‘Unlucky’ fate in theaters

EPY Quizon (left) and director Ken Kwek. Kelly Fan

It is not uncommon for Filipino indie films to fall victim to the “first day-last day” syndrome in local theaters, but apparently the same treatment can be accorded to a foreign production.

Such was the fate of Singaporean filmmaker Ken Kwek’s “Unlucky Plaza,” which featured Filipino actor Epy Quizon and was distributed locally by Viva Films.

Kwek told the Inquirer  that he felt “satisfied” that the distributor had secured 26 cinemas for his film. “Viva did a great job. But the exhibitors did not give the film a chance to flourish. Within one day, our screen count was decreased from 26 to 14.”

Kwek related that the reason given for the pullout was the film’s failure to meet the opening day target of 400 admissions. “It’s an unreasonable target, especially for a weekday,” he pointed out. (“Unlucky Plaza” opened on a Wednesday—the usual opening day in the Philippines.)

Kwek recounted that even a “high-quality film… with a good marketing plan like ‘Heneral Luna’ struggled to meet that initial target in key cinemas.”

“Had we opened on a Friday or Saturday, perhaps we would’ve met that ‘quota,’” he noted. “But our run was prematurely cut in many cinemas even before the weekend. We were not given time to generate audience awareness.”

Even though “Unlucky Plaza” scored positive reviews from leading dailies, he related audiences could no longer find the film in cinemas.

Moreover, Kwek recalled that “many exhibitors couldn’t confirm which specific theaters would be playing our film until the day itself—making it impossible for us to disseminate accurate information about our screenings ahead of time.”

He asserted: “Audiences often get to book Hollywood movies (online or at the counter) days in advance, but they can’t do that for many Filipino movies.”

There were also instances, as reported by a netizen on Facebook, when screenings were canceled at the last minute because there were less than six people in attendance. “Our viewers were turned away,” he said.

Needless to say, he found the experience “disappointing.”

“I had already heard about the local system from Filipino colleagues, so my expectations were managed,” he conceded. “Still, I empathize with Filipino filmmakers. Unlike my native Singapore, the Philippines has a long history of great cinema. It’s heartbreaking to see a system that seems bent on killing its own cinema and stifling the great talent you have here.”

As an outsider, Kwek acknowledged that he couldn’t presume to know the answers on “how to fix the system.”

“I can only present the facts of my own experience, which happen to mirror the experience of many Filipino filmmakers,” he owned up. “Hopefully enough industry players feel strongly enough about this to press collectively for change.”

Cinema chains all over the world are primarily concerned with profit, he volunteered. But in Singapore, “Unlucky Plaza” was given “a minimum of a week to find its feet. Eventually, we got several extensions and, with the support of indie theaters, played for 15 continuous weeks.”

In spite of all this, he’s still willing to share the film with Filipino viewers. “Unlucky Plaza” will be screened for a week at Cinema 76 in San Juan starting May 13 and at Pineapple Lab in Makati beginning May 15.

He is not giving up on his plans to collaborate with Filipino artists, too. “Epy has invited me to join his production company, Mindfuel. It takes time to make a full-length feature, so we are starting with a short film, in collaboration with Artikulo Uno. I’m also developing a script with Viva. These are early, exciting days in my exploration of the Philippines, but I’m working hard to understand the country better.”

So what can indie filmmakers do in the face of these challenges?

“Look beyond the theatrical run,” he said. “My film will soon be available on VOD (video-on-demand) and online platforms.”