For Gladys Reyes, the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Awards Night was more than a glamorous celebration of cinema—it was a rare chance to experience Filipino storytelling from the other side of the screen.

Serving for the first time as a jury member for MMFF 2025, Reyes joined a 14-person panel tasked with one of the most demanding responsibilities in the local film industry: selecting excellence from an exceptionally competitive field. For an actress with more than four decades of experience, the role offered a new and humbling perspective on the craft she has long practiced.

Behind the scenes, deliberations were far from simple. With several strong contenders across major categories, discussions were intense and deeply analytical. Reyes described the process as an active exchange of perspectives, with jurors passionately defending the performances and films they believed merited recognition. Despite differing opinions, she said the discussions remained grounded in professionalism and mutual respect.

What stood out most for Reyes was the discipline required to set aside personal relationships and industry familiarity. In a close-knit creative community where friendships often overlap with professional work, serving as a juror meant prioritizing merit above sentiment. The panel’s focus, she stressed, was not on pleasing peers but on honoring work based solely on what appeared onscreen.

Under the leadership of chairman Clodualdo del Mundo Jr. and vice-chairman Fr. Emmanuel “Nono” Alfonso, Reyes worked alongside a diverse group of cultural workers, filmmakers, writers, academics, and journalists. The range of backgrounds enriched the deliberations, allowing decisions to be viewed through artistic, technical, cultural, and social lenses.

The experience also deepened Reyes’ appreciation for the depth of talent in contemporary Filipino cinema. Evaluating performances of consistently high caliber proved to be the most challenging part of the role, underscoring the emotional and intellectual labor behind every award handed out onstage.