ORGANIZERS of the Metro Manila Film Festival on Saturday launched the “Countdown to MMFF 2016” to formally announce the eight official movie entries for this year’s festival.
Metro Manila Development Authority officer-in-charge and concurrent MMFF head Thomas Orbos led the event co-hosted by Film Development Council of the Philippines at the SM North Edsa Skydome in Quezon City.
Citing the changing times of the Philippine cinema, the organizers said the MMFF has gone through what they described as “cinematic revolution” with a fresh season of films —eight full-length features and a crop of short films to be shown around the country beginning December 25.
This year, the MMFF selection committee decided to choose technically excellent films that focus on the quality of their story and production, rather than commercial viability and the draw of their star performers.
“The films of the 2016 MMFF will mark a turning point in the history of the festival and start a renaissance of quality films in the Metro Manila Film Festival,” said Nicanor Tiongson, MMFF selection committee chairman, film professor and historian, on the films chosen this year.
He said the selection of eight feature films would be giving MMFF audiences a different experience from the usual: a true reflection of the world of possibility that the thriving local cinema has to offer.
This year’s official entries include: “Die Beautiful” starring Paolo Ballesteros; “Kabisera” featuring Nora Aunor, Ricky Davao, JC De Vera, Jason Abalos and Victor Neri; “Saving Sally” top billed by Rhian Ramos and Enzo Marcos;
“Seklusyon” featuring Rhed Bustamante, Phoebe Walker, Elora Espano, Neil Ryan Sese, Ronnie Alonte, Lou Veloso, Dominique Roque, John Vic de Guzman and JR Versales; “Sunday Beauty Queen” starring Hazel Perdid, Maylyn Jacobo, Cherry Bretania and Leo Selomenio;
“Vince & Kath & James”” stars Julia Barretto, Joshua Garcia and Ronnie Alonte; “”Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2: Forever is Not Enough” top billed by Eugene Domingo and Chris Martinez; and “Oro” starring Joem Bascon.
Orbos, for his part, said he was supporting the decision of members of the MMFF executive committee in thoroughly selecting “new faces” and “non-traditional” set of films for the 2016 festival.
The MMDA supervises the MMFF while its chairman is the concurrent head and organizer of the annual event.
“I’m not saying the likes of those [films] who failed to enter [the MMFF] are not of good quality. Maybe, all things change and this is just one example or one area that there are changes. While this is happening, we can also describe this as an answer to the public clamor to have movies to watch like Heneral Luna which is socially relevant,” said Orbos.
The MMDA is confident this year’s line-up of movies would surpass the P1.020 billion total gross it earned last year.
He said: “But if we don’t hit the numbers, I think already we are successful in bringing out such movies. Changes is not an easy task as we all see on our President and on what we are doing to [solve] traffic.
“It’s all about changing the norms, going against the what we believe is normal. Anything that we need to do to develop to become better to change needs some adjustments. And I think we should give the new set of films a chance.”
Last year, the MMFF earned P1.020-billion total gross, more than P15 million the festival earned in 2014.
The movies included in the list of top earners in 2015 were My Bebe Love #KiligPaMore starring Vic Sotto and the phenomenal Aldub love team Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza, Beauty and the Bestie which featured Vice Ganda and Coco Martin, Haunted Mansion starring Joem Basco, Alan Paule and Janelle Salvador, and Walang Forever starring Jennilyn Mercado.
The MMFF beneficiaries include the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation Inc., Motion Picture and Anti-Film Piracy Council, Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Optical Media Board.