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"I'mPerfect" Makes History With Best Actress and Best Picture Victory at the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival

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<div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766904559794An emotional and historic moment as I’mPerfect lead star Krystel Go (Jessica) receives the Best .jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>51st Metro Manila Film Festival Best Actress, I&#x27;mPerfect star Krystel Go | Photo from @nathan.studios</div><div> </div>History was made at the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), as the romance film I&#x27;mPerfect was named Best Picture and its lead star, Krystel Go, received the Best Actress award. Krystel shares the topbilling credits with Earl Amaba, both have Down syndrome, which forms the core of their movie.I&#x27;mPerfect, directed by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo and produced by Nathan Studios, is about the romantic relationship between two adults with Down syndrome. It&#x27;s a fresh and refreshing story that truly deserves a spot in the Philippine entertainment scene. During the movie&#x27;s press conference, Direk Sigrid shared that she first met a person with Down syndrome in 2009. She admitted that at the time, she didn&#x27;t know if people with Down syndrome could act but, when she immersed herself in their world and volunteered to do workshops for them, she said, &quot;Natutunan ko po ‘yung mga kakayahan nila imbes ‘yung mga hindi po nila kaya.” In 2014, she wrote a script that highlighted the stories of people with Down syndrome, but no one trusted the material enough to fund and produce the film. Sigrid held on to the project until it finally met its match in film producer Sylvia Sanchez. Sigrid first presented other stories to Sylvia, but the producer rejected them. That was when she thought of reviving her idea for I&#x27;mPerfect, and the rest, as they say, is history. <div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176690317966151st mmff best actress krystel go for imperfect embed.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Screenshot from TV5&#x27;s Facebook</div><div> </div>&quot;Mahirap pong umarte sa harap po ng screen, pero nagulat ako dahil mas mahirap palang kumilatis ng pinakamagaling sa lahat,&quot; Gladys Reyes said before she and Boots Anson-Roa announced the winner for Best Actress.  The competition was tough, as Krystel was nominated for Best Actress alongside Nadine Lustre for Call Me Mother, Bianca de Vera for love you so bad, and <a href="https://metro.style/people/2025/12/23/angelica-panganiban-zanjoe-marudo-unpack-why-unmarry-was-worth-doing-1700" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Angelica Panganiban for Unmarry</a>. But the rawness and authenticity of Krystel&#x27;s acting ultimately captured the judges&#x27; hearts, though it was her first foray into acting.&quot;Maraming salamat po sa award na ito,&quot; Krystel began to thank MMFF and its roster of judges. &quot;Hindi po ako makapaniwala na nanalo po ako. Mommy and Daddy, para po sa inyo ito.&quot;She went on to thank director Sigrid, saying, &quot;Maraming salamat po sa pagkakataong ito para mabigyan kami ng boses at maipakita namin na kaya rin naming umarte.&quot; Krystel also made sure to thank the staff, crew, and producers of their film, giving a special shoutout to Nathan Studios&#x27; CEO Ria Atayde and COO Sylvia Sanchez: &quot;Pinagkatiwalaan niyo po kaming mga persons with Down syndrome na kaya rin po naming umarte. Salamat sa pagmamahal at pag-aaruga, at sa pagturing niyo po sa amin na parang mga tunay niyong anak.&quot; Krystel credited the other cast members—including Janice de Belen, Joey Marquez, Lorna Tolentino, Tonton Gutierrez, and Zaijian Jaranilla: &quot;Ang babait niyo pong lahat. Mahal na mahal po namin kayong lahat.&quot;&quot;Higit sa lahat,&quot; an emotional Krystel said, &quot;Lord, tinupad mo po ang pangarap ko, naming lahat na maging artista. Maraming, maraming salamat po.&quot;<div> </div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766904113286An emotional and historic moment as I’mPerfect lead star Krystel Go (Jessica) receives the Best (3).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Photo from @nathan.studios</div><div> </div>I&#x27;mPerfect also won the Best Picture award alongside Unmarry as 2nd Best Picture and Call Me Mother and Manila&#x27;s Finest, which tied for 3rd Best Picture, as well as the Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble.To accept the Best Picture award, Sylvia said as she proudly raised their trophy, &quot;Maraming salamat po. Salamat po sa paniniwala po. Persons with Down syndrome, persons with disabilities, you made history tonight! Para sa inyong lahat ito.&quot;<div> </div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766906094960imperfect best picture mmff 1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div style="text-align:center"> </div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766906110639imperfect best picture mmff 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div> </div><div></div>Sylvia continued by thanking Direk Sigrid for trusting her to produce this film: &quot;Direk, salamat sobra-sobra sa tiwala.&quot;<div></div>Direk Sigrid then took the opportunity to express her gratitude first by acknowledging how much she persevered through the years for this story to make it to the big screen despite it being turned down by several producers. &quot;Kaya maraming salamat, Nathan and Ms. Sylvia, sa pagtitiwala. Kahit isang tao lang sana maniwala sa kanila, sana magtuloy-tuloy na kaya I&#x27;m very, very grateful sa project na ito. Para siyang thesis ko. Naka-graduate na ako, Diyos ko. I&#x27;m very, very proud of you, my actors.&quot;<div> </div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766906120663imperfect best picture mmff 3.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div> </div>The director continued by sharing the award with the other movies in the 51st MMFF. &quot;These are really great directors. Please, audience, &#x27;wag niyong sayangin ang pagkakataon na mapanood ang lahat ng mga pelikula po sa Metro Manila Film Fest. Lahat po ito pang-Best Director, pang-Best Actor, pang-Best Actress. Best po talaga lahat. At sobra po akong grateful na nakasama po kami at nabigyan po ng pagkakataon ito pong mga artista namin. When I made this project, it was just supposed to be an advocacy, an awareness. Pero ngayon, it&#x27;s a movement. So sana hindi lang po ito simula. Sana po wala nang wakas ito. Let them be seen, be heard, and please include them, mga Direk. Maraming salamat po!&quot;<div></div><div> </div>Photos from TV5 and @nathan.studios

Aside from being named Best Picture and lead star Krystel Go winning the Best Actress, "I'mPerfect" also received the Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble at the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival.

Aside from being named Best Picture and lead star Krystel Go winning the Best Actress, "I'mPerfect" also received the Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble at the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival.

'I'mPerfect' Makes History With Best Actress and Best Picture Victory at the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival

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'I'mPerfect' Makes History With Best Actress and Best Picture Victory at the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival

Grace Libero

Published Dec 28, 2025 02:30 PM PHT

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Updated Dec 28, 2025 03:30 PM PHT

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