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Jericho Rosales and Ashtine Olviga take acting honors as Lea Salonga, BarBara Luna, Priscilla Hunt and the creative forces behind Filipino filmmaking are recognized
LOS ANGELES — Manila’s Finest and 58th emerged as winners of the 2026 Manila International Film Festival, capping four days of screenings, industry programs and tributes to Filipino talent in Hollywood.
At the Sept. 6 Closing Night Awards Gala at The Beverly Hilton, Manila’s Finest won Best Picture in the narrative category. Ashtine Olviga received Best Actress, while director Raymond Red won Best Cinematography.
Jericho Rosales was named Best Actor for his portrayal of Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon in Jerrold Tarog’s Quezon.
The documentary 58th, which revisits the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, won Best Picture in the documentary category, with Carl Joseph Papa receiving Best Director. Reynafe Castillo, daughter of photojournalist Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay, received MIFF’s Shining a Light Award. Momay is recognized among the massacre victims, although his remains have never been recovered.
A Shining a Light Award also went to actress Sheryl Cruz and producer Marcos Mamay for Kappa-Tiran, which examines hazing and its consequences.
Lea Salonga received the MIFF Icon Award, adding to a week in which the Tony and Olivier Award-winning performer was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Veteran Filipino American actress BarBara Luna received a Trailblazer Award for a career spanning more than seven decades. Luna originated the role of Ngana in the 1949 Broadway production of South Pacific and later appeared in The King and I, The Teahouse of the August Moon and A Chorus Line. Her film credits include The Devil at 4 O’Clock and Ship of Fools. Television audiences also know her as Lt. Marlena Moreau in the 1967 Star Trek episode “Mirror, Mirror.”
Priscilla Hunt also received a Trailblazer Award, recognizing a career extending from entertainment into business leadership and philanthropy. Hunt, president and chief executive of Hunt Enterprises, has recorded music and supported programs providing young musicians with instruction and recording opportunities.
MIFF presented posthumous Lifetime Achievement Awards to National Artist Nora Aunor and singer-actress Pilita Corrales. Actress Janine Gutierrez, granddaughter of both women, accepted the honors for their families. The inaugural Generations Award went to Jon Jon and Megan Briones and their children, Isa and Teo.
DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island also figured in the Trailblazer honors, with writers-directors Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado recognized along with members of the cast and creative team.
The Sept. 3-6 festival at the TCL Chinese Theatre included screenings, filmmaker conversations, a Community Shorts Program with FilAm Creative, an animation panel and an awards-season session.
Behind the festival, Lisa Lew serves as executive producer and co-founder; Winston Emano as programming chairman and co-producer; Ted Benito as consulting producer and scriptwriter; and Meriden Angeles as coordinating producer. Television producer-director Mark Arbitrario directed MIFF’s awards-gala production, while Moses Park is credited as a co-producer.
