No first day, last day showing for all MMFF entries, even for 'low performing' movies

MANILA, December 26 ------ Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2020 producers have been assured that there will no pull out of their entries in the full duration of the two weeks run of the yuletide festival. Dondon Monteverde, head honcho of Upstream, which will exclusively stream the MMFF entries, said the new online set-up of the 46-year old film fest will enable filmmakers to maximize their profits based on online demand. It’s the end of “first day last day” syndrome which always plagued the festival.

“Every year na lang may controversy in MMFF. Why was this film taken out of the cinema after one day or two days?" Monteverde told ABS-CBN News. “Sad because you have no chance to recover your investment knowing that ‘yung movie house lang ang talagang source of profit na puwede mong makuha to give you a better chance to recover. I think we’ve covered that very well for the producers. Number one, we have unlimited screens and unlimited seats in Upstream, meaning we are able to have all the producers to enjoy the two-week run without them worrying na matatanggal ‘yung content nila anytime habang tumatakbo ‘yung festival.”

The 10 official entries have started selling tickets worldwide through the online platform with “positive” results, according to Monteverde’s partner, director Erik Matti. “As early as noche ng December 25, pwede nang manuod ng mga entries ang mga pamilya. One ticket per film, isa para sa saya ng lahat!” Matti also reported a steadily growing demand in international Pinoy communities for the MMFF 2020 entries which include: “Magikland" (fantasy adventure), “Coming Home” (family drama), “The Missing" (horror), “Tagpuan” (romance), “Isa Pang Bahaghari" (family drama), “Suarez, the Healing Priest" (biopic), “Mang Kepweng Ang Lihim ng Bandang Itim” (comedy), “Pakboys Takusa” (comedy), “The Boy Foretold by the Stars” (romantic comedy), and “Fan Girl “ (drama). Depending on ticket sales, producers have the option to extend the online selling of their entries, beyond January 7, 2021.

Monteverde also predicts that online platforms like Upstream will be the new norm in movie viewing and box-office revenues even with the anticipated limited reopening of movie theaters. “We have now expanded the market kasi before MMFF is done for the Filipino audience here in the domestic market. But this time around, we give them, the producers, the power to to show their content all around the world, real-time as our kababayan here in the Philippines, “ he said. Ahead of the December 25 streaming of the entries, directors have given previews of their films. Director Adolf Alix proudly showed the strong dramatic performances of his stars Sylvia Sanchez and Jinggoy Estrada in “Coming Home.” Martin del Rosario, Edgar Allan Guzman, comebacking Geneva Cruz and other supporting players made their mark in the domestic drama, which was at times bogged down by extended meandering scenes.

Meanwhile, director Joven Tan crafted a powerful ending to his documentary-styled “Suarez, the Healing Priest” where John Arcilla rendered a quiet but eloquent portrayal of the late miracle worker, Fr. Fernando Suarez. It is another entry that can do away with its long dialogues that weighs down on the flow of the movie. The viewers’ reward, though, is the actual healing prayer of Suarez that was shot by Tan shortly before he passed on early this year. In a take-one sequence in Orion, Bataan, Suarez directly addresses and guides the audience how to heal themselves through the power and intercession of Jesus Christ. Tan maintains this is not a marketing ploy that can boost demand for the film on Upstream. “But if it can heal people, nakatulong na kami sa tao," he said.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment