John Arcilla (left) and Lotlot de Leon in “On the Job: The Missing 8”
These days, you need a whopping $50 million to $80 million to be able to mount a decent campaign to get a nomination under the best foreign language category of the Academy Award, according to filmmaker-producer Erik Matti.
Matti, director of the action-thriller “On the Job: The Missing 8” (OTJ8), and coproducer Dondon Monteverde of Reality Entertainment, are tasked to mount the gargantuan effort that will hopefully enable the Philippines to win its first Oscar award.
The 95th Academy Awards, which will honor films released in 2022, will be held on March 12, 2023. The 15 shortlisted films will be announced on Dec. 21, 2022, while the announcement of the five nominated films will be on Jan. 24, 2023.
“We already looked into this. For the film to be noticed, or to get the buzz, we need to spend anywhere between $50 and $80 million. This is based on the spendings of distribution companies like Universal Studios and Sony. What we can afford is nowhere near that amount,” Matti told Inquirer Entertainment during a recent virtual chat.
The director is banking on the connection it has made with the American pay television network HBO, which is currently streaming “OTJ8 The Series” in different areas of the globe. “With HBO’s clout and the support it has globally, we’re hoping that we could—not get the $50-80 million—but make use of its machinery to promote the film,” Matti began, adding that HBO “gladly accepted the request.”
Matti said his team and HBO have “already finalized everything” in relation to the schedules of some of the film’s theatrical releases in the United States. “We’re arranging a few screenings in the US to get the film around. The plan is to invite some Academy members to watch it. We’re hoping for that kind of support from HBO. In fact, we were told that HBO North America has already been informed, too.”
Director Erik Matti
Publicity stunt
When asked whether he also intends to seek financial aid from private companies and film-related government agencies, Matti said: “We have scheduled a few meetings with several people in the hope of getting their support, but we haven’t started that yet. Hopefully, we will get them to help us, not just financially, but with other things, too.”
Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chair Tirso Cruz III recently pledged to give P1 million to Reality Entertainment to help in the campaign.
In a recent interview with Monteverde, he mentioned that his group is still brainstorming for the campaign. What is certain, he said, was that a film needs to pull off a publicity stunt in order for it to get noticed by the voting members of the Academy. Asked whether he agrees with Monteverde’s comment, Matti said: “We will be attacking this in several ways. No. 1, we will focus on the kind of prestige the film has experienced globally.”
“OTJ8,” the movie version, won for John Arcilla the coveted Volpi Cup (for best actor) at the prestigious 2021 Venice International Film Festival, while “OTJ8 The Series” got a nomination for the category for best mini-series for movie and television at the 2022 International Emmy Awards.
Andrea Brillantes
Attacks on journalists
“We’re hoping that the news of the Emmys nomination will get the film to everyone’s radar in the US,” he said, adding that he and Monteverde will be leaving for the United States on Nov. 17, in time for the Emmys festivities that will run from Nov. 19 to Nov. 22.
“The Missing 8” is a sequel to the Filipino neo-noir action thriller “On the Job” released in 2013. It tells the story of a journalist (John Arcilla) who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his colleagues, and a prisoner who is temporarily freed to carry out assassinations.
“The other is the story’s timeliness. The story happened during the time when journalism, which has always been under attack in the Philippines, was hit the hardest in our history. We’re using that to get into everyone’s radar, to say that this is the story of the world in the 2020s,” Matti explained. “The truth about the attack on the journalists is that this is not just happening in our country now, but globally. Fake news is prevalent, as well as manipulation of the news in favor of who gets the stronger voice or the stronger platform.”
Dennis Trillo
Matti added: “We don’t want to rely on the fact that we have a good film and think that people will automatically see it. We are also looking for a publicist in the US to help get the word around, particularly in North America.”
The director said part of the strategy is knowing which films from other countries “OTJ8” will be up against. He added that the two titles that are currently making the rounds in the US are Ruben Ostlund’s “’The Triangle of Sadness” (Sweden) and Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave” (Korea).
“I’ve seen the titles of those from other countries. I noticed that there are fewer socio-political films now [compared to previous years]. They’re mostly stories about gender, and just pure human insight. It’s definitely a good mix,” observed Matti. “Over the years, I’ve been talking to Filipino producers who have previously submitted entries. Of course, I keep hearing about the parties that we need to organize. I just don’t know if that still works today because of the pandemic.”
“OTJ8” will have its local theatrical release from Nov. 2 to Nov. 9.