Acting Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Thomas Orbos said he will ask theater owners to extend the showing of the eight movie entries in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival.
“We are glad to hear that the people themselves are asking for the extension. We will write a formal letter address to theater owners to give consideration to give these movies additional days for the public to watch,” Orbos said.
The move, according to Orbos, was made to give the people, particularly overseas Filipino workers going home and balikbayans visiting their relatives this holiday season, a chance to enjoy the quality films.
This year’s movie festival will only run for 10 days, or until until Jan. 3. Last year, participating MMFF films were shown for two weeks.
“We want them to bring back the two-week running [showing] schedule. Initially, we agreed that it will be 10 days only and not nationwide but now the people are the once making the appeal. It is incumbent upon us to request to give additional days. As I was saying its not about the money, but what we can give our children later on,” Orbos said.
Officials of the MMFF executive committee said during the first day of showing on Christmas Day that the festival reached its gross revenue target.
“We have reassessed and set a new benchmark for this festival,” the committee said. “This as a real bonus as we have already achieved what we started out to in the first place, which is the cultural advancement through our Filipino films.”
“You cannot put a price at something which the future generations of Filipinos will find priceless and ageless,” the group added.
The committee said the top four earners were “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2,” “Die Beautiful,” “Seklusyon” and “Vince and Kath and James.”
Last year, the MMFF earned P1.020 billion, which is more than the P15 million in total revenues that the festival posted in 2014.