Image: Facebook/Allan Diones via Noel Ferrer
Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) organizers believe that holding the event amid the pandemic is already a big achievement despite earlier reports of a “low” turnout.
MMFF spokesperson and film producer Noel Ferrer explained that having the festival would encourage the public to support the local film industry since it was put on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as per his Facebook page yesterday, Dec. 26. He also showed a photo of people lined up outside a cinema.
Ferrer made his sentiments known after entertainment journalist MJ Felipe said there was a “low” turnout of viewers in several malls in Metro Manila during the festival’s opening last Saturday, Christmas day.
“Cinemas operators mismo ang nagsabi na kahit nauna nang naiulat na matumal at hindi tulad ng pre-pandemic proportions ang mga tao, ‘yung [Dec. 25] opening pa rin ang highest grossing day nila since they re-opened kahit may pandemic,” Ferrer pointed out.
(Cinema operators said that while it was earlier reported that viewers are not as many and unlike it was pre-pandemic, the Dec. 25 opening is still their highest grossing day since they re-opened amid the pandemic.)
He then added that even Hollywood films like Marvel’s “Eternals” have not earned as much from local theaters as MMFF 2021 has generated so far this year.
“The fact na nakapag-MMFF tayo despite the pandemic ay isang malaking achievement na at magandang unang hakbang sa pagbabalik ng kumpiyansa ng mga tao at producers na nandito tayo na nakasuporta sa industriyang naipatigil, naisantabi at hindi itinuring na ‘essential’ [nang] halos dalawang taon,” he said.
(The fact that we had the MMFF despite the pandemic is already a big achievement and a good first step to regaining the confidence of the people and producers that we are here to support the industry that was suspended, sidelined and not considered “essential” for almost two years.)
Ferrer also expressed appreciation of filmmakers who participated in the festival, for being part of taking the “painful first step” in reopening cinemas to Filipino movies.
“[Ang] industriya ng pelikula ay binagyo at dumapa rin. Ang hinihinging suporta ay ang pagbabalik sa mga sinehan para panoorin ang mga likhang sariling atin,” he urged the public. (The film industry was affected and it collapsed too. The support we request is the return of cinemas so we may watch our own productions.)
There are eight movie entries in the MMFF this year: “Nelia,” “A Hard Day,” “The Exorsis,” “Big Night” “Huling Ulan sa Tag-Araw,” “Love at First Stream,” “Kun Maupay Man It Panahon” and “Huwag Kang Lalabas.” The festival will run from Dec. 25 to Jan. 7, 2022. JB
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