STAR OF THE YEAR: 2008

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Our Star of the Year is the same person who was our choice for last year's Star of Tomorrow.


Milestones:

Acha Septriasa just missed our top five in the Best Actress category last year for her stellar work in Love is Cinta, but Kabir Bhatia's Love was to be the movie that would push her over the top. Playing a country teenage-girl with the Sundanese accent, Septriasa made us come to love the character of Iin even as she was using teen-speak that was almost alien in tone. The wonderful thing about Love is that she's not all tough talk. There are moments in the film when she is genuinely vulnerable, especially when she learns that the former loverboy is not quite the man she expected him to be. It's a revelation of a performance, and one that is already opening many doors for the young actress.


Her success in that role was followed by a lead turn in a performance we have voted the second best of this year, Rudi Soedjarwo's In the Name of Love. Septriasa as Saskia Puteri Negara is perfectly casted and makes her seem like a role model to many little girls. She is quite gifted, in my opinion, and I think she played the part very well. When she spoke to her father (Roy Marten, former actor), "Life is man's best friend, right Dad? But not in our house,” we can feel her anguish. Her dramatic scenes are truly convincing and very strong, making us believe all her anguish and sorrow.


With such diverse roles in both mainstream blockbuster Heart (2006) and disturbing film Love is Cinta (2007), young actress Acha Septriasa was set to make a major splash in 2007. The buzz surrounding the young actress was validated a year later when Septriasa turned in a startling performance in the Valentine's Day gig, Love, for which she was awarded the Best Leading Actress by the voters for Guardians e-Awards (GeA) 2008.



Metamorphosis:

Born on Sept. 01, 1989 and raised in Jakarta, Septriasa developed an early interest in performing. By age 15, she had became the finalist of Gadis Sampul 2004 and soon after snagged her first role as Mitha in the popular big-budget movie, Apa Artinya Cinta? (2005).


In 2006, Septriasa continued her busy schedule. She appeared in the most popular movie of that year, Heart as Luna. Septriasa’s next film brought the young actress her first major publicity – Love is Cinta in which she appeared as a regular heroine. But her histrionic capability was remarkable. Just 18 years old, her performance garnered her a Best Actress Award nomination in Festival Film Indonesia 2007.


Finally, we talk about Love, one of the year’s most-talked-about films. Her bright, quirky and funny performance earned Septriasa kudos from many critics and she received her first acting recognition with a GeA nod for Best Leading Actress voted by viewers. This time, she's been named MG's Star of the Year.