EDDYS-winning entries inspired by true events

On the Job: The Missing 8, the story of a corrupt journalist seeking justice for his murdered colleagues and a prisoner periodically freed to carry out assassinations, and Big Night, about a gay beautician pressured to clear his name from a drug watchlist, romped off with the major awards at the 2022 EDDYS, held live and in person on 27 November at the Manila Metropolitan Theater.

The occasion marked the return of the EDDYS — or the Entertainment Editors' Choice awards held annually to honor actors, writers, directors, producers and workers in the Philippine movie industry — after being forced by the pandemic to cancel its 2020 edition and hold the 2021 edition online.

The winners are chosen by the Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors , composed of entertainment editors of top national broadsheets and tabloids in the Philippines. The group was established in 2015.

On the Job: The Missing 8 won Best Film, Best Director (Erik Matti), and Best Supporting Actress (Lotlot de Leon), among others.

The sequel to the 2013 film On the Job and inspired by true events, it premiered on 10 September 2021 at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, where it screened in the Main Competition and won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for John Arcilla.

It was picked as the Philippine entry for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards.

Currently streaming as a six-episode miniseries on HBO Asia as On the Job, with the reedited version of the first film serving as the first two episodes, it also earned a nomination at the 50th International Emmy Awards for Best TV Movie or Miniseries.

Big Night, meanwhile, won Best Actor (Christian Bables) and Best Screenplay (Jun Lana, also its director).

A black comedy likewise inspired by real events surrounding the controversial drug war of the previous administration, Big Night previously won big time at the 2021 Metro Manila Film Festival — bagging Best Picture, Best Director (Lana), Best Actor (Bables), Best Supporting Actor (John Arcilla), Best Screenplay (Lana), Best Cinematography (Carlo Mendoza), Best Musical Score (Teresa Barrozo), and Gender Sensitivity.

Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (Whether the Weather is Fine), yet another EDDYS entry inspired by true incidents — the wasteland that was Tacloban in the aftermath of super typhoon "Yolanda" in 2013 — won for Charo Santos-Concio the Best Actress award.

Fusing elements of satire and fantasy into a movie about a natural disaster, Kun Maupay Man It Panahon took home seven awards at the 2021 MMFF including 2nd Best Picture, Best Actress (Santos-Concio) and Best Supporting Actress (Rans Rifol).

Santos-Concio's EDDYS victory was also significant since it marked a consistently fine performance in an acting career on a second wind after her retirement as ABS-CBN CEO.

The complete list of EDDYS winners, in order of awarding:

Best Supporting Actor: Mon Confiado, Arisaka

Best Supporting Actress: Lotlot de Leon, On the Job: The Missing 8

Best Sound Design: Corinne de San Jose, On the Job: The Missing 8

Best Musical Score: Erwin Romulo (On the Job: The Missing 8), Cesar Francis Concio (Love is Color Blind), Teresa Barrozo (Big Night)

Best Original Theme Song: "Maghihintay" from More Than Blue (Words, music and performance by Marion Aunor)

Beautéderm Male and Female Faces of the Night: Sean de Guzman and Alexa Miro

Best Visual Effects: Mothership, On the Job: The Missing 8

Best Editing: Jay Halili, On the Job: The Missing 8

Best Production Design: Whammy Alcazaren, Kun Maupay Man It Panahon

Best Cinematography: Neil Derrik Bion, On the Job: The Missing 8

Best Screenplay: Jun Robles Lana, Big Night

Best Director: Erik Matti for On the Job: The Missing 8

Best Actor: Christian Bables, Big Night

Best Actress: Charo Santos, Kun Maupay Man It Panahon

Best Picture: On the Job: The Missing 8

Special awards:

Joe Quirino Award: Mario Dumaual

Manny Pichel Award: Eric Ramos

Rising Producers' Circle: Rein Entertainment

Producer of the Year: Viva Films

EDDYS Icon: Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, Phillip Salvador, Roi Vinzon, Helen Gamboa, Divina Valencia, Elizabeth Oropesa, Sharon Cuneta, and Alma Moreno

Isah V. Red Award: Gretchen Barretto, Kris Aquino, Alfred Vargas, GMA Kapuso Foundation, and ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya.

With a report by Matthew Pirante Perez