The critically acclaimed film ‘Rewind,’ headlined by popular actors Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes and recognized as the highest-grossing movie of the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), has fallen prey to online piracy.
Reports have surfaced regarding pirated copies of the film circulating on various social media platforms, with Facebook being a particularly prominent avenue for unauthorized distribution.
Despite the film’s remarkable success in theaters, these pirated copies have managed to gain substantial traction online.
Within just a few hours of being illicitly uploaded, the pirated versions of ‘Rewind’ have garnered over a million views on unauthorized platforms, posing a significant challenge for the movie’s official distribution channels.
In response to this infringement, ABS-CBN Films, Inc. has taken to social media to guide users on reporting instances of piracy. They have instructed concerned individuals to send detailed emails to [email protected], with the subject line formatted as “Report Piracy (Name of Movie/Program).” Additionally, users are encouraged to provide specific links to the pirated content.
Acknowledging the proactive efforts of netizens, who have been actively reporting piracy instances to both ABS-CBN and Facebook, the film company emphasizes the importance of collaborative action to promptly remove copyrighted copies of ‘Rewind’ from unauthorized platforms.
Despite these piracy challenges, ‘Rewind’ continues to enjoy significant success in theaters. Audiences have maintained a strong presence, with reports of long queues, sold-out screenings, and an increasing number of theaters featuring the film even after more than two weeks since its initial release.
There is optimistic speculation that the film’s box office earnings may eventually surpass 600 million pesos, offering a positive outlook for the Philippine movie industry. Advocates hope that these incidents prompt stricter measures and increased vigilance from entities like the Optical Media Board (OMB) to deter and penalize those involved in piracy activities.
