The 41st Metro Manila Film Festival was held on Dec. 27, Sunday night at the Kia Theater in Cubao, Quezon City. The venue was jam packed, but in a low-key fashion.
The Gabi ng Parangal that saw Quantum Films’ Walang Forever and Buy Now, Die Later and Octo Arts Films’ My Bebe Love: #Kilig Pa More bagged the Best Picture, 2nd Best Picture and 3rd Best Picture awards, respectively, quite missed the glamour quotient as only few stars attended the awarding ceremony of what could have been the biggest film event of the year. Not even the biggest names that headline this years’ top-grossers were there to support the annual event making the red carpet that supposed to welcome these stars at the venue lobby useless.
It’s good to note that these crowd-puller stars were all present during the festival parade but failed to show up in the most important part of the festival – the Gabi ng Parangal, which serves as the culminating event of the whole exercise.
Although it’s never mandatory for these celebrities to attend the awarding ceremony, their non-appearance gives people the impression that they are either afraid to glam up and yet walk home empty handed or they just simply snub the awards night for the same reason that they only promote their films to do well at the tills.
Incidentally, the stars that top bill the less popular film entries that obviously need the boost that an award can bring were almost in full force.
Among the no-shows were the festival’s biggest names like Vic Sotto, Alden Richards and Ai-Ai delas Alas (My Bebe Love), Vice Ganda and Coco Martin (Beauty and the Bestie), John Lloyd Cruz (Honor Thy Father), Kris Aquino, Derek Ramsay, Kim Chiu, Xian Lim, Jodi Sta. Maria, and Ian Veneracion (All You Need is Pag-ibig), and Alex Gonzaga, Vhong Navarro and Iza Calzado (Buy Now, Die Later).
Even Best Actor winner Jericho Rosales, Best Supporting Actress Maine Mendoza, and Best Director Erik Matti were not there to accept personally their trophies.
Mendoza is currently in Japan, while director Matti intended not to attend the awards night in protest of the disqualification of his film Honor Thy Father from the Best Picture race. Instead, a representative, who read out his swipe against MMFF, accepted the Best Director plum on his behalf.
Back to back Best Actress winner Jennylyn Mercado (Walang Forever) did not have much competition for the Female Celebrity of the Night award and so was Cesar Montano who was named as Mercado’s counterpart.
The entire program was a bit tedious with the audience waiting for a few minutes in between takes. Some were less than thrilled about what delights the night hold where production numbers staged for the lack of better amusement to showcase.
The show was hosted by Richard Gutierrez and KC Concepcion. Celebrities that provided entertainment during intermission numbers were Yassi Pressman, Maria Ozawa, Janella Salvador, Marlo Mortel, Mark Bautista, Alonzo Muchlach and Ronnie Liang. The program was opened by a production number by Bella Padilla.