Senate sets hearing on MMFF issues

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media will hold a hearing on "issues surrounding the Metro Manila Film Festival" next Tuesday.

According to a statement sent by the office of Sen. Grace Poe, committee chair, the hearing will be on Sen. Vicente Sotto III's resolution recommending the creation of a separate film festival for independent films.

Sotto, brother of comedian Vic Sotto, filed the bill after he disagreed with the Metro Manila Film Festival selection committee's picks for the festival.

He said the criteria that the committee used to screen entries "was prejudicial to the regular MMFF moviegoers, particularly the children who always look forward to these movies to bond, enjoy, be entertained and share a good laugh with their family and friends."

The selection committee for last year's festival said it picked films based on quality regardless of whether they were made by independent filmmakers or by big-name studios. Vic Sotto-starrer "Enteng Kabisote 10 and the Abangers" was not among the films featured at the MMFF.

"The hearing is also called to determine how to further support the local film industry through much-needed legislation," Poe's office said.

Among those invited to the hearing are: 

• Metropolitan Manila Development Authority General Manager Thomas Orbos
• Movie Workers Welfare Fund (Mowelfund) president Boots Anson-Roa
• Movie and Television Review and Classification Board Chairperson Eugenio Villareal
• Film Development Council of the Philippines Chairperson Liza Diño
• Officials of the MMFF Selection Committee led by film critic Nicanor Tiongson
• Director Erik Matti
• Film producer Ronald Allan Monteverde

Poe said the hearing will also look into how the last film festival did and check if the festival's goal of helping movie workers through funding from MMFF proceeds is being reached.

"Mahalagang pakinggan natin ang panig ng bawat isa upang matulungan ang industriyang nagbibigay sa atin ng karangalan at ligaya na  minsan ay lungkot na may kurot sa puso. Layon nating mas patatagin at payabungin pa ang pelikulang Pilipino," Poe said in the release.

A member of Poe's staff could not confirm if the hearing will also cover allegations of animal cruelty in the film "Oro," where a dog was allegedly actually killed in one of the scenes.

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society has already filed a complaint against director Alvin Yapan and producers Mark Shandii Bacolod, Jane Bondoc Gonzales and Arianne Dulay over the alleged butchering of the dog.