Mother Lily Monteverde was obviously disappointed to the organizers of this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF 2016). During the presscon of “Mano Po 7: Chinoy,” Mother Lily told media over the weekend that the Yuletide season is for the kids and the whole family. She added that it is not the time to show independent films.
“There is a time for the indie movies. But not during the Christmas season. Christmas is for the family,” she was quoted as saying.
She also stressed that she had nothing against indie films in general having produced movies directed by the likes of Lav Diaz and Jeffrey Jeturian and even organized her own indie film festival in the past.
“You know, I don’t take against indie movies, because I was the original,” she explained.
These words by the veteran movie producer made “Oro” star Mercedes Cabral did not hold back to express her outrage through a Facebook post.
“Nakaka-awa ang mga bata??? Sabihin mo lang e ang habol mo lang e kita ng pelikula mo. Saka bayaran mo ng maayos mga tao mo. Ni hindi ka nga makapag bayad ng matino sa mga taong nagtatatrabaho sayo e. At kayo lang ba ang may karapatan magpalabas ng pelikula tuwing pasko? F**king id*ot,” Cabral wrote.
“Oro” director Alvin Yapan echoed Cabral’s sentiments through a cryptic Facebook post: “BATA’: A much abused term in Filipino film discourse.”
For the first time in years, the films of Vic Sotto, Vice Ganda and Monteverde were not included in the MMFF. Nicanor Tiongson, head of the MMFF 2016 selection committee revealed that the panel selected the entries based on “quality” rather than the film’s potential to sell tickets.
