Director Sigrid Bernardo hits back at critics of 'I'mPerfect' cast: 'Nakaka-P*t*ng*n*!'

Director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo has had enough. After her film I'mPerfect swept the Metro Manila Film Festival Awards 2025 with Best Picture, Best Actress, and the Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble Performance, she expected celebration. Instead, she found herself reading hateful comments aimed at her actors with Down Syndrome.

Now the film is being considered as a potential Philippine entry to the Oscars, and Earl Jonathan Amaba and Krystel Go are nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress at the upcoming 49th Gawad Urian Awards. But the joy keeps getting drowned out by the same ugly remarks.

On Thursday night, September 3, Bernardo took to Facebook to vent her frustration in a post that has since gone viral.

“I'm scared to celebrate my own actors. There. I said it. When I'mPerfect won Best Picture and Best Ensemble at the 2025 MMFF, and Krystel won Best Actress, I was so proud of her, of everyone. After carrying this film since 2009, I thought, FINALLY. They're being SEEN the way they deserve to be seen.”

But the comments she read told a different story. Critics wrote things like: “Why would a mongoloid win over a veteran actress?” “She's just playing herself.” “Pity vote.” “That film is full of retards.”

What the actors actually went through

Bernardo made it clear that her actors earned every bit of recognition. Krystel and Earl had just two months of training before filming began. And in those two months, they didn't just learn acting.

“They had to learn filmmaking. Continuity. Marks. Eyelines. Camera limits. Sound. Blocking. Scheduling. Lighting. Repeating the same scene, the same movement, the same emotion again and again because we needed another take,” she wrote.

The production also included other actors with Down Syndrome, plus extras with autism, cerebral palsy, and other disabilities. “We wanted them to represent themselves to show their abilities, not their disabilities,” Bernardo said.

Why the director finally spoke out

What broke her, she admitted, was realizing she was more affected by the hate than her actors were.

“Chill na chill lang sila eh. Kasi they've heard these things their whole lives. What mattered to them was finally seeing themselves on the big screen. Not as a diagnosis. Not as someone people should feel sorry for. They were Krystel playing JESSICA and Earl playing JIRO.”

Bernardo is open to criticism of the film itself. “Criticize the film. My direction. The script. Their performances. That's part of the job.” But she draws the line at dismissing her actors' work.

“They did NOT 'just play themselves.' Hindi awa ang pinaghirapan nila. Trabaho. Tapang. Talento. I didn't cast them out of pity. I cast them because I saw actors. I believed they could do the job. And they fucking did.”

What Bernardo wants audiences to remember

Her message to the public is simple: see the actor first, not the disability.

“So the next time you see an actor with a disability on screen, SEE the ACTOR first. Watch the performance. Judge the work. Applaud the talent. Don't give them pity. Give them the same RESPECT you give every other actor.”

As the Urian Awards approach, the spotlight on Amaba and Go grows brighter. Whether the film makes it to the Oscars or not, Bernardo's stand has sparked a conversation about how Filipino audiences treat performers with disabilities. For her, the fight isn't just about awards. It's about respect.

Frequently asked questions

What awards did 'I'mPerfect' win at the 2025 MMFF?

The film won Best Picture, Best Actress for Krystel Go, and the Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble Performance at the Metro Manila Film Festival Awards 2025.

Who are Earl Jonathan Amaba and Krystel Go?

They are actors with Down Syndrome who star in I'mPerfect. Both are nominated at the 49th Gawad Urian Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively.

Why did Director Sigrid Bernardo post a rant on Facebook?

She was responding to derogatory comments that dismissed her actors' performances as pity votes or claimed they were just playing themselves. She wanted to defend their hard work and talent.