Janice De Belen (bottom) with ‘Sugat sa Dugo’ screenwriter and executive producer Bambbi Fuentes/CONTRIBUTED BY BAMBBI FUENTES
MARAMI nang tinanggap na parangal ang aktres na si Janice De Belen ngunit iba ang pakiramdam ng huli niyang pagkilala, at hindi lamang ito dahil sa ginawad ito ng isang international festival.
“I don’t know how to feel even until now. Maybe because I did not go to any ceremony and I haven’t even seen the trophy. Maybe it will feel different once I have it already and I can really say ‘oh I won,’ and actually have proof,” sinabi ni Janice sa Inquirer sa isang online interview.
Hinirang siyang “Best Actress” sa 2021 International Film Festival Manhattan para sa pagganap sa short film na “Sugat sa Dugo,” na ginawaran din ng “Independent Achievement Award for Producing.”
“It is truly a great big honor first to be up against actors from other countries and then winning. It feels great to be a Filipino winning in a foreign country where nobody knows who you are,” ani Janice.
Ngunit inamin niyang alam na niyang nagwagi siya ilang araw bago ang aktuwal na paggawad. Nabalitaan niya ito mula sa celebrity hair and makeup artist na si Bambbi Fuentes, na siya ring screenwriter at executive producer ng 40-minutong drama.
Khai Flores in a scene from ‘Sugat sa Dugo’/CONTRIBUTED
“I was on the way to work, Bambbi called and told me. Initially I had no reaction because it felt too unbelievable. Then after a few days it sank in,” ibinahagi ni Janice.
Si Fuentes din ang nag-alok kay De Belen ng mahalagang papel sa pelikula, bilang ina ng bidang malapit nang magupo ng HIV-AIDS.
“I think I made the right choice in choosing her because she is a great actress. And I believed that she can do justice to role, a mother who loves her children but opted to stay with her lover. It paid off because she won the best actress award,” sinabi ni Fuentes sa Inquirer.
Sinabi ni Janice na tinanggap niya ang pelikula “because I wanted to help Bambbi’s advocacy on AIDS, and I believe it is still something to be concerned about.”
Tampok sa pelikula ang mga batang aktor na sina Khai Flores, Christa Jocson, at Shira Tweg, na sinabi ni De Belen na may magandang hinaharap sa pag-arte.