Allen Dizon: ‘There are no superstars in international film festivals’

February 8, 2018 - 8:13 AM
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Allen Dizon receives the Best Actor award at the 16th Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh.

Following his latest international acting recognition at the 16th Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh for his performance in Ralston Jover’s “Bomba,” actor Allen Dizon talked about the thrill of competing outside the Philippines.

“Winning an international acting award is always a pleasure for any actor. All competing films and their respective cast members are on equal footing. There are no superstars and winners are chosen on the basis of performance, not popularity,” the actor recently told InterAksyon.

The actor added that one of the reasons he loved joining international film festivals is because it also gives him a chance to get to know not only his fellow actors from other countries but also everyone involved in the participating films.

“I also get to observe other cultures so winning an award is really just a bonus especially since the other actors are also very good,” he quipped.

Winning awards has been getting to be quite a habit for Allen. The actor has now won a total of seven international acting awards in addition to having been nominated a total of 29 times by several award-giving bodies here and abroad.

He won in Dhaka for his portrayal of a middle-aged deaf and mute man who has a dark past and becomes involved in a “taboo relationship” with a 16-year-old girl portrayed by Angellie Nicholle Sanoy.

For Allen, this particular award is made all the more special by the very warm support he received from the Filipino community there.

“The moral support from the Filipinos there is tremendous. I will never forget Dhaka because when I won, the cheers were so loud, it felt like the Miss Universe pageant,” he enthused.

So what’s next for the hardworking actor? Allen’s manager, Dennis Evangelista, told InterAksyon that the actor has just completed two projects directed by no less than renowned filmmaker Brillante Mendoza.

One is the crime drama trilogy “The Right to Kill” which also stars Felix Roco and Vince Rillon, while the other is “Bayang Magiliw” where he portrays a soldier fighting a war against terrorists while his terminally ill child fights for his life at home. Judy Ann Santos co-stars as his wife in the film.

Allen also has two projects with director Ralston Jover. One is “Persons of Interest” which is now in post-production while the other, “Latay,” where he plays the battered husband of Lovi Poe, will soon start filming.

Meanwhile, “Bomba” will continue to make the rounds of international film festivals and will have its commercial theatrical run in March.