AGAD nang sinampulan sa showbiz ang slogan ni President-elect Rodrigo Duterte na ‘change is coming’ sa Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) pagkalipas ng 40 years.
“Di ba gusto nating lahat ng change, so ito na, umpisahan na natin,” pahayag ni MMDA Chairman Emerson Carlos.
Nalathala kamakailan na hindi pabor ang ilang movie producers sa bagong regulasyon ng MMFF dahil bukod sa maaga ang deadlines ng entries ay kailangang finished product na at hindi na katulad noon na script lang ay puwede nang mapili.
“This year, gusto talaga naming maagang submission,” paliwanag ng Solar Films producer na si Mr. Wilson Tieng, “kailangan natin ‘yun kasi kung medyo late na mag-submit talo rin ang producer o gagawa ng pelikula dahil wala nang time to expose or to run ‘yung trailers nila, ‘yung mga advertising collaterals nila.
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“Kaya nakikiusap kami na kung puwede, maaga na silang mag-umpisa para matapos na ‘yung pelikula para makagawa na rin sila ng magandang trailer kasi itatakbo pa ‘yun sa mga sinehan. Ang mga sinehan hindi naman nagtsa-charge ‘yan compared to TV stations and how much they charge, di ba? Kaya kung magagawa natin ito (tapusin ang pelikula) makakatulong ito ng malaki sa promotion ng pelikula.”
Ang mga petsang itinalaga ng MMFF para sa submission of Letter of Intent ay noong Hulyo 8; sa September 28 naman ang deadline for early bird submission; October 19 -- deadline for submission of short films; October 27-- announcement of short films; October 31-- deadline for submission of full length films; November 3-9, competition committee screening; November 10 – announcement of finalists; November 17 deadline for additional requirements by selected films; December 23 -- Parade of Stars; December 25 -- January 7, 2017 film festival period; at January 8 ang awards night.
Paano kung hindi masunod ng film producers ang October 31 deadline? Gaano kahigpit ang pamunuan ng MMFF dito?
“Deadline means dead – patay,” sagot ni Chairman Emerson. “So deadline, siguro we should stick with it and of course dati na nating pinag-uusapan ‘yan. There are instances na ang daming nagre-request ng deadlines, lalung-lalo na this year because we returned to the finish products as basis for the selection of entries for the film festival this year. This came all about because we want change, hindi po ba?
“Actually the demand came from stakeholders, dapat hindi script ang batayan ng pagpili ng mga entries sa film festival, so we listened to this, discussed it, sabi nga namin, madugong talakayan ang ginawa namin para magkaroon ng desisyon and we came up for this. Siguro this is the right time to start accepting and selecting films based on finished products.
“Maybe it could be very hard during the first year for this year, but people can adjust and eventually kapag nasanay na tayo na finished film talaga ang pagpili ng entries sa film festival, eh, mag-a-adjust na rin tayo next year, masasanay na tayo na umpisa pa lang ng taon, magpaplano na tayo. And with that, we can achieve the change that we want na lahat nagpaplano ng film festival, hindi at the last moment.
“Maganda ang maagang planning and eventually, we will come up with quality film festival that will also hit the box office. Will expecting po this year na lahat ng entries would make it good in the box office. We’re expecting na iaangat natin lahat ang kalidad ng lahat ng kasali ng entries ngayong film festival at tutulungan natin lahat itong i-promote, sabay-sabay nating i-promote ito. This is one issues that agreed upon by the execom.”
Sa bonggang launching ng 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival na may tag line na “Ang Bagong MMFF Cine Sama Na #Reelvolution” sa SMX Convention Center, SM MOA noong Martes ng gabi na hosted nina Iza Clazado at Epy Quizon ipinahayag na binago na ang lahat ng patakaran sa pagsusumite ng mga gustong lumahok sa MMFF.
Wala na ang New Wave Films category at dalawang kategorya na lang ang natira, ang full-length feature film section at ang short film section.
Para sa short film category, kailangang magsumite ang mga lalahok ng tatlong kopya ng application form, synopsis not more than 300 words, hard drive containing the film entry in DCP format o JPEG 2000, at brief resume background/ng producer.
Para sa full-length feature film section naman, tatlo kopya rin ng application form, synopsis not more than 300 words, hard drive containing ng film entry in DCP o JPEG 2000 or non DCP MV4, AVI, brief summary/background ng producer filmmaker’s filmography, entry fee na P50,000 in cash, manager’s check or proof of deposit slip to MMFF account at may diskuwento na P30,000 para sa early bird entries.
Hindi naman binago ang dami kaya walong full-length movie pa rin ang kasama sa festival na mapapanood simula Disyembre 25 hanggang Enero 7, 2017. Walong short films din ang kasama sa festival.
“Kaya po eight short films is to having one-on-one correspondence with the eight main competition entries, para po ‘pag main movie, may short films, nakadikit po ito at the same time, we are promoting the shorts kasi mapapanood ito ng mga manonood ng main,” paliwanag ni Chairman Emerson.
Wala na rin daw cash prize para sa mga mananalo katulad noong mga nakaraang taon.
“No more cash prizes for this year, we are just giving the prestigious trophy for Metro Manila Film Festival.”
Puwede pa bang sumali sa film festival ang mga pelikulang naipalabas na sa ibang bansa?
Sagot ni Mowelfund President Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo, “Kung naipalabas na sa festivals abroad or even locally, basta may abiso lamang sa execom. Lalo na’t ang isa sa criteria ay finish product na, so it is understandable na ‘yung mga natapos nang pelikula at naisali na sa ibang festivals, eh, it is really practical na ipasok kasi gawa na ‘yun with due timely notice to the execom.” (REGGEE BONOAN)
