MANILA — "Rookie" director Samantha Lee expressed her gratitude after winning the Audience Choice trophy in the Cinemalaya awarding ceremony on Sunday.

In an Instagram post on Monday, Lee said that the said award was vital for her as she highlights queer stories in her films.

"Everyone around me knows that this is the award that matters the most to me in every festival that I am lucky enough to be in. I am a filmmaker who wants to please my audience; to make them feel safe, seen, heard, and validated, in a world that is still rigged against us," Lee said in the caption.

"There are lessons we learn from the films that we make and I'm lucky enough to be able to continue to learn from 'Rookie' everyday," she added.

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Lee went on to dedicate their win to the community who supported the film.

"Thank you to Cinemalaya for letting us tell our story, and for being a space where we can gather and squeal together. Thank you to Team Rookie who worked so hard (so hard)," she said.

"Thank you to everyone who took the time out to watch #rookiefilm, sa lahat ng naghanap ng drop boxes, sa lahat ng naghulog ng ticket nila kaya wala na silang malagay sa journal nila, sa mga gumawa ng fan art, namigay ng ticket atbp, this win is ours."

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"Rookie" went home with 3 trophies with Pat Tingjuy winning the Best Actress award along with Best Editing.

Written by Lee and Natts Jadaone, "Rookie" tells the story of a basketball player who learns volleyball halfheartedly, as her new school does not have a hoops team.

Everything changes for Ace (Tingjuy) when she falls for her new school's volleyball team captain, Jana (Aya Fernandez).

• 'Rookie' a 'dream come true' for Aya Fernandez
• Aya Fernandez, Pat Tingjuy star in Cinemalaya film 'Rookie'

Lee is known for her films and series centered on lesbian love such as "Baka Bukas" (2017), "Billie and Emma" (2018), and the iWantTFC series "Sleep With Me" (2022).

She previously has three awards under her belt -- Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival Audience Award and L.A. Outfest Emerging Talent Award for "Baka Bukas" in 2016 and 2017, respectively, along with L.A. Outfest Audience Award for "Sleep With Me" in 2022.

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