Matthew Libatique, Nicole Kidman become the first Filipino, first Australian to receive AFI awards

It was a night to remember.

The American Film Institute (AFI) presented the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award to Nicole Kidman, the first Australian to receive the award, and the Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal to cinematographer Matthew Libatique, also the first Filipino to receive the award.

It was one of the most glamorous and high-profile events we have attended this year what with celebrities like Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon, Naomi Watts, Zoe Saldana, Zac Efron, Aaron Sorkin, Mike Myers, Morgan Freeman, Miles Teller, Cynthia Erivo, Barry Jenkins, Lee Daniels, David E. Kelley, Joey King, Mimi Leder, Edward James Olmos, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jane Seymour, Brian Tee, Lulu Wang among others arriving at the transformed Dolby Theatre, home of the Oscars.

"Matthew Libatique is one of our generation's defining voices in the art of visual storytelling," said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. "Now, AFI is honored to shine the light on him – celebrating his impact on the art form and the pride he brings us as a graduate of the AFI Conservatory."

Libatique, who is behind such films as "Maestro," "A Star is Born," "The Whale," and "Don't Worry Darling," was born to Filipino immigrant parents Georgina "Dina" Jose from Lucena and Justiniano "Johnny" Libatique from Dagupan.

He acknowledged his family present that evening. "My mother Dina is here tonight," he said. "My mother and my late father Johnny came to this country in the late '60s from the Philippines in search of the American dream. And I'm here to tell you that through myself and my brother (David) who's also here, they found it. I love you guys. I owe you everything.

"My kid Ezekiel is here tonight as well, and my daughter Audrey in New York, I love you guys with all my heart. It's not easy having a DP dad. It really isn't. I miss so much, way too much. I'm proud of you guys. You guys make everything worthwhile for me. Finally, to my very beautiful wife, Mary Ellen, thank you so much for all the sacrifices. You follow me around this crazy world and this crazy business. You are my best friend and my muse. I love you."

Photo: Janet Susan Nepales

The 55-year-old Director of Photography also acknowledged his schoolmate and best friend, director Darren Aronofsky, whom he met on his third day at AFI, as one of his favorite collaborators ("Pi," "Requiem for a Dream," "The Fountain," "Black Swan," "Noah," "Mother!," "The Whale").

According to Gazzale when he introduced Libatique, "Darren Aronofsky, who was also a recipient of this same medal, said of Libatique, 'He was from Queens, I was from Brooklyn, worlds apart, but we spoke the same language.'"

Libatique also thanked his directors. He said, "A multitude of thanks to the directors John Favreau, Bradley Cooper, Spike Lee, and the late Joel Schumacher, all of whom I've been able to make multiple films with. And then there's Darren. Talk about the right time, and the right place. I sat next to Darren Aronofsky on day three of AFI. And we started as spores in this incubator called AFI Conservatory. And we've gone on to have this amazing collaboration throughout our career. Literally going from boys to men. Wherever you are, man, I just want to give you a big hug. I love you."

The Schaffner Alumni Medal recognizes the extraordinary creative talents of AFI Conservatory Alumni who embody the qualities of filmmaker Franklin J. Schaffner: talent, taste, dedication and commitment to quality storytelling in film and television. Aside from Aronofsky, other past recipients include Lesli Linka Glatter, Siân Heder, Patty Jenkins, Janusz Kaminski, Mimi Leder, David Lynch, Terrence Malick, Melina Matsoukas and Rachel Morrison.

As for Kidman, the actress was celebrated for her 40-year career and became the 11th woman and the first Australian to be given what is dubbed as the highest honor in United States cinema.

Kidman, who worked with Streep in "The Hours," was introduced by Streep during the event. Streep said, "Reese (Witherspoon) told me the very first night we were up in Monterey before we started shooting, she said, 'You know what she does?' I said, 'No, Nicole?' She goes, 'She goes out at five before dawn. And she goes skinny dipping behind the hotel.' I looked at Nicole and I said, 'Are you kidding me? The Pacific is like 48 degrees in March.' She said, 'Yeah. Listen, I love it.'

"Stanley Kubrick said once, he told Nicole that he thought her a thoroughbred. And I think that only an Englishman would think that such a vaguely eugenic, blue-blooded term would be a compliment to an Aussie Sheila. Because to me, darling, you have a wild, Mongol talent. You're like a Mustang or work horse, and a champion racer all in one. But one whose spirit they will never break, never."

Kidman revealed, "The path to this sort of astonishing world tonight began in Australia with my sister who's here and we were raised by parents that let us be who we were. From the minute we were born we were allowed to just be who we were. This is so important because we were challenged, we were listened to, and we were allowed to just be.

"For me, that was being allowed to act in local plays and to do theater. My family also allowed me to read books I wanted. That was very important. A lot of those books were payment for the plays that I was in because I was too young to pay money. So, I was paid in box and I could choose players and I would leave them voraciously. I would read Chekhov and I would read Gibson. That was the most beautiful payment. I'm still happy to be paid in books. Maybe. I'll take a paycheck and buy books.

Photo courtesy of AFI

"But my family also allowed me to dream and exist in my imagination. They're a family that had no idea that I would be what we call in Australia WAG school, but basically, that would be absent, and I would sneak out and I would go and watch films. I would then forge their signatures. Please don't do this, that's not okay, and literally, that was how I saw 'A Clockwork Orange' and so many films that I would never have been allowed to see. And that was my classroom."

Finally, Kidman acknowledged the presence of the love of her life, Keith Urban, to whom she has been married for nearly two decades and her daughters with him - Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.

The lovely and statuesque actress said, "There's an enormous amount of luck in my life, but there's also the most important thing, love. Big, big love. And then right there is the love of my life and the loves of my family.

She revealed, "My daughters have never been anywhere publicly with me on a red carpet, tonight was their first night. My mom couldn't be here, but they said there is a live stream available for her and she's watching it. So, I'm hopeful, and that's what I love about technology. And my papa who isn't here, but I feel him every day. And then there's all my nieces and nephews, and my sister and her husband who is our family now. So, there's no place for me home."

Finally, she added, "Meryl and I are always ready to roll up our sleeves. To give whatever we've got, whatever power we have to help you so that we can get there. I am here always to support those voices. So, if we get a chance to do something together, that would be great. I think it was Andy Warhol who said, 'Make art, let others decide whether it's good or bad, and while they're deciding, just make some more.' That's what I do. So, I believe art can hurt, but it can heal. And love does win, and so must forever."

The gala raised over $2 million for AFI's non-profit education program. The special will premiere on TNT on June 17.