MANILA, Philippines?At the ?1st Inquirer Indie Tribute? held Thursday night at the newspaper?s Makati office, Anita Linda handed a plaque of recognition to her ?Adela? director Adolf Alix Jr. To her surprise, the veteran actress brought home a trophy of her own.

She recently won Best Actress for ?Lola? at the 54th Asia-Pacific Film Awards in Taipei. Her director, Brillante Mendoza, had accepted the award on her behalf; on Thursday he finally gave it to her.

Linda, other actors and industry leaders, among them censors chief Grace Poe-Llamanzares, Film Development Council of the Philippines chair Briccio G. Santos, CineManila festival director Tikoy Aguiluz, Cinemalaya Foundation president Nes Jardin, Independent Filmmakers Cooperative chair Doy del Mundo Jr. and film producer Digna Santiago, gathered at the Inquirer to pay tribute to 25 independent filmmakers for ?revealing Filipino creativity and spirit to the world, and thus generating unprecedented recognition and goodwill for the Pinoy cinema artists.?

The stars didn?t mind sharing seats with other guests as the space at the second floor multipurpose hall was very limited. As one actress said it, ?for the sake of the indies naman ito.? Among those who showed their support for the indie spirit were Gina Pareño, Tessie Tomas, Eugene Domingo, Cherry Pie Picache, Julia Clarete, Alessandra de Rossi, Ronnie Lazaro, Mon Confiado, Yul Servo, Ketchup Eusebio, Raul Morit, Dwight Gaston, Mercedes Cabral, Kalil Almonte, Flor Salanga, Angeli Bayani, Che Villanueva and musician Francis Reyes.

Most of them gladly stayed until the end of the three-hour show. Pareño, who handed the trophy to ?Baseco Bakal Boys? director Ralston Jover, had to leave early to go to the set of the drama program ?Mara Clara? in Angono, Rizal. One of the youngest guests, ?Bakal Boys? star Meljun Guinto, 12, left shortly after Pareño did?he had to attend school the following day.

The honorees were Alix, Alvin Yapan, Ato Bautista, Auraeus Solito, Mendoza, Chris Martinez, Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil, Erik Matti, Francis Xavier Pasion, Jeffrey Jeturian, Jerrold Tarog, John Torres, Jon Red, Khavn de la Cruz, Lav Diaz, Mes de Guzman, Mike Sandejas, Milo Sogueco, the tandem of Paolo Villaluna and Ellen Ramos, Pepe Diokno, Ralston Jover, Raya Martin, Raymond Red, Rico Maria Ilarde and Sherad Anthony Sanchez.

Of the 25 directors, four failed to attend the event. De Guzman, now based in Nueva Vizcaya, requested actor Edwin Pamanian to represent him. Jeturian had a scheduled taping for a teleserye that night. Diaz is currently shooting a film in New York. Torres, who is in Dubai, asked his dad Rodolfo to attend the event for him.

Martin arrived just in time to receive his trophy.

Yapan and ?Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe? producer Alem Ang were the early birds.

The honorees and guests were treated to cocktails by Cibo.

High spirits

The program started at 6:45 p.m., shortly after the arrival of Inquirer chair Marixi R. Prieto, who delivered the welcome address. Inquirer Entertainment editor Emmie Velarde, in her introduction, explained that the event was purposely held at the newspaper?s office because it ?aspires to be the home of the indies.? Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot led the presentation of the plaques of recognition to the honorees.

Technical glitches elicited laughs but did not dampen the high-spirited mood. ?Boses? director Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil just got a little nervous when she thought her film?s child star, Julian Duque, got lost inside the building. But the 10-year-old was found rehearsing with his violin in one of the rooms.

Duque played the piece ?Czardas? by Vittorio Monti around 8:30 p.m., which was almost past his bedtime. But he stayed with his dad, Ian, till the end of the program.

Khavn de la Cruz demonstrated one of his other creative gifts, music, when he played the keyboards and sang with his sister Ledh. Calling themselves Fando & Lis, the duo performed ?Gusto? from Khavn?s own film ?Paalam Aking Bulalakaw.?

For some guests, the event was a reunion of sorts: Mendoza gladly greeting Domingo and Picache, with whom he made ?Foster Child? in 2007; Sogueco bonding with Tessie Tomas and Flor Salanga, who were in the cast of his ?Sanglaan? in 2009.

In his acceptance speech, Diokno recalled that his first real job was as a writer in Inquirer?s 2BU! section.

Jon Red quipped: ?I always tell my actors that making indie films is like a crime, it does not pay. But tonight at the Inquirer, it finally paid off.?

E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph