The Metro Manila Film Festival is now 50 years old, and my memories rush in.
When I was a young movie fan in grade school, I considered its precursor, the Manila Film Festival (MFF), a grand fiesta of Filipino films. I anticipated the event, reading about it in the weekly Manila publications Philippines Free Press, Graphic, and Nation, which were sold by a sole newspaper dealer in our remote town of Lopez in Quezon.
The publications popular with the masses, like Pilipino, Sixteen (the precursor of the defunct glossy Mod), and Tinedyer Songs and Shows (or TSS) also came in handy for blow-by-blow accounts of the film fest—a field day of local movies, whether drama, action, comedy etc.
I remember my older sister and me standing among the crowd lining the stretch of Avenida Rizal in the central district of Sta. Cruz in Quiapo, Manila, and waiting for the Parade of Stars. The colorful floats carried the cast members of the films selected as festival entries.
I can’t remember the year but from my research now, it must have been 1966. But I do recall action stars Jess Lapid, Jing Abalos, and one other whose name and image elude me now, riding on horseback on the concrete avenue. Oh, those screen idols fighting for the liberation of the poor and the oppressed were touching ground, even if on horseshoes. The poor were beholding their knights in shining armor in flesh and blood, but would later realize they were mortal, after all (Jess would be gunned down in a bar and Jing would fade into oblivion).
I’ve forgotten the other details of the parade. What remains vivid in my mind is the festive mood—the throngs of fans and kibitzers, excited and starstruck.
The MFF was the brainchild of Antonio J. Villegas, the mayor of Manila in the 1960s.
Cinema magic
As I grew older, my perception of the annual film fest—the magic of the cinema and its makers—did not change.
During my junior year in college, my heart leaped when, on my way to school, I saw production crews putting finishing touches on the six-by-six carrozas of “Tok-Tok Palatok” and “Krimen: Kayo ang Humatol” in front of the University of Santo Tomas grounds where the parade was to start. The films were two of the festival entries.
Still nowhere in sight were lead stars Vilma Santos and Jojit Paredes (for the first float) and director-actor Jun Raquiza, with Gina Pareno and Marianne de la Riva as co-stars (for the second float).
When I arrived at our experimental psychology lab class, Danny T. Vibas (now an entertainment journalist) was chuckling over our prof’s observation that many of our classmates were late, or absent. “Nanonood po ng parada (They’re watching the parade),” Vibas said in a jeering tone. I was embarrassed, as though I was the one being referred to.
At that time the MFF was held midyear, usually in June, in honor of the founding of the City of Manila. That changed when the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) took over the management of the festival in 1974, thus the name Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).
In my early years in movie reporting, I would ride on certain floats—for example, that of “Kape’t Gatas” (1980), because I was close to its lead actress Julie Ann Fortich who teamed up with comedian Chiquito in the movie.
Being a protege of the (still missing) entertainment writer, talent manager and TV host Boy C. de Guia, I also joined the “Hot Property” (1983) cast on its float. His talent Carmi Martin was the titular star of the project that he line-produced and promoted.
Starting in those years, the MMFF Parade of Stars was held on Christmas Eve, or one day before the festival opening.
Commercial venture
Through my years in show biz writing, it has dawned on me that a film, apart from its art component, is a commercial venture that includes the MMFF. A film is a product that is promoted, marketed and sold for profit. It is also an artefact that should be promoted for the public to savor and keep for posterity, as part of heritage and culture preservation.
The MMFF can claim to be the perfect vehicle to showcase artistic excellence. But it cannot be denied that it caters also to the business interests of the movie makers, for how can there be ranking in the box-office earnings of the entries?
The MMDA and the MMFF drumbeat the entries’ performance at the tills, obviously to stir the interest of the ticket-buyers. To add to the drum roll, the multimedia report and document the MMFF top-grossers and cellar-dwellers, whether in official figures or estimates.
Consider “Rewind,” a co-venture of Star Cinema, APT Entertainment, and AgostoDos Pictures and an entry at the 2023 MMFF that starred real-life couple Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes.
According to records, “Rewind” made almost P1 billion in sales on both local and international charts and became Philippine cinema’s bestselling film of all time—until the recent “Hello, Love, Again,” a non-MMFF lister, grabbed the record with sales of more than P1 billion and counting.
Product marketing
In recent years, or immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, the Parade of Stars was held days before Christmas and the festival opening. This year, the parade was held five days before the first day of showing.
The date change for the parade is indicative of the consumerist idea of longer product marketing—the longer the promotion, the better—to attract more customers and clients in advertising the entire project. Pressers on an official entry are done one month before its public exhibition.
It’s a marketing strategy to draw more moviegoers as film screenings are a dime a dozen, especially on online platforms where competitive films are streamed. Alas, certain entries were readily pirated and uploaded on YouTube, Facebook and other digital apps, affecting the box-office chances of the festival entries.
Official selections and awards are also barometers of the commercial success or failure of an MMFF entry. Any producer would be eager to be included in the festival for it is a chance for their product to sell and/or win an award.
One of the MMFF’s business strategies is the holding of the Gabi ng Parangal aside from its recognition of the films’ artistic merits. Traditionally, the Gabi ng Parangal is held two days after the opening day because the awards could lure movie-goers to watch the films during the festival’s remaining days.
Changes
Generally, the criteria for the selection of the official entries are artistic excellence, commercial appeal, Filipino cultural sensibility, global appeal, creativity and originality, storytelling and technical proficiency. The parameters are generally applicable to the entries although in the awarding, there are diverse minds analyzing, grading and scoring the nominations from where the winners would be chosen.
But there were awards nights in which there were no presentations of nominations, only announcements of winners.
In my 50 years of covering and reporting on the MMFF, the original criteria have been applied to the most outstanding entry. But there have been changes, especially in 2016 when certain rules and regulations were altered.
A report states: “The selection criteria for MMFF official entries are: story, audience appeal and overall impact, 40%; cinematic attributes and technical excellence, 40%; global appeal, 10%, and Filipino sensibility, 10%.
“Aside from commercial viability, the old selection criteria included production or technical excellence, 40%, and cultural and historical value, 10%.”
It was the year when mostly independent films were selected, like Alvin Yapan’s “Oro,” Arturo San Agustin and Real Florido’s “Kabisera,” Marlon Rivera’s “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2 (#ForeverIsNotEnough),” Jun Robles Lana’s “Die Beautiful,” Avid Liongoren’s “Saving Sally,” Erik Matti’s “Seklusyon,” Theodore Boborol’s “Vince & Kath & James” and Babyruth Villarama’s “Sunday Beauty Queen.”
The movies of the perennial MMFF box-office icons Vic Sotto and Vice Ganda were snubbed by the selection committee headed by film critic, teacher, book author, playwright and historian Nicanor G. Tiongson. It was a controversial decision that made history in the MMFF.
2024 entries
Which of these entries in the current MMFF will stand out as hits and/or gain critical acclaim? (The festival runs from Dec. 25 to Jan. 7, during which no foreign film is shown in movie theaters.)
• “And the Breadwinner is…” Star Cinema, The IdeaFirst Company; directed by Jun Robles Lana. An overseas Filipino worker in Taiwan comes home eager to check on the progress of the new house she is building, only to discover that her money is not being spent properly. Starring Eugene Domingo, Joel Torres, Gladys Reyes, John Hilario, Kokoy de Santos, among others.
• “Green Bones.” GMA Pictures; directed by Zig Dulay. A prisoner and a jail warden are morally confronted by their past lives. Starring Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid.
• “Isang Himala.” Kapitol Films, USX; directed by Pepe Diokno. A musical adaptation of the iconic movie “Himala,” starring Aicelle Santos, David Ezra and Bituin Escalante.
• “The Kingdom.” M-Zet Productions, APT Entertainment and Media Quest; directed by Michael Tuviera. An epic historical drama set in the Kingdom of Kalayaan, tackling the issue of royal succession under Lakan Makisig’s leadership. Starring Piolo Pascual and Vic Sotto.
• “Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital.” Reality MM Studios; directed by Kerwin Go. A group of Filipino amateur ghost hunters explore the controversial Xinglin General Hospital in Taiwan and witness strange phenomena therein. starring Enrique Gil, Jane de Leon, Alexa Miro, MJ Lastimosa, Raf Pineda and Ryan Azurin.
• “Espantaho.” Quantum Films, Cineko Productions, Purple Bunny Productions; directed by Chito S. Rono. A mother and her daughter are caught in a web of complicated and morally challenging situations involving married men. Starring Judy Ann Santos, Lorna Tolentino, Janice de Belen and Chanda Romero.
• “Hold Me Close.” Viva Films, Ninuo Media; directed by Jason Paul Laxamana. Adventurer Woody meets Lynlyn in Japan, and their platonic relationship evolves as they try to discover if they are really meant for each other. Starring Carlo Aquino and Julia Barretto.
• “My Future You.” Regal Entertainment; directed by Crisanto Aquino. About dating apps and young people Karen and Lex who meet and instantly hit it off, only to realize they’re on two different planes—she in 2024 and he in 2002. Starring Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin.
• “Topakk.” Nathan Studios, Strawdog Studios, FUSSE; directed by Richard Somes. A former special forces operative with PTSD tries to rescue a woman being hunted by a corrupt police death squad affiliated with a drug cartel. Starring Arjo Atayde, Julia Montes, Levy Ignacio, and a lot more.
• “Uninvited.” Mentorque Productions, Project 8 Projects; directed by Dan Vilegas. A grieving mother sets out to seek revenge for the death of her daughter. Starring Vilma Santos, Aga Muhlach and Nadine Lustre.
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