A House committee will look into why the Metro Manila Film Festival disqualified one of the entries to the best picture category.
Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez on Monday filed a resolution directing the House panel chaired by Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo to conduct an inquiry on the disqualification of the film entry Honor Thy Father.
Congress resumes session on Jan. 18, 2016 and the issue is expected to be taken up in a House probe.
Fernandez is one of the actors in the film topbilled and co-produced by actor John Lloyd Cruz and directed by Erik Matti.
In a letter to the film’s producer, Ronald Stephen Monteverde, MMFF overall chairman Emerson Carlos said the film was disqualified “due to your non-disclosure of your participation to the Cinema One Originals Film Festival as the opening film and after careful and thorough deliberation.”
The film was a late entry to the annual film festival after a slot became available following the pullout of an official entry in October.
In his resolution, Fernandez said on Nov. 8, Honor Thy Father was featured as the opening feature to the Cinema One Originals Film Festival 2015, noting that Monteverde had committed to the Cinema One invitation prior to receiving and accepting the MMFF offer to a slot.
He said that Monteverde informed the MMFF executive committee about this. He also said that the producer also submitted a sworn statement to the committee stating that the screening did not generate revenues and was a “by invitation” event only.