Nakakaloka dahil sa second day (Dec. 26) ng Metro Manila Film Festival ay iba naman ang issue.
Kung ticket swapping ang controversy sa first day, mas matindi ang pangalawa.
Diniskwalipika ng MMFF executive committee ang John Lloyd Cruz starrer na Honor Thy Father for Best Picture category dahil sa rasong hindi raw ipinaalam sa komite na opening film ito sa Cinema One Originals Film Festival noong Disyembre.
Mahigpit itong inalmahan ng isa sa producers ng HTF na si Dondon Monteverde of Reality Entertainment.
Naglabas siya ng official statement sa Facebook page ng HTF questioning the decision.
Narito ang parte ng statement ni Dondon:
“Let me refute this allegation of non-disclosure. If you will recall, Honor Thy Father was a late addition to the MMFF 2015 lineup. It had been rejected by their selection committee when the lineup was announced in June. On October 23 our film was officially offered a slot after an entry pulled out. By then we had already accepted Cinema One’s invitation to screen as Opening Film. We informed the MMFF Secretariat, both by email and by phone, about this. We complied with their request for a letter from Cinema One head Ronald Arguelles attesting that the screening was non-revenue generating and by invitation only. We have all of this on record.
“I am questioning the reasons, the timing, and the means employed in enforcing this decision by the MMFF Executive Committee. Where is due process in all of this? We were merely informed of their decision, not given any opportunity to air our side. They sent the letter today. The awarding ceremony is tomorrow. Are they merely being good scouts and sticklers for the rules, even when no rule was broken? Or is there some other reason? Why disqualify the movie only from the Best Picture category and not all categories? Whose interests are being protected by this last-minute decision?
“Together with my director Erik Matti, co-executive producer and actor John Lloyd Cruz, and everyone behind Honor Thy Father, I demand answers. We demand an investigation. But if no one would care or bother to investigate, then we simply wish that the moviegoers, the Filipino people would start to question and be more critical of what, year in and year out, is passed off to them as good and true.”
Kalakip ng statement ni Dondon ang mga katibayan na in-inform nila ang MMFF regarding Cinema One Originals.
Samantala, maging ang girlfriend ni Lloydie na si Angelica Panganiban ay nag-post din sa Instagram ng pag-alma sa naging desisyon ng MMFF.
Sunud-sunod ang posts niya ng pagtutol at aniya, “nakakalungkot ito. Nakakalungkot. Heart breaking. . .”
Post pa ng aktres, “Patuloy lang kayo manood ng #honorthyfather palabas pa rin. Hindi siya tinanggal sa cinemas... Sa best picture category lang, sa awarding ceremony. Nasan ang hustisya? pero, dahil pasko, bawal ang nega!! Ganun talaga eh. Kibit balikat at mag-move on na lang. Nood kayo pag may time at kapag walang time, bigyan natin ng halaga, katulad ng ginawa ng mga bumuo ng pelikulang ito.”
Isa pang post niya, Kung mahal mo trabaho mo, at ang industriya, magtulungan tayo ngayon. Wag tayo maghilahan pababa....#mmff2015scandal #HonorThyFather.”
Nirepost din niya ang post ng scriptwriter na si Josel Garlitos na ganito naman ang nakasaad: “Pwede ba tayong magmartsa para sa #HonorThyFather? di lang dahil sa disqualification (di naman kailangan ng isang mahusay na pelikula ng award), kundi dahil sa pambabastos nila sa mga filmmakers, artists at mga manonood! minsan lang nga magkaroon ng “matinong” pelikula ang Festival, gaganyanin pa? nakakatawa na ang journey ni Edgar ay siya ngayong pinagdaraanan ng pelikula: na sumasailalim sa mga puwersa ng gahaman, ganid at abusado.#DemandHonorThyFather ---- copy paste caption from @iamjosel.”
Actually, hindi lang si Angelica ang hindi tumatanggap ng katwiran ng MMFF kungdi marami pa sila sa industry. Hustisya ang isinisigaw nila para sa Honor Thy Father.