Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto has proposed the nationwide holding of a film festival for independent movies.
He also bats for the showing of the films during students’ semestral breaks.
Sotto explains, his intention is to give independent films “their most deserved spotlight.”
The lawmaker made the proposal during Tuesday’s hearing by the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media chaired by Senator Grace Poe.
The inquiry was prompted by Sotto’s resolution recommending the holding of a separate film festival for independent films.
Sotto, brother of comedian Vic Sotto, disagreed with MMFF’s selection of movies for the filmfest last December.
His brother’s movie, “Enteng Kabisote 10 and the Abangers,” was excluded from the event.
Sotto claims, he did not submit the resolution to favor his brother.
“My intention is really for the recipients of the MMFF proceeds. Beneficiaries ang isa sa mahalaga sa akin (beneficiaries are among the most important to me) and not what most people think that I am favoring maintream films, especially my brother’s,” he notes.
The MMFF’s selection committee had said, it used quality as the criteria for judging the films.