The 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival had a fabulous launch Tuesday at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia. Among those present were MMDA Chairman Emerson Carlos, Mowelfund President Boots Anson-Rodrigo and Wilson Tieng, president of the producers’ association tasked with handling the marketing aspect of the festival.
Aside from the changes in the criteria, MMFF 2016 also launched the contest for the festival logo and original theme song. The winning logo will receive a prize of P20,000 while the winning theme song will take home P50,000.
The winner of the logo competition will be chosen by the new executive committee; the artist will not only design the festival’s new emblem but will also be asked to create the key art visuals for the entire six-month campaign.
The theme song will be a signal banner for the festival. Seasoned composers Jimmy Bondoc, Jerrold Tarog and Robert Rivera will select the winning piece. Entries for the logo and theme song contest will be welcome by July 15 until August 15. Victors of the competition will be announced on September 15.
On the new criteria, all stakeholders agreed to do away with commercial viability which used to be part of the old criteria used in the selection process of entries. Now it is only artistic excellence which will be the sole basis for an entry to be accepted. All that producers need to do is send a letter of intent and make sure that they will be able to meet the deadline of submission of finished films.
The composition of the Executive Committee tasked to oversee the festival was likewise changed, headed by MMDA Chairman Carlos, Boots Anson-Rodrigo and Wilson Tieng, among others. At the presscon, they said that all stakeholders were consulted before the committee decided to formulate new rules and guidelines in running the festival this year. The new rules were based on the recommendations of the stakeholders whom they talked to.
Chairman Carlos said it is hard to implement changes to the festival rules like accepting finished products (unlike before where scripts were the basis for an entry to be accepted). But he believes that in the long run, the changes will result to a better and bigger festival. Besides, the changes were done in consultation with all stakeholders involved in the festival and while there were disagreements along the way, they opted to take the higher road in introducing changes that would be beneficial to all parties concerned.
Eight official entries will be accepted in the Full Length Feature category and there will be a separate category for short films.
The MMFF 2016 announces its restructure and the exciting six-month stream of events leading up to the much-anticipated festival in December.
On a mission to celebrate the Filipino’s artistic excellence and to champion the sustainability of the Philippine film industry, the MMFF pronounced a cinematic revolution or #reelvolution – and everyone is part of the improvement.
In the year’s first quarter, the MMFF refitted its board of directors, coalescing high-ranking representatives from the country’s public and private sectors to create the 2016 executive committee. The board began its term by a launch introducing an exciting line-up of activities and a new selection criterion for submitting filmmakers. The conditions for the choice of finalists are built on story, audience appeal, overall impact (40%), cinematic attributes and technical excellence (40%), global appeal (10%) and Filipino sensibility (10%).
The 2016 MMFF has redesigned its current season to honor the hard work of the Philippine film industry, while creating a bigger and sustained experience for December’s most awaited family affair. To develop audiences for and encourage the production of quality Filipino films, the 2016 MMFF is elevating the festival’s annual activities, creating a more experiential difference fans will surely enjoy.
Beginning with a travelling installation, the MMFF will launch an MMFF corner that will allow old and new fans to relive the country’s most glorious films through interactive galleries. Simultaneously, the MMFF will hold the “Best of the Best” fest in select theaters, giving a chance for fans to recall the movies that added much color to the Filipino film industry.
The FanCon will give the audience an opportunity to interact with the directors, producers, and artists as they explore the upcoming movie exhibits and activities.
The annual parade of the stars will be a bigger and more interactive fan fair. The awards night will transform into a formal gala. Unlike past years, the MMFF will announce the winner at the end of the festival. To be held on January 8, 2017, the jurors have added more honors in this year’s culminating event, such as the People’s Choice Award.
For more information on the MMFF, visit www.mmff.com.ph or follow @mmffofficial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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Martin del Rosario, Jay Arcilla, Jak Roberto, Arra San Agustin, Marlann Flores, Petite and Tetay are the featured guests in “Bubble Gang” tonight.
Among the segments to watch out for are Huli sa Akto gags, Basa Basa Pik, Pool Señorita (a parody of the GMA-7 series ‘Poor Señorita’ where Petite plays a new kontrabida), Tuhog gags, Istambay, Spokeneneng (Sef sings his heart out about the struggles of being gay), Atlit (comedy sketch featuring Diego), Tetay and Tuterti (Bitoy and Tetay impersonating President Duterte and presidential sister Kris Aquino), Naka-move (a man constantly denies his feelings about his ex-gf) and Picture Picture (Chariz rounds up the guests for a photo op with the bride and groom).