Eugene Domingo, 'Ang Babae sa Septic Tank' get AFA noms


MANILA, Philippines – The 7th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival big winner, “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank,” bagged two nominations in the 6th Asian Film Awards via lead actress Eugene Domingo and screenwriter Chris Martinez.

According to the award-giving body’s official website, Domingo will be pitted against Vidya Balan of India, Michelle Chen of Taiwan, Leila Hatami of Iran, and Deanie Ip of Hong Kong under the Best Actress category.
In July last year, Domingo was hailed Best Actress in Cinemalaya’s New Breed (Full Length) category for said movie. In December, she took home the 2011 Metro Manila Film Festival Best Supporting Actress trophy for her performance in “My Househusband.” The comedienne had also won numerous supporting actress awards for the films “100,” “Here Comes the Bride,” and the “Ang Tanging Ina” series from the Cinemalaya, the FAMAS, and the MMFF, respectively.
Apart from her eccentric portrayal of herself in “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank,” Domingo may also be remembered for her roles as Rowena, the best friend of Ai Ai delas Alas’ character in the “Ang Tanging Ina” series; the twins Kimmy and Dora in “Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kiyeme”; and the filthy rich woman Precy in “Here Comes the Bride.”
On the other hand, Martinez will be up against Iran’s Asghar Farhadi for “Nader and Simin, A Separation,” Japan’s Kaneto Shindô for “Postcard,” Mainland China’s Heng Liu and Geling Yan for “The Flowers of War,” and Hong Kong’s Alan Mak and Felix Chong for “Overheard 2” under the Best Screenwriter category.
More, PEP reported on Jan. 17 that Domingo was also tapped to be a presenter at the awards ceremony to be held on Mar. 19 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Marlon Rivera-helmed “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank,” a comedy flick that endearingly poked fun at independent filmmaking, premiered at last year’s Cinemalaya film fest under the New Breed (Full Length) category. There, it bagged the Balanghay trophies for Best Actress,  Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Film and the Audience Choice Award.
More, the film is currently among the 63 films shortlisted for the final nominees in the 84th Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film category. The final list of nominees in all categories will be announced on Jan. 24, with the awards night to be held on Feb. 26 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.
Meanwhile, director Loy Arcena’s “Niño” also got an AFA nomination under the Best Supporting Actress category for Sharmaine Buencamino. The multi-awarded Cinemalaya film about a once-illustrious Filipino family and greed gained international recognition after it won the New Currents award at the 16th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) held in October.
“Niño” was in the same Cinemalaya category as “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank.”
Established in 2007, the Asian Film Festival “is an international pioneering programme, honouring filmmakers with outstanding achievements in the field of Asian cinema.”

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