Highlights & sidelights of this year's MMFF

The December Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is undeniably the most exciting showbiz event every year. Weeks before it could even start, esteemed producer Lily Monteverde was already fighting with talent manager Arnold Vegafria because without permission or notice, he lent his ward Carla Abellana to another movie company when the actress is supposed to be a Regal Films contract star. In due fairness to Mother Lily, all she wanted was to be given due respect (that she deserves) given the fact that Carla is legally hers — at least when it comes to big screen projects. 

That is just one of the sidelights of this year’s MMFF and expect more colorful and bigger fireworks come awards night.

Here below are the official activities as programmed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA):

Dec. 17 — Start of the screening for the board of judges at Podium Cinema (ideal for private exhibitions). That is going to be a marathon movie watching for the jurors because they will continue with the screening right the next day and deliberate on the winners on the evening of Dec. 18. Yes, there will finally be deliberations again after almost three decades — thank heavens!

Dec. 17 and 18 — Premiere nights at the Robinson’s Galleria Cinemas for the indie movies that are competing in a separate category. To be exhibited along with the indies are student short films that are also in yet another competition among themselves.

Dec. 24 — Filmfest parade of stars. The event will start with a lunch at the Esplanade for the participants — as sponsored by SMDC. At 2 p.m. the stars will get on their respective floats and the parade will begin at the back of Mall of Asia. The route will take it to EDSA and turn left at Roxas Boulevard and go straight to the Quirino Grandstand at the Luneta, where there will be a variety program.

Dec. 25 — The participating films will open officially for commercial exhibition.

Dec. 28 – Gabi ng Parangal at the Resorts World Performing Arts Theater. The awards presentation will be hosted by Ai-Ai de las Alas and Cesar Montano. Telecast is on Jan. 1, 2012 at 10:30 p.m. over ABS-CBN.

The official entries are Shake, Rattle & Roll 13, Enteng ng Ina Mo, Ang Panday 2, Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, Segunda Mano, My Househusband and Asiong Salonga.

There were supposed to be eight entries, but Mother Lily’s Hototay withdrew after Nora Aunor begged off from the film due to illness and TV5 network obligations. The festival executive committee decided to keep the number at seven, which will benefit the official participating movies because each one will have more theaters for exhibition.

Asiong Salonga was actually taken in at the last minute as replacement for Robin Padilla’s Mr. Wong, which supposedly had difficulty to even start shooting due to the tight schedule of lead actress Angelica Panganiban. Based on the scores of the selection committee that chooses the entries, Asiong Salonga was not even No. 8 or 9. But the festival needed another film that falls under the action genre and followed the rule of succession. Laguna Governor ER Ejercito’s Asiong Salonga was next in line. Ironically, this Tikoy Aguiluz movie is now being predicted to win Best Picture — at least, based on the impressive trailer.

The public has to wait till the awards night if the forecast will turn out to be correct. One thing we are sure of though: Each film production will be whining and complaining again when they lose.

But why do the losing entries make such a fuss when they don’t win?

The past several weeks saw an entire plethora of awards presentations for showbiz and the public didn’t even seem to bother finding out the results. No one even knew there was a FAMAS night until the list of winners was announced on the entertainment pages of this newspaper. We don’t even hear of losers yakking. Maybe they don’t care.

But the MMFF is an entirely different ballgame. They have to win because there are cash prizes involved. These are nothing to sneeze at. Take a look at the figures:

Best picture — P800,000.

Second Best Picture — P550,000.

Third Best Picture — P300,000.

Gatpuno Villegas Award — P550,000.

Best Actor, Actress, Director and Screenplay — P100,000.

Best Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Child Performer and technical winners — P50,000.

Best Indie Film — P100,000.

Best Student Short Film — P25,000, which will go to the school being represented by the filmmaker.

It is no industry secret either that those that win awards in the filmfest bring in additional crowds to the theaters. That will earn more money for the films.

The annual MMFF, therefore, is worth fighting over unlike the other award-giving bodies that don’t offer cash incentives. And then there is also bruised pride.

Let’s admit it: Even if awards presentations are already ho-hum given the fact that there are so many already, the MMFF is still widely followed because its results are much awaited and well publicized.

This year’s MMFF may see some of the Best Picture awardees that will compete for the annual awards races. But also expect some of the worst behavior ever known to man come awards night.