Movie writers’ groups clash

Tonight at Annabel’s Restaurant along Tomas Morato, there will be another regrouping of movie writers during the induction (to be led by Sharon Cuneta) of the officers and members of newly formed Entertainment Press Society, Inc. (Enpress).

Enpress is actually a breakaway group of the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC), which was rocked by a scandal last October after some of the members protested the results of the Star Awards for Television.

In a 16-page letter drafted by Ruel Mendoza and signed by 34 members and past PMPC presidents, the disgruntled group questioned the choices of the winners in the Star Awards for TV – including the selection for Claudine Barretto as Best Female Musical-Variety Show Host and Willie Revillame as Best Public Service Show Host. Mendoza, who now serves as public relations officer of Enpress, feels that he and his companions were eventually proven right. "After all, wasn’t Claudine removed from ASAP as host and Willie’s show totally axed after that?" volunteers Mendoza, who unfortunately, was not able to vote during the last Star Awards for TV.

Aside from what Mendoza refers to as "questionable choices," he also dared to ask about the group’s financial status, which by his estimate, should still be around P50,000. "There is no accounting," insists Mendoza. "I don’t understand why Julie Bonifacio (the current PMPC president) cannot show us the financial report."

Their list of complaints against PMPC is long. And since they believe that the rift with Ms. Bonifacio (and those still loyal to her) is irreparable, they decided to form their own group (as initiated by Jun Nardo). The result is Enpress (with Nardo as president), which now counts 25 members. (It’s a "by invitation only" group, unlike in the PMPC where people who want to join can apply.)

Below are the group’s objectives (as presented to the Security and Exchange Commission):

1) To promote, enhance and adhere to professionalism in the entertainment press that covers the motion picture and television industries and related fields.

2) To provide benefits and protect the health and welfare of the members.

3) To engage in non-profit, civic, religious, social, cultural, educational and other worthy projects.

4) To give recognition and awards to the deserving people in the film and broadcast industries.

5) To undertake any or related activities that will be beneficial to the association and its members.

The Philippine Movie Press Club has actually been in existence for more than 30 years now. Initially, the group’s main activity was the writing contest for its members. For a while, they also gave out kalabasa awards to movie and TV personalities in the spirit of fun.

In 1984, however, the PMPC began staging the annual Star Awards for Movies which was incorporated as an edition of See-True on Channel 13. The first acting winners were Rudy Fernandez (for Alyas Waway) and Nora Aunor (for her body of work – ‘Merika, Condemned and Bulaklak ng City Jail). The following year, the Star Awards for Movies became a grand affair with June Torrejon Rufino producing it for television.

Then, in 1987, former PMPC member Mario Bautista broached the idea of giving awards to television and in October of that year, The Star Awards for TV was staged at the Araneta Coliseum.

Enpress will also be giving out awards to movies and its awards presentations will probably be staged along with the rest this summer.

However, according to Ruel Mendoza, it is not likely that Enpress would hand out awards for television – "because that’s where all the problems always start."

The PMPC – still headed by Julie Bonifacio – is also bent on continuing with the awards. With 17 members, the group was said to have began with their screenings the other week by catching the regular runs of the Metro Manila Film Festival entries.

Yesterday, I talked to Tessie Celestino-Howard, who has been producing the PMPC Star Awards since 1989 to ask her which of the two awards presentation she’ll be handling this year. Her response was "which ever group is able to show me the proper legal papers."

My guess is that this summer, there will be another award-giving body to be added to the already long list that includes the Urian, Film Academy, FAMAS, Young Critics’ Circle and, yes, the PMPC Star Awards for Movies.

Surely, the members of the PMPC and the new Enpress can stage their awards rites alongside each other. I just can’t wait to find out what Enpress will call its award. The Sun Awards? More interestingly, will there be a clash (or probably even a legal battle?) between the two movie writers’ groups? Let’s wait and see.