- Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) chairperson Liza Diño was firmed with her decision to stay on and continue serving the movie industry despite the recent resignation tendered by the executive committee members of the Metro Manila Film Festival [MMFF].
- MMFF committee members led by Roland Tolentino, Kara Alikpala and award-winning scriptwriter Ricky Lee recently resigned due to the opposing views among committee members and the majority’s decision didn’t sit well with the above mentioned members.
- There was an issue regarding the new rule in choosing entries for the MMFF with the vision in pursuit of both artistic excellence and audience appeal that can equate to more benefits to its target industry beneficiaries. But as it is, that didn’t seem to be implemented.
- As head of the FDCP, Liza said she salutes Lee, Alikpala and Tolentino and understands where they are coming from but she has to do her duty for the entire movie industry. And since majority wins, that was what was followed.
Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) chairman Liza Diño had assured that she will stay on and continue serving the movie industry after the resignation of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) executive committee members Roland Tolentino, Kara Alikpala and Ricky Lee.
Diño said she was able to speak with Tolentino, Lee and Alikpala prior to their resignations. She also revealed that she’s aware of how conflicted the three had been feeling about the opposing views among the MMFF screening committee members.
“As artists, we operate differently especially kung passion at creativity ang tanging puhunan at pinaghuhugutan. But there are things that are beyond our control, especially in a committee made up of 24 members na may kani-kaniyang opinions at pinanggagalingan. Since the execom is a collegial body, majority win and that’s what’s followed,” Diño wrote in her Facebook post.
She continued: “I know it’s always going to be a question of integrity so for that, I salute sir Roland, Sir Ricky and Miss Kara.”
“But this is bigger than myself. As a head, I have a duty to serve the entire industry. Hindi natin puwedeng idamay ang mga pelikulang nakasali. At the end of the day, pelikulang Pilipino pa rin ang mga kalahok dito,” she reasons out.
Lee, Tolentino and Alikpala all simultaneously resigned from their posts last week on very same day that the first four entries for this year were announced based on script submissions.
The films who made it into the so-called “Magic 8” were Coco Martin’s “Ang Panday,” Star Cinema’s “The Revengers” with Vice Ganda, Daniel Padilla and Pia Wurtzbach. Director Dan Villegas’ “Almost is Not Enough” featuring Jennylyn Mercado and Jericho Rosales; Antonio Reyes’ “Love Traps #FamilGoals” top-billed by Vic Sotto and Dawn Zulueta.
Supposedly, there was a new rule in choosing film entries for the MMFF in the pursuit of artistic excellence with audience appeal to target more industry beneficiaries. But it seems this new rule isn’t being followed by the said screening committee.
Lee explained that he had agreed to become a member of the MMFF execom “kung ipagpapatuloy nito ang nasimulan nang reforms nung taong 2016.”
Sadly, in his statement last Sunday, Lee admitted he doesn’t see this happening. “Sa nagiging takbo ng mga pangyayari, mukhang Malabo iyon mangyari. Kaya wala na ring dahilan para mag stay pa ako,” he said.
Diño herself had admitted that she’s not happy too with how the MMFF is shaping up this year. “Again, I do understand where each sector is coming from,” she said. “Filmmaking is a business as much as it is an art. The hardest part is to find the perfect balance between those two so that we can both serve its purpose. Last year, nagtagumpay ang MMFF dahil nakapagbigay tayo ng magagandang line up sa mga manonood ng mga pelikulang kakaiba sa karaniwang panlasa ng mga moviegoers. Artistically speaking, it was a big achievement for Philippine cinema,” she added.
MMFF 2016 featured most independently produced films with the documentary “Sunday Beauty Queen” about Filipino OFWs in Hong Kong emerged as the best picture. “But we have to consider that unfortunately, the numbers didn’t support that,” Diño said, noting that the estimated P400 million in box-office earnings generated by the 2016 MMFF is “not enough to sustain” the industry.
“In a country where we only have an annual average of 20% audience viewership, they need that Christmas revenue in order to recoup their losses. Mahalaga ang audience turnout when we talk about the business side and a P1-billion loss is no joke kahit saang sektor,” she said.
Diño assured that for this year, MMFF will try its best to “marry the artistic success of 2016’s MMFF as well as that of commercial successes of the past provided a huge promise of creating a more sustainable model without losing the reforms that were introduced last year.”
