Philippines' 'Saving Grace' scores 2 Seoul International Drama Awards 2025 nominations

MANILA, Philippines, August 9 ------ The Philippine adaptation of "Saving Grace" is a finalist in two categories at this year's Seoul International Drama Awards. The series is Asia's most exported scripted format about an elementary teacher who takes in one of her students who was being abused, leading to a national manhunt.

In the cast for ABS-CBN's version of the show are Julia Montes, Janice de Belen, Sam Milby, Jennica Garcia, Christian Bables, and Sharon Cuneta. A total of 276 entries from 50 countries and regions were submitted to the international competition categories, with 24 titles and 32 individuals making the final cut.

Tough competition. "Saving Grace" is a Best Series nominee, while the screenwriting team led by Danica Domingo is nominated for Best Screenwriter. The Filipino show faces heavy competition in the latter as it goes up against Netflix shows "When Life Gives You Tangerines," "Adolescence," and "One Hundred Years of Solitude," and the second seasons of "Severance" and "Pachinko" (both on AppleTV+).

Stephen Graham, the creator and nominated screenwriter of "Adolescence," won Best Actor in 2022 for "Help." "Adolescence" and "Pachinko" led all international nominees with four nods, both also going head-to-head in the Best Mini-series and Best Director categories. Their fourth nominations are for acting: "Adolescence" breakout star Owen Cooper is up for Best Actor, while Kim Min-ha of "Pachinko" is competing for Best Actress.

Cooper will be up against "Severance" star Adam Scott; meanwhile, Min-ha also has Cate Blanchett from "Disclaimer" and Kim Da-mi from "Nine Puzzles" as fellow nominees. Blanchett's nomination could signal a reunion with Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, a Best Director nominee for "Asura," as both were the Jury President and Palme d'Or winner of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

Source: philstar.com