Uncrowned jurors’ choice

Before we formally usher in this year’s awards season, I feel that we should try to heal first the wounds of the last Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) so that — to borrow current showbiz terms (which I never thought I’d ever use) — "we can move on" and have some "closure."

It will be recalled that the entire movie business became a laughing stock last December when the fantasy-comedy Enteng Kabisote got the top prize in the film festival — no thanks to the 40 percent commercial viability criterion that was added practically at the last minute in the selection of Best Picture.

Of course, it was the members of the board of judges who got the flak for that. But I already told you in a previous column I wrote at the height of the controversy and I’m telling you again that the jurors should not be blamed for the fiasco.

As a matter of fact, when the judges learned about the addition of the 40 percent commercial viability criterion (divulged to them only days before festival opening), they tried to remedy the situation by coming up with a jurors’ prize — minus the commercial consideration. The winner of the jurors’ prize is the film that they believe attained the highest artistic merit among the festival entries — and clearly, this was Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo.

Days before the awards night, the Film Development Council of the Philippines offered to have a trophy made — plus a P500,000 cash prize to be given to the jurors’ choice. The Metro Manila Film Festival executive committee supposedly agreed to it, but on the day of the awards night decided that would confuse the public. They have a point there, but that didn’t stop the public from lashing out at the local film industry. Even the producers of Enteng Kabisote must have been so embarrassed over the Best Picture win. But they shouldn’t be blamed either because they never asked for it. By festival’s end, Enteng Kabisote was overtaken at the box-office by Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo. Enteng Kabisote, however, still got to keep the Best Picture trophy. But there exists today a jurors’ choice that remains uncrowned. This is Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo.

Three weeks ago, during a meeting between some of the judges and the festival executive committee, the matter was brought up and it reportedly upset Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman and MMFF head Bayani Fernando. The people present during the meeting weren’t sure whether this was said in jest, but Chairman Fernando threatened to even raise the commercial viability percentage to 50 percent in the selection of Best Picture winner in the next film festival.

I think the film industry should stop this. Whether it’s 50, 40 or even one percent the selection of Best Picture winner should never be based on commercial viability.

This December, I still encourage local film producers to join the festival because the Christmas playdate is still a good showcase for Filipino movies. But I suggest they do away with the awards because that’s where most of the problems start.

* * *

While we’re in the topic of awards, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the marketing communications group Strategic Works, Inc. (Stratworks) for winning the most number of awards (five in all) given to an agency in the 42nd Anvil Awards, which is considered to be the Oscars of the public relations industry.

The highest honor, the Grand Anvil, was given to Stratworks for the campaign dubbed Kaya ng Pinoy to mark the historic ascent of Filipinos to the summit of Mt. Everest last year. The same campaign also won the Anvil Awards for Excellence.

The Stratworks group also got awards of merit for PR campaigns and events done for its other clients like Jollibee’s Ma-Aga ang Pasko sa Jollibee, Avon’s Kiss Good-bye to Breast Cancer and JG Summit Holdings, Inc.’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Close to my heart are the Jollibee and Avon campaigns. About 10 years ago, Aga Muhlach did a campaign in Showbiz Lingo and collected toys for distribution to poor kids during Christmas. As the host, I thought I should set a good example by donating to this very laudable campaign.

But I do remember having difficulty parting with a set (12 pieces in all) of matchboxes that had been in my collection for a long time. You have to understand that while growing up, my parents would buy me only one matchbox a year (the race cars were my favorite). When life became a bit better for me, I started a collection that eventually included miniature cars.

During Aga’s Jollibee campaign, I remember the Christian saying: Give until it hurts. What would hurt me was to part with my favorite collection and I did. But you know what, after handing over the matchbox collection to Aga, I never felt so good and I feel that I should again support this campaign. I was unable to carry on with that because I migrated soon after, but I definitely should look into it this year.

I was also happy for Stratworks’ win for its Avon breast cancer campaign because I took part in that in my own little way and I remember Iza Calzado doing her own share, too, in spite of her very hectic schedule.

My only wish now is for the Stratworks people to do a campaign on prostate cancer because this is a growing problem among men. I’m sure they’ll win even more Anvils for this next year. Bet?