On December 27, award-winning producer Atty. Joji Alonso appealed to the Pinoy moviegoers to support Metro Manila Film Festival entries and Filipino films.
During her acceptance speech for the 47th MMFF Gabi ng Parangal, Atty. Alonso dedicated her message to netizens who expressed dismay over the late premiere of the Marvel movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home.
“Para po sa nagsasabi na, ‘Sana hindi na natuloy ang MMFF at mauna na po si Spider-Man,’ pakihintay na lang po sa January 8, please.”
She pleaded to the Pinoy moviegoers to support the eight entries of the 47th Metro Manila Film Festival, citing the hard work their fellow Filipinos put into the films.
“In the meantime, tangkilikin naman po natin ang pelikulang Pilipino.
“Sobra-sobra po naming pinaghirapan lahat ang paggawa ng mga pelikulang ito. Sana naman po huwag niyo naman kaming pabayaan”
Netizens have expressed polarized reactions to the late release of Spider-Man: No Way Home and the cold reception of MMFF 2021.
Some Filipino netizens sought to favor the release of Marvel’s very own web crawler over the MMFF entries.
So while the whole world enjoys Spider-Man: No Way Home, we’re stuck with MMFF movies that, if we’re being honest, people only watch because there’s nothing else showing.
Real talk.
— Lakay (@LakasNgTimog) December 28, 2021
https://twitter.com/jarleneenriquez/status/1475327944583106561
Mahal talaga ang ticket, i would save and pay for Spiderman than pay for crappy movies. Sorry, pero mahirap kitain ang pera. Maybe it’s time to move the release date of MMFF? Try summer time. Para gusto magpalamig ng mga tao sa sinehan. #MMFF https://t.co/0zt0GT2mX9
— Sam (@nakedcameraman) December 28, 2021
These MMFF defenders doesn't understand how special No Way Home is to us Spider-Man fans. That film has been building up for over a year and seeing the 3 Spider-Man actors together in a big screen is the best thing a Spider-Man fan like me can ever experience.
— RENTAGIRLFRIENDFAN (@LMAOLOLGAGO) December 25, 2021
Others noted their support for Filipino movies, citing some of the good MMFF entries to see during the festival.
remember: the conversation started bc there apparently /were/ good movies in the MMFF lineup this year (so watch them!) but still the cinemas were empty and people were thirsty for spider-man. i just think it's important to understand why people automatically dismiss the MMFF pic.twitter.com/WgA1jHTy4C
— renzo spinal cord sword (@renzosaurus) December 29, 2021
https://twitter.com/GilbertClause/status/1476185102329647107
ang sad na biglang nagdemand for quality filipino films just because of this spiderman and mmff issue and not because people genuinely want to watch good filipino films because if they do, they would’ve known how many great filipino films have been made through the years :((
— ivee (@iveedls) December 29, 2021
so much going. Filipino marvel fans are upset of the delay of Spider-man in theaters, and i am too. but the things is, some filo marvel fans are judging the current line-up for MMFF without even trying to see what they can offer.
— azi (@30__saikou) December 29, 2021
Some reports also claimed that it was Marvel or Sony’s decision to have the late premiere of Spider-Man: No Way Home on January 8 and not the MMFF committee.
SPIDER-MAN distributor here in PH should remind Marvel fans that it is them who decided not to screen Spider-Man a week before 25th. They can open at 3D & IMAX but decided not to. Let #MMFF be blamed only for their old course and not because of the delay of Spiderman NWH kbye. pic.twitter.com/rDJio1nRVv
— Rod Magaru (@rodmagaru) December 28, 2021
Galing daw yung utos sa Sony/Columbia head office e
— Fanboy SEO (@TheFanboySeo) December 28, 2021
During the 47th MMFF Gabi ng Parangal, Jun Robles Lana’s Big Night bagged multiple awards, such as Best Musical Score, Best Cinematography, Gender Sensitivity Award, Best Actor in a Supporting Role with John Arcilla, Best Actor in A Leading Role with Christian Bables, Best Director, and Best Picture.
