Mainstream movies vs. indie cinema: We all lose

Star Cinema continued to be the number one-grossing Filipino movie studio in 2010, its results bolstered by heavy publicity and promotions on its corporate sibling TV network. Still, only two Star Cinema productions landed in the year-end top 10  the John Lloyd Cruz starrers My Amnesia Girl (about P131 million according to boxofficemojo.com) and Miss You Like Crazy (P127 million). The top grossers overall, the sequels Twilight Saga: Eclipse and Iron Man 2, earned more than P250 million each.

Movie industry insiders point out that considering its advertising budget, a Star Cinema production has to cross the P100 million mark to be considered a hit. The average price of a movie ticket in the Philippines is P120. This means that a hit movie is watched by about 833,000 people  a tiny fraction of the country’s population of more than 90 million.

In December, organizers of the annual Metro Manila Film Festival  it was once envisioned as a showcase for Filipino artistry and originality, but entries are now selected on the basis of commercial appeal  proudly announced that the filmfest had grossed half a billion pesos. It sounds impressive until one is reminded that the 10 Metro filmfest entries had no Hollywood or foreign competitors for two whole weeks… yet their combined earnings were less than what the top two Hollywood movies (Twilight: Eclipse and Iron Man 2) made during their regular theatrical runs.

The third highest-grossing local movie of 2010 was Petrang Kabayo (P105 million), a remake of a 1980s Roderick Paulate comedy from Regal Films. Two other Star Cinema releases made it to the top 20: Here Comes the Bride (P101 million) and Babe, I Love You (P85 million). Here Comes the Bride is a co-production with the independent producer Quantum Films; it is written and directed by Chris Martinez, the rare filmmaker who straddles the mainstream and indie worlds of Filipino cinema.

Proponents of Philippine indie cinema frequently mention the number of Filipino films that get invited to international festivals where they are acclaimed and awarded. Filmmakers like Raymond Red, Lav Diaz, Brillante Mendoza, and now Raya Martin, Sherad Anthony Sanchez and Pepe Diokno have become fixtures on the foreign festival circuit. Diaz, Diokno and Mendoza have won laurels at Venice and Cannes. Their victories have been covered extensively on local television programs and in newspapers.

There is little doubt that the Filipino people are proud of the achievements of our independent filmmakers. (The little doubt comes from critics who decry the “negative” depiction of Filipino society, the “exoticising,” “exploitative” character of these works, the “poverty porn.”) Does it follow that the Filipino audience will flock to their movies once they are screened in the Philippines? Not really.

For some reason all that free publicity and news coverage does not translate into box-office returns for the indies. One obvious factor is the lack of venues: the major theater chains decline to exhibit indie movies for the simple reason that few people come to watch them. Even the movie houses that were dedicated to indie movies now screen the same mainstream fare as everyone else. If you make Art, or at least films that are more challenging than the usual formula flicks, they will not come.

What is the cause of this disconnect? Why is it that the indie that is acclaimed abroad for its stunning depiction of Philippine social realities cannot find an audience at home? Some would argue that the Filipino audience does not need to be reminded of social realities  they already live with them. Others would note that the interests of indie filmmakers and the interests of the mass audience are two different things altogether. One side has artistic aspirations, the other desires escapist entertainment. They have nothing in common, so they simply ignore each other.

So they both lose. The indies cannot reach their own people  they end up making films for foreign festival juries. Of course, this statement is unfair  most filmmakers want an audience, though they may not admit it. But unless they acknowledge the existence of the general audience, they will continue preaching to the choir.

There are filmmakers who try valiantly to bridge the gap between Art and Commerce. Mario O’Hara attempted it with Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio (The Trial of Andres Bonifacio), a film on the last days of the man who led the Philippine Revolution of 1896. It is intellectually provocative yet audience-friendly, a favorite among students. The people who should see it have never even heard of it.

As for the audience, they have no reprieve from the mindless, repetitive, interchangeable mainstream products they have consumed for years. Abandoned by their cinematic artists, they are doomed to watch the same movie over and over and over again.

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Twisted by Jessica Zafra. Pumping irony since 1994.