Seasoned actor John Lloyd Cruz bagged the Boccalino d'Oro prize (Golden Jug Award) for Best Actor at the 76th Locarno Film Festival for his remarkable performance in Lav Diaz's "Essential Truths of the Lake," the country's representative in the main competition of the festival.
Note John Lloyd is only the second Filipino actor to have received the honor.
Hazel Orencio was the first, winning Best Actress in 2014 for another of Lav's film, "Mula sa Kung Ano Ang Noon (From What is Before)."
Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairman and CEO Tirso Cruz III congratulated the actor for bringing "honor" to the country.
"It is with great joy and pride that I congratulate one of the most talented artists of our country, Mr. John Lloyd Cruz, for having won the Boccalino d'Oro prize (Golden Jug Award) for Best Actor at the 76th Locarno Film Festival (LFF) in Switzerland," said he in a statement.
"This award is much deserved by an artist of his caliber. Lloydie, congratulations and thank you for bringing honor to our country."
The Boccalino d'Oro award is given at the festival by the Independent Critics Jury.