Industry insiders defend MMFF from backlash
By the time the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) ends on January 7, the country’s biggest filmfest is expected to rake in over P1 billion in its two-week run—its highest recorded earnings since it started 39 years ago.
This year’s annual holiday film spectacle is not just the most successful in terms of revenue, it’s also probably the most criticized—with one dubbing its top grosser, “My Little Bossings” as “contempt for the audience,” and a local council suggesting that the MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) should let industry experts run the film fest.
But despite all the negative reviews and scathing commentaries, why do Filipinos continue patronizing the MMFF?
Filmmaker Mark Meily (he directed critically-acclaimed MMFF movies “Baler” in 2010 and “El Presidente” in 2012) thinks this year produced a “better” batch of movies.
“Honestly, ang MMFF ngayon I think is a big improvement [in terms of] the choices of films. I mean, seriously, ito lang ang MMFF na pinanood ko lahat, except for two films kasi wala na sa sinehan (Pedro Calungsod and Kaleidoscope World),” he told Yahoo Philippines OMG!
For one, according to Meily, this year’s MMFF has gotten rid of superhero movies like “Lastikman” and the decade-old horror franchise “Shake Rattle and Roll.” Producers have also retired family movies such as “Enteng Kabisote” and “Agimat.”
And though it’s easy for some industry outsiders to criticize, the filmmaker-professor thinks the directors in this year’s competition have already “stepped up.”
“Tsaka ano 'to seryoso talaga... kumbaga wala nang pretension na, ‘This is art.' 'This is a statement of Philippine society.’”
He continued, “[For Instance] Wenn Deramas (director of "Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy"), 'No. We really want to entertain.' Pero 'yung craft niya of directing a film, kitang kita ko dun sa... Ang hirap mag-shooting na may apat na characters.”
The award-winning filmmaker would rather judge the film on its own merits.
“Ang daling i-criticize. Pwede mong sabihin basura 'yung istorya. Hindi e. Entertaining siya e. Ako natatawa ako. Ano ‘ko ha, may appreciation ako for films na lakad lang nang lakad 'yung tao at tingin ng malayo. But at the same time, nag-enjoy ako sa "Kimmy Dora," sa "10,000 Hours," "Boy Golden."
‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you’
Meily also cautioned that bringing down the festival may actually hurt the resurgence of the indie filmmaking industry that somehow gains from MMFF revenues.
“Ang Metro Manila Film Festival huwag mo nang hanapan ng lalim,” he said in jest.
“Since the time of (former MMDA chairman) Bayani Fernando, sinabi na na niya ang objective ay to raise funds because we need to subsidize the FDCP (Film Development Council of the Philippines).”
Unknown to many, MMFF infuses funds so the FDCP can give small-time filmmakers funds to produce their own films.
“Parang huwag mo namang yurakan... [Ika nga] "Don't bite the hand that feeds you." Kasi ‘yung MMFF ‘yung kinikita niya, binibigay sa FDCP who in turn gives money to [the likes of] Brillante Mendoza, Pepe Diokno, Lav Diza para sila, kapag nagpunta sa ibang film festivals all over the world, may magbayad ng airfare nila, may support sila from the Philippine government.”
Meily himself disclosed that he is a grantee of the FDCP.
“I was also a recipient ng FDCP grant e. Hindi ganun kalaki pero kahit paano I appreciate na may ganun. Mowelfund Film Institute, for example, where I learned filmmaking, was the main beneficiary of MMFF.”
Every filmmaker’s dream?
Meanwhile, for “Pedro Calungsod” producer Ida Tiongson, an MMFF first-timer, making it to the official movies in this year’s MMFF is in itself an accomplishment.
“It's a dream of most, if not all filmmakers, to enter MMFF. ‘Yung entering alone napakahirap e. Would I (join again) as a funder/investor? [Perhaps] given the right product. For a filmmaker you’ll do it again and again.”
And although her religious film trailed behind some blockbuster movies, Tiongson still believes the widely-mocked box-office hits are commendable.
“If I may say so, I don't think "Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy" is shallow. I think it was brilliantly done. The most popular ("My Little Bossings") had story in it….it's just that, overpowered ‘yung mga ex-deals. In fact if you look at the mix of the movies, it's fantastic to be part of this quite complex [film fest]. Iba-iba talagang klase, the “Pedro Calungsod” Tiongson shared.
“‘Yung shallow… Is Chito Rono (director of “Boy Golden”) shallow? Is Marlon Rivera (director of “My Little Bossings”) shallow?”
Eric Cabahug, creative manager of Viva Entertainment (co-producers of “Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy,” “Boy Golden” and “10,000 Hours”), also defended the filmfest.
“Ang tingin ko dyan ‘yung films sa MMFF para siyang Star City na katabi niya CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines). Kung gusto mo ng art films, e ‘di manood ka ng [independent film festivals like] Cinemalaya, Cinema One, Cine Filipino. Meron naman ganung avenues e. A lot of people would point to the '70s or early ‘80s film fest na merong classics like “Himala” and “Ganito Kami Noon Paano Kayo Ngayon?,” he pointed out. “We're in a different world na, nag-evolve na rin ‘yung filmfest.”
