₱315,361,813.71 |