“Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Olivares” (2005)
This coming -of- age film about a teen homosexual is one of the few Filipino films which have garnered a lot of awards from international film festivals. It’s about the life of Maximo (Nathan Lopez), whose love for a cop named Victor tests his loyalty to his family.
The portrayal of a teenage homosexual growing amidst the harsh realities surrounding him, is very realistic and remarkably familiar.
This film is considered the Best Filipino Film of the Decade by Gawad Urian. It also won several international awards including Best Film in the 2005 Asian Festival of 1st Films, Singapore and 2005 ImagiNative Film Fest in Toronto; Teddy Award from the 2006 Berlin International Film Festival, and Best Actor for Nathan Lopez at the 2006 Las Palmas Film Festival in Spain, among others.
