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Friday, March 29, 2024

From traditional to #ReelVolution

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By Enna Hermoso

Change. That is what the Executive Committee of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is aiming for when they officially launched this year’s festival on June 28 at the SMX Convention Center.

For 42 years, the MMFF has been a part of the Filipino Christmas tradition. Now, with the theme #ReelVolution, MMFF has declared 2016 as a revolutionary era in Philippine Cinema.

“This cinematic revolution will celebrate the Filipino’s artistic excellence, and will champion the sustainability of the Philippine Film Industry with a new and improved film festival,” the MMFF executive committee said in a statement.

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Actors Epi Quizon (left) and Iza Calzado (right) at the official launch of Metro Manila Film Festival’s new season

In the first quarter of the year, the MMFF created a new executive committee for 2016. Headed by Atty. Emerson S. Carlos, chairman of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) together with various representatives from public and private sectors namely PNP – NCRPO Police Director Joel Pagdilao, Edward Cabagnot, Jessie Ejercito, FDCP Executive Director Teodoro Granados, Moira Lang, Senator Sonny Angara, MMTA Vice President Marcus Ng, MOWELFUND President Boots Anson-Rodrigo, Jun Romana from Bureau of Broadcast Services, Edgar Tejerero, president of SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc., Wilson Tieng, president of MPDAP, Quezon City Representative Alfred Vargas and Atty. Eugenio Villareal, chairman of MTRCB.

The new executive committee has brought about a whole lot of changes with this year’s festival beginning with a logo design and theme song contest. The winning logo will be the Festival’s emblem and its artist will also design the key visual arts during the six month-long campaign of the festival. The theme song must be written in Filipino and composers Jimmy Bondoc, Jerrold Tarog, and Robert Rivera will select the winning piece. Open to all Filipinos, submission will start  –July 15 –and end on Aug. 15. Winners will then be announced on Sept. 15.

From left: Wilson Tieng, Iza Calzado, MMDA Chairman Emerson Carlos, Boots Anson Roa Rodrigo and Epi Quizon

The MMFF has recently been swarmed with controversies regarding its new requirement for movie entry submission. Instead of the conventional requirement of submitting the script, the producers are now required to submit the finished movie.

One of the issues that this change is facing is the shortened production period of the movies. There have been changes in the submission date prior to the launch of MMFF. From September, the deadline has been moved towards the end of October.

The executive committee said that one of the reasons that they are requiring the finished movies is for the MMFF Marketing and Promotions Committee to have ample time to promote all of the movies.

At the festival’s press conference, Boots Anson – Rodrigo said that since the producers have been in the industry for long, it is still possible for them to produce films even in a short span of time.

Additional competitions and recognitions guidelines are also introduced during the launch. The New Wave category will be replaced by the Short Film category together with the Full – Length Feature Film. The deadline for the finished film entry for the short films and full – length films will be on Oct. 19 and Oct. 31, respectively.

According to Atty. Emerson Carlos, this year’s committee will be stricter in terms of the deadline of the entries.

This year, the MMFF aims to bridge the gap between the Independent films and Mainstream films by removing the distinction between new wave films and feature films.

The MMFF Selection Committee will choose among the submissions eight entries from each category and will be shown alongside with each other. The Selection Committee is different from the committee that will select the winners of awards in the festival.

As for the criteria for selecting the film entries, the executive committee also came up with a different set for this year’s festival. They have removed the 50 percent commercial viability and replaced it with 40 percent story, audience appeal and overall impact, 40 percent cinematic attributes and technical excellence, 10 percent global appeal, and 10 percent Filipino sensibility.

While they are vying for movies that are artistically excellent, the executive committee said that commercially viable films could also be award – winning.

Among the other changes that #ReelVolution is implementing is the scrapping of Best Child Actor Award to give way to the MMFF Children’s Choice Award. This new award’s purpose is to encourage filmmakers to create movies intended for younger audiences. Children ages nine to 12 years will be choosing the winners of this category.

Also added to the prestigious awards to be given out is the People’s Choice Award. This year’s winners will not be receiving any cash prizes.

Doing away with its traditional practice, the MMFF has moved its awards night to the end of the festival in order to avoid influencing the movie preference of the audience. It is now scheduled on Jan. 8, 2017, the day after the film festival period.

In accordance with its mission to develop audiences and encourage the production of quality Filipino films, the MMFF has introduced its first interactive gallery featuring the country’s most glorious films called MMFF Corner and a FanCon where movie enthusiasts can meet directors, producers, and artists. Concurrently, MMFF will also hold the “Best of the Best” fest in select cinemas for fans to recall movies that gave color to the Philippine Cinema Industry.

★★★★★

Angel Locsin wants you to send money via Smart Padala

Smart Padala launched its new campaign along with Angel Locsin as its newest brand ambassador on June 29.

Known as a family-oriented celebrity, Angel has advocated various well-meaning causes. She was chosen by the remittance company for the brand to intensify its campaign for financial inclusion, which aims to deliver financial services at an affordable cost.

Actress Angel Locsin at the Smart Padala media launch

“Angel Locsin represents the family and service – oriented values of Smart Padala. Aside from being a devoted daughter, she also supports advocacies such as the Philippine Red Cross and awareness on women’s rights. We’re happy to welcome her to the Smart Padala family,” said Lawrence Ferrer, vice president and head of Domestic Business at PayMaya Philippines.

Having been in show business for more than a decade now, Angel has represented big brands including Smart Telecommunications.

“I’m proud to be the new ambassador of Smart Padala. Naniniwala ako sa brand dahil malaki ang naitutulong ng Smart Padala sa mga manggagawa at pamilyang Pilipino. By representing the brand, I hope that I can help in Smart Padala’s mission to uplift more lives and communities,” Locsin shared during the press launch.

PadaLapit Lang with Smart Padala

Smart Padala has been made simple sending money to loved ones anywhere in the Philippines with 15,000 centers nationwide.

“Since the brand was launched over 10 years ago, Smart Padala has been enabling our countrymen to send and receive money anywhere in the county in a fast, easy, secure, and affordable manner. With this campaign, we reaffirm and strengthen this ‘PadaLapit’ brand that has made us a fixture of Filipino life,” said Benjie Fernandez, co-COO of PayMaya Philippines and COO of Voyager Innovations.

PayMaya is the digital financial services of PLDT and Smart Communications, under the Voyager Group. To know more about Smart Padala, visit www.smartpadala.ph and like its official Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SmartPadalaPH

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