10 Philippine Showbiz Today
December 22 , 2018 - January 7, 2019
Jan. 22-Feb.7, 2015
Anne Curtis as one of Asia’s rising stars!
Actress-model Anne Curtis-
Smith has been recognized
by Variety magazine and the
International Film Festival and
Awards or IFFA as one of Asia’s
rising stars
She was among the top five
awardees chosen during the event
held on December 15 at Macao
Cultural Center in Macau, China.
Curtis expressed her gratitude
on Instagram particularly for the
filmmakers and her fellow actors
who produce movies that are
appreciated both in the local and
international scene.
“As I said in my short
speech, I dedicate this to all the
Filipino filmmakers and actors
who continue to work hard to
make films that are not only
appreciated by our fellow pinoys
but also appreciated by the global
audience,” her caption read.
She added that such feat
motivates her to work harder and
she hoped to inspire others as
well.
“This will continue to inspire
me to do my best in my chosen
craft, pursue my biggest dreams
and hopefully inspire others to do
so too,” she said.
This was the second-run of
the award giving event of IFFA-
Variety. Both organizations sought
to highlight the acting talent of
artists in Asia.
Aside from Curtis, the other
awardees are Zheng Kai from
China, Zira Wasim from India,
Xana Tang from New Zealand
and Iqbaal Ramadhan from
Indonesia.
During the award show’s
debut in 2017, Piolo Pascual was
the chosen Filipino actor to be
conferred with the award.
A superstar in the Philippines
Variety described Curtis as
a “superstar” given the media
coverage and social media
attention she gets in the country.
“The clamor will only grow if
she successfully crosses over to a
bigger international career,” the
article said.
The Filipino-Australian had
been in the entertainment industry
since the 1990s.
It was only 2005 when she
got her big break when she played
the titular role in ABS-CBN’s
“Kampanerang Kuba,” the Filipino
version of the classic “Hunchback
of Notre Dame” story.
While Curtis starred in
numerous shows and movies
since then, Variety particularly
noted her performance in Erik
Matti’s critically acclaimed “Buy
Bust” movie.
It caught the attention
critics after
it
of Hollywood
premiered at the New York Asian
Film Festival last July.
Richard Kuipers, the writer
of the magazine who reviewed
the film, praised it as “superbly
executed.”
He praised Curtis’ acting
skills, the cinematography of
Neil Derrick Bion and the chosen
scores of Erwin Romulo and Malek
Lopez.
Aside from Kuipers, other
film critics who lauded the movie
are Jeanette Catsoulis of the
New York Times and Hollywood
reporter Clarence Tsui.
The positive reviews mostly
came from the narrative’s take on
the country’s bloody drug war.
Matti’s hit action thriller tells
the story of an anti-drug operation
in the urban slum that had gone
wrong. It featured Nina, played by
Curtis, an agent of the Philippine
Drug Enforcement Agency.
Variety also mentioned Curtis’
romantic drama “Sid and Aya”
and the horror “Aurora” as her
notable works.
In 2014, she starred in her
first Hollywood fantasy-romance
titled “Blood Ransom.” However,
it did not gather much positive
reviews.●
- C. R. Madarang, Interaksyon
“Best Wishes for a Joyous Holiday Season
and a Prosperous New Year”