When we asked singer Jeffrey Hidalgo if he and Geneva Cruz, with whom he had been in the group Smokey Mountain, During the last summer campaign launch of Vivamax, we cornered Jeffrey, who is also directing now, and one of them is the movie “Eva,” where the threesome scene of Marco Gomez, Saab Aggabao, and Angeli Khang is discussed, he flatly denied.

There will be as many photos of Jeff and Geneva on their individual social media sites, thus it is improbable that they are in a relationship. “Ha-hahaha! Natutuwa lang kami kasi nga maraming nagtatanong, kaya sabi ko okay pakiligin natin, e, maganda naman, maraming may gusto,” said the singer-actor and director. They’re both single, so why don’t they just say, “Magkaibigan kasi kami!”

But he admitted that Geneva had many votes for them, including the producer of his films, Lou Gopez.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey has many projects at Vivamax as an actor so he is grateful to boss Vic, Vincent and Val del Rosario because he is always busy.

“Ang kontrata ko kasi sa Viva hindi lang singer kundi pati pagdidirek at acting din kaya sa awa ng Diyos, marami naman akong ginagawa,” said Jeffrey.

Best Actor went to two performers, Vince Rillon of “Resbak” and Christian Bables of “Big Night,” while Best Film went to Erik Matti’s “On the Job: The Missing 8.”

According to the festival organizers, “On the Job” is a work, “On the Job was filmed with mastery, with unique sequence plans, and a soundtrack that often goes in line with the dramaticness of situations, this opera has an overwhelming lining and gives us a little-known portrait of this part of the east.”

Director Brillante Mendoza and star Vince Rillon of the film Resbak will be featured in the FDCP’s Spotlight: Philippines program to represent the nation in the celebration held in Italy at the reopening of the festival for the onsite physical event. Aside with releasing Mendoza’s films, the experienced filmmaker received the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award for his unrivaled contribution to the progress of the “Philippine New Wave” in the art of filmmaking.

“We are grateful not only to be honored with these awards, but also to have this opportunity to promote these Filipino films, films that we are proud of, in established platforms such as the Asian Film Fest,” stated FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Dio.

“This stellar line-up of masterpieces from our esteemed filmmakers are ready to take on the world. And of course, to Direk Brillante Mendoza, Direk Erik Matti, Vince Rillon, and Christian Bables who have been championing PH Cinema everywhere they go, we are extremely proud of you.”

“The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Asian Film Festival, a prestigious international film festival known for showcasing auteur cinema from Southeast Asian countries, is a significant achievement not just for Direk Brillante Mendoza as a filmmaker, but also for Philippine Cinema. His valuable contributions through his films have helped the Philippines gain traction in the international scene,” Dio appended.