METRO Manila Development Authority Chairman Thomas Orbos is expecting this year’s lineup of movies in the Metro Manila Film Festival would surpass the P1.020- billion total gross it earned last year.
This despite the absence of the usual big films and top-grossing films like those who starred country’s top comedians Vic Sotto and Vice Ganda, whose entry films this year “Enteng Kabisote and the Abangers,” and “Parental Guardian,” respectively, failed to get a slot for this year’s MMFF.
This year’s official entries includes: “Die Beautiful” starring Paolo Ballesteros; “Kabisera” featuring Nora Aunor, Ricky Davao, JC De Vera, Jason Abalos and Victor Neri; “Saving Sally” top-billed by Rhian Ramos and Enzo Marcos; “Seklusyon” featuring Rhed Bustamante, Phoebe Walker, Elora Espano, Neil Ryan Sese, Ronnie Alonte, Lou Veloso, Dominique Roque, John Vic De Guzman and JR Versales; “Sunday Beauty Queen” starring Hazel Perdid, Maylyn Jacobo, Cherry Bretania and Leo Selomenio; “Vince & Kath & James”” stars Julia Barretto, Joshua Garcia and Ronnie Alonte; “”Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2: Forever is Not Enough”” top-billed by Eugene Domingo and Chris Martinez; and “Oro” starring Joem Bascon.
Orbos said he is supporting the decision of members of the MMFF executive committee for thoroughly selecting “new faces” and “non-traditional” set of films for the 2016 festival which will run beginning on December 25, Christmas Day.
“With the kind of films that we have so-called artist films, I fully support the decision of the selection committee and even without looking the revenues na maaring dumagdag o mawala, we don’t even know, the mere fact na ito yung decision nila, ito’y ikakabuti ng movie industry given the fact na, tawag nga nila renaissance of Filipino films. Then, we just have to support it,” said Orbos.
The MMDA supervises the MMFF while its chairman is the concurrent head and organizer of the annual event.
“I’m not saying the likes of those (films) who failed to enter (the MMFF) are not of good quality. Maybe, all things change and this is just one example or one area that there are changes. While this is happening, we can also describe this as an answer to the public clamor to have movies to watch like Heneral Luna which is socially relevant,” said Orbos.
The MMDA chief said he is optimistic they will meet the revenue targets comes the week-long film fest.
“But if we don’t hit the numbers, I think already we are successful in bringing out such movies. Changes is not an easy task as we all see on our President and on what we are doing to (solve) traffic. It’s all about changing the norms, going against the what we believe is normal. Anything that we need to do to develop to become better to change needs some adjustments. And I think we should give the new set of films a chance,” he said.
When asked his reaction about the actors and film producers who expressed their complaint and other concerns on the present line-up of movies in this year’s MMFF, Orbos said “Siguro tama na. It doesn’t help the industry. We just move forward. We have learned from what has happened in the past and we hope to learn from what will happen this year, and hopefully next year will become better.”
Last year, The MMFF earned P1.020 billion total gross, which is more than P15-million the festival earned in 2014.
“Every year we are trying to surpass the target. Last year 1.2 billion. Like what I said, whether we hit the target or not, the mere fact that we have this kind of films, independently selected, I think that already is an objective attained. Now if we can hit the financial objective, salamat. If not, the objective of bringing out such artistic films panalo ka na. Yun lang.”
The movies included in the list of top earners in 2015 are My Bebe Love #KiligPaMore starring Vic Sotto and the phenomenal Aldub love team Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza, Beauty and the Bestie which featured Vice Ganda and Coco Martin, Haunted Mansion starring Joem Basco, Alan Paule and Janelle Salvador, and Walang Forever starring Jennilyn Mercado.
The MMFF beneficiaries include the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation Inc., Motion Picture and Anti-Film Piracy Council, Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Optical Media Board.