Readers of this corner of the page will remember I wrote about John Lloyd Cruz a few weeks ago. And how he much deserves his Urian award for his brilliant performance in Honor Thy Father. Other awards and honors have followed since, and again he deserves all of them and even more.
For those with short memories, Honor Thy Father was the controversial 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF, www.mmff.com.ph) entry that was disqualified from winning Best Picture in the annual filmfest. Controversy isn’t new to the MMFF, of course, but the disqualification of the John Lloyd-starrer was the last straw and many in the industry voiced the need for the festival to be revamped. A congressional hearing was even conducted, with John Lloyd himself attending.
Thanks to collective efforts, the MMFF 2016 recently announced a restructure with a matching six-month stream of events leading up to the much-anticipated film festival in December, all in conjunction with a cinematic revolution, or #reelvolution—and everyone is part of the improvement.
In the first quarter of 2016, the MMFF shook up the composition of its board of directors, with high-ranking representatives from the country’s public and private sectors creating the 2016 executive committee. The board began its term by unveiling an exciting lineup of activities and a new selection criteria for participating films.
The conditions for the choice of finalists are built on story, audience appeal, overall impact (40 percent), cinematic attributes and technical excellence (40 percent), global appeal (10 percent) and Filipino sensibility (10 percent).
The new MMFF is inviting all Filipino artists to take part in the logo design and theme-song writing contest that will set the mood for the entire filmfest. The winner in the logo competition will be chosen by the new executive committee, and the artist will not only design the festival’s new emblem, but also create key visuals for the entire six-month campaign. The theme song will be a signal banner for the festival, with seasoned composers Jimmy Bondoc, Jerrold Tarog and Robert Rivera selecting the winning piece. Entries to the logo design and theme-song writing competition must be submitted on or before August 15, and the winners will be announced on September 15. The 2016 MMFF has redesigned its current season to honor the hard work of the film industry, while creating a bigger and sustained experience for December’s most-awaited family affair. To develop audiences for and encourage the production of quality Filipino films, the 2016 MMFF is elevating the festival’s annual activities, creating a more experiential difference fans will surely enjoy. The MMFF will launch a traveling exhibit to allow old and new fans alike to relive the country’s most glorious films via interactive galleries.
Simultaneously, the MMFF will hold a “Best of the Best” festival in select theaters, giving a chance for fans to recall the movies that added much color and prestige to the Filipino film industry. A FanCon will give the public an opportunity to interact with the directors, producers and artists, as they explore the exhibits and activities. The annual parade of the stars will be a bigger and more interactive fan fair. The revered awards night will become a formal gala. Unlike in past years, the MMFF will announce the winners at the end of the festival. To be held on January 8, 2017, more awards categories have been added to this year’s culminating event, such as the People’s Choice Award.
Hopefully these changes will bring an MMFF at par with other esteemed film festivals.
But most importantly, I really hope these changes will alleviate the film industry. Sa totoo lang, napag-iwanan na tayo. Look at the South Korean, or even the Iranian film industry. They have been putting out quality movies, which have been well-received by their own people, and because of such excellence, their film industries have achieved prominence in global cinema.