AJHS’s Zac Sibug honored with MMFF Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance

Ateneo de Manila Junior High School student Zac Sibug (8–Del Castillo) won the Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance at the Gabi ng Parangal of the 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), the 51st edition of the country’s premier annual film festival. The award is not given every year.

According to the award citation read by MMFF Chairman of the Board of Jurors Clodualdo F del Mundo, the recognition was bestowed upon Zac for his performance in the film "UnMarry," produced by Quantum Films and Cineko Films. The MMFF jury commended his portrayal of the tormented son of characters played by Solenn Heusaff and Zanjoe Marudo, citing his fresh talent and thoughtful approach to the role. The award was a unanimous decision of the MMFF 2025 Jury and was presented to Zac during the MMFF Awards Night held on 27 December 2025 in Makati.

In an interview conducted on 5 January 2026, Zac shared that he began performing at the age of 10 while studying at the Ateneo de Manila Grade School. He starred in the "Fiestacular" production of the Ateneo Children’s Theater (ACT) during School Year 2022–2023 and also participated in elocution exhibitions. “[ACT] boosted my expression and emotional voice,” he remarked.

This experience eventually led him to land the role of Elio in "UnMarry." To prepare, Zac underwent acting workshops that helped him fully immerse himself in the character. “I had to mentally and physically prepare myself to play this role,” he explained.

Balancing schoolwork with a demanding filming schedule from September to November 2025 proved challenging and resulted in Zac missing a few school days. He admitted that juggling academics and acting was difficult at first, but he eventually learned to manage his time effectively by completing school requirements ahead of deadlines. “It was really hard… the only problem was time management, but I quickly adapted to that,” he recalled.

As "UnMarry" marks his first film role, Zac expressed deep gratitude to those who supported him throughout the production. He credits his family for encouraging him to pursue acting and for guiding him through the film’s heavy themes. He also speaks fondly of working with actors Marudo and Heusaff, who played his parents. He described them as “helpful and encouraging,” sharing advice that helped him stay relaxed and confident. “They guided me on how to control and relax, and to not put too much pressure on myself,” he said.

Overall, Zac expressed appreciation for being part of the film. He recalled advice from his mother, reminding him that his role represented many children experiencing similar situations. “It was a very beautiful and meaningful story,” Zac concluded.

In addition to winning the Special Jury Award, Zac was also nominated for MMFF Best Supporting Actor, competing alongside Joey Marquez ("I’m Perfect"), Zaijian Jaranilla ("I’m Perfect"), Cedrick Juan ("Manila’s Finest"), Will Ashley ("Bar Boys: After School"), and eventual winner Tom Rodriguez ("UnMarry").

"UnMarry" also garnered several major awards at the MMFF Awards Night, including Second Best Picture, Best Director (Jeffrey Jeturian), Best Screenplay (Chris Martinez and Therese Cayaba), Best Editing (Benjo Ferrer), and Best Float, tied with "Manila’s Finest".

The MMFF returned for the 2025–2026 holiday season with eight carefully selected Filipino films, reaffirming its role as a cornerstone of Philippine cinema. The festival has been extended and will conclude on Wednesday, 14 January 2026. 

Ateneo celebrates Zac’s remarkable achievement and wishes him continued success in his artistic journey.