MANILA, Philippines?Seven independently-produced films are vying for Best Picture in the 32nd Gawad Urian for excellence in filmmaking. The awards rites will be held in September.

The list of nominees, released on Saturday by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, the pioneering local society of film critics, are led by Francis Xavier Pasion?s ?Jay,? Brillante Mendoza?s ?Serbis,? Arnel Mardoquio?s ?Hunghong sa Yuta,? Lav Diaz?s ?Melancholia,? Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil?s ?Boses,? Sherad Anthony Sanchez?s ?Imburnal,? and Richard Somes? ?Yanggaw.?

?Serbis? is about the decline of a family as reflected in the rundown cinema house they operate, showing cheap sex films. In 2008, it was the first Filipino movie in 24 years to be selected to play at the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival in France. Its two lead actresses, Gina Pareño and Jaclyn Jose, are competing for the Urian Best Actress trophy with six other nominees.
Real achievement
?I?m very happy with the recognition, especially because it comes from the country?s most credible award-giving body,? Mendoza told Inquirer Entertainment by phone. ?I consider awards and recognition as bonuses. The real achievement is to be able to create a good story and put it into film.?

?Jay,? 2008 Cinemalaya Best Picture awardee, is about a TV journalist who, in seeking to tell the truth behind the killing of a closet homosexual, cuts corners and embellishes the story. Baron Geisler, who plays the lead character, is nominated for Best Actor.

?Boses,? about how music helped rehabilitate an abused child, features Julian Duque, a real-life child prodigy who trained at the Casa San Miguel in San Antonio, Zambales, under violin master Coke Bolipata.

?Melancholia,? an eight-hour pastoral meditation on love, life and suffering, bagged the Orrizonti prize for Feature Film in the Venice International Film Festival in September 2008. The movie is nominated in eight other categories, including Best Director and Best Screenplay for Diaz.

?Yanggaw? is the story of a family?s devastation after they start to believe their daughter has become a vampire. ?Hunghong sa Yuta? talks about the war in Mindanao as seen through the eyes of deaf-mute children.

The directors of the films nominated under the Best Picture category will also compete with Tara Illenberger, creator of ?Brutus,? and Adolfo Alix Jr. of ?Imoral? for the Best Director honor.

Best Actor nominees
Geisler (?Jay?) and Duque (?Boses?) will compete with Ronnie Lazaro (?Yanggaw?), Coco Martin (?Daybreak?), Paulo Rivero (?Daybreak?), Timothy Mabalot (?Brutus?) Perry Dizon (?Melancholia?) and Neil Ryan Sese (?Huling Pasada?) for the Best Actor award.

Acting queens Pareño and Jose will fight it out with Judy Ann Santos (?Ploning?), Mylene Dizon (?100?), Angeli Bayani (?Melancholia?), Rhea Medina (?Brutus?), Boots Anson Roa (?Lovebirds?) and Anita Linda (?Adela?) for the Best Actress trophy.

Martin, who is also nominated for his work on ?Jay? for Best Supporting Actor, will compete with Julio Diaz (?Serbis?), Yul Servo (?Brutus?), Roeder Camanag (?Melancholia?) and Archie Aleman (?Baby Angelo?).

Vying for Best Supporting Actress are Tessie Tomas (?100?), Katherine Luna (?Imoral?), Techie Agbayani (?Yanggaw?), Aleera Montalla (?Yanggaw?) Flor Salanga (?Jay?) and Agot Isidro (?Huling Pasada?).

For Best Screenplay the nominees are Richard V. Somes and Dwight Gaston of ?Yanggaw? Francis Xavier Pasion, ?Jay;? Armando ?Bing? Lao and Boots Agbayani Pastor, ?Serbis;? Lav Diaz, ?Melancholia;? Arnel Mardoquio, ?Hunghong sa Yuta;? Froilan Medina and Rody Vera, ?Boses.?

Other categories are Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Music and Best Sound. Winners will be announced during the awards rites on Sept. 19 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The Manunuri is chaired by Rolando Tolentino, dean of the UP College of Mass Communication. Its members are Nicanor Tiongson, former artistic director of the CCP and former chair of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board; National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera;

Mario Hernando, Sunday Malaya editor and MTRCB member; Mike Rapatan, faculty member of the De La Salle University; Butch Francisco, columnist and TV personality; Lito Zulueta, Inquirer editor and professor at the University of Santo Tomas; and Benilda Santos and Tito Valiente, professors at the Ateneo de Manila University.

E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph