# 1978 Metro Manila Film Festival

The 4th Metro Manila Film Festival had its run in 1978 starting from December 25 onwards. There were nine official entries and Atsay was hailed as the Festival's Best Film.
Ian Film Productions' Atsay received the most awards, with a total of four including Best Picture Award in the highly contested 1978 Metro Manila Film Festival. The movie also won for Nora Aunor the Best Performer Award, the first and only awardee of the category. Sampaguita Pictures' Rubia Servios received two awards: Best Screenplay for Mario O'Hara and Best Editing for Jose Tarnate. RVQ's Jack n' Jill of the Third Kind was the top grosser of the festival.

## Entries

| Title | Starring | Studio | Director | Genre |
| Atsay | Nora Aunor, Ronald Corveau, Amy Austria, Armida Siguion-Reyna, Roldan Aquino, Renato Robles, Lilian Laing, Angie Ferro, Bella Flores | Ian Film Productions | Eddie Garcia | Drama, Romance |
| Garrote: Jai Alai King | Christopher de Leon, Marianne dela Riva, Dranreb, Johnny Delgado, Amy Austria, Cynthia Gonzales, Allan Valenzuela, Manny Luna | VP Pictures | Manuel 'Fyke' Cinco | Action, Drama, Sport |
| Ang Huling Lalaki ng Baluarte | Rey Malonzo, Tina Monasterio | SQ Film Productions | Artemio Marquez | Action |
| Jack n'Jill of the Third Kind | Dolphy, Nora Aunor, Rolly Quizon, Panchito, Paquito Diaz, Martin Marfil, Georgie Quizon, Max Vera | RVQ Productions | Frank Gray Jr. | Comedy |
| The Jess Lapid Story | Lito Lapid, Beth Bautista | Mirick Films | Gallardo | Action |
| Katawang Alabok | Robert Arevalo, Daisy Romualdez, Orestes Ojeda, Janet Bordon, Vic Silayan, Lorna Tolentino, Manny Luna, Anita Linda, Lucita Soriano | Agrix Film Productions | Emmanuel Borlaza | Drama |
| Kid Kaliwete | Bembol Roco, George Estregan, Trixia Gomez, Jean Saburit, Joonee Gamboa, Cynthia Gonzales, Val Iglesias | Associated Entertainment Corp. | Manuel 'Fyke' Cinco | Action, Sport |
| Rubia Servios | Vilma Santos, Mat Ranillo III, Phillip Salvador | Sampaguita Pictures | Lino Brocka | Drama |
| Salonga | Rudy Fernandez, George Estregan, Trixia Gomez, Ruel Vernal, Raul Aragon, Dencio Padilla, Amy Austria, Rodolfo 'Boy' Garcia, Jose Romulo, Veronica Jones | MBM Productions | Romy Suzara | Action, Drama |

## Awards

Winners are listed first, highlighted with boldface and indicated with a double dagger (‡). Nominees are also listed if applicable.
| Best Film | Best Director |
| Atsay – Ian Film Productions‡ | Eddie Garcia – Atsay‡ |
| Best Performer | Best Editing |
| Nora Aunor – Atsay‡ | Jose Tarnate – Rubia Servios‡ |
| Best Screenplay | Best Cinematography |
| Mario O'Hara – Rubia Servios‡ | Romeo Vitug – Atsay‡ |
| Best Art Direction |
| Robert L. Lee III and Peter Perlas – Katawang Alabok‡ |

## Multiple awards

| Awards | Film |
| 4 | Atsay |
| 2 | Rubia Servios |

## Ceremony Information
### "Noranians" versus "Vilmanians"

The board of jurors decided to not award honors for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress for some reasons. Instead, the jurors gave Nora Aunor a "Best Performer" award for her role in the movie Atsay. Ms. Aunor beat Ms. Santos, whom fortune-tellers on the talk show of Inday Badiday had predicted would win the award for her role in the movie Rubia Servios.

## Atsay vs. Rubia Servios commentary

In 1979, Isagani Cruz of TV Times commented about Atsay and Rubia Servios. He states: "Rubia Servios is Lino Brocka's film; Atsay is Eddie Garcia's. Nora does an excellent acting job; but so does Vilma Santos, and Rubia is a much more demanding and difficult role. Edgardo M. Reyes is an established literary figure, but Mario O'Hara is much better screenwriter. Overall, Atsay may be much more impressive than Rubia Servios. In terms of challenging our moral and legal convictions, however, Rubia Servios is much more significant."