MANILA, January 1 ------ Filmmaker Pepe Diokno, who recently bagged the Best Director trophy at the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival for "Gomburza," said the industry should rethink its metric for success often dictated by box office.
In an interview with ANC's Headstart, Diokno agreed with some moviegoers' observation that movie ticket prices have become too expensive. "Honestly I also find ticket prices a little too high and I think they need to be rethought. I think as an industry our goal should be not just to increase box office. I think box office is not a good metric," Diokno said. The filmmaker said a "better metric" would be to track admissions or the number of people going to the cinemas. "And anytime we can increase the number of admissions, I think it's a good thing," he said. "Even if you look at the highest grossing films in the Philippines, and you translate it into admissions, it will still show you that the penetration for cinema can still be improved," Diokno added. The ultimate goal of films, according to Diokno, is to "foster a love again for cinema." "We need a bigger segment of the population to come back to the cinemas... We need to love our own cinema so that it grows and grows," Diokno said.
MORE SCREENINGS
Meanwhile, Diokno also reported that following their MMFF success, cinemas showing Gomburza have more than doubled. From 39 cinemas, the historical flick is now being screened in 86 theaters. Aside from the Best Director trophy, Gomburza also bagged the Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award, Best Actor, and Second Best Picture. Gomburza has earned praise from notable personalities such as former Vice President Leni Robredo, National Artist of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee, and historian Xiao Chua.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
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