Judy Ann Santos was a big winner at the recently-held Cairo International Film Festival 2019 in Egypt after winning the Best Actress award for her outstanding performance in Mindanao, an official entry to this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival.
In Mindanao, a film by directed Brillante Mendoza, the 41-year-old actress plays the role of a Muslim mother who struggles to take care of her cancer-stricken daughter while she awaits the return of her military medic husband.
On Saturday, Juday took to Instagram to express how grateful she was for the award.
Wondering why she was receiving a lot of congratulatory messages from her friends, the actress shared that she was so shocked with the news she woke up to on Saturday morning.
“Hindi naman ako buntis, hindi naman ako kasali sa Sea Games… Hindi rin naman ako nanalo sa lotto. Mas higit pa pala sa lotto ang napanalunan ko!!!!” she said.
She said she couldn’t believe it until it was direk Brillante who texted her the good news.
“Gusto kong isiping nananaginip lang ako.. baka hindi pa ko gising siguro? In denial pa ako sa simula.. pero nung si direk Brillante na ang nag text sa akin.. unti unti na kong natauhan at naiyak.. grabe!” she said.
The actress went on to say: “Napakarami at napakalaki ang dapat kong ipagpasalamat sa Panginoon. Hindi pa natatapos ang 2019, binusog na nya ng sobra sobra ang puso ko sa napakaraming bagong experiences ang binigay nya sa akin. Iba’t ibang lugar ang napuntahan ko sa iba’t ibang larangan ng industriyang mahal ko at patuloy kong inaaral.”
Judy Ann then thanked everyone she has worked with in the film.
“Maraming maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat na patuloy na naniniwala at nagtitiwala sa aking munting kakayahan bilang artista at kusinera, sa lahat ng kasama kong bumuo ng pelikulang MINDANAO. Para sa atin ito guyzzzz. @brillante_mendoza maraming salamat sa tiwala at pagtyatyaga sa akin,” she wrote.
She also said that she owed her award to her children Yohan, Lucho and Luna, and husband Ryan Agoncillo.
“My heart is soooooo full! Iba ang Pilipino! MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS!” ended Juday.
Judy Ann is the second Filipina actress to win the Cairo International Film Best Actress Award after Nora Aunor in 1995 for the movie The Flor Contemplacion Story.
Mindanao also won Best Artistic Contribution in the international film competition.
