GINAGAWA ng Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) ang lahat ng paraan upang mapigilan ang tuluy-tuloy na pagkalugi ng locally produced movies. Isa sa mga ito ang proposal ni Ogie Diaz na ilipat sa Biyernes ang opening day ng mga pelikula, pero ‘tila hindi nauunawaan ng theater owners ang desisyon.

Nagkaroon pa ng consultations ang FDCP at nagsagawa ng summit ang iba’t ibang stakeholders sa movie industry at ito nga ang napagkasunduan. Progresibo ang move dahil mas malaki ang tsansa na pasukin ng moviegoers ang first day tuwing weekend.

Nagsampa ng kaso sa korte ang Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP) kontra sa FDCP, na bagamat nagpahayag na wala muna silang kasagutan hangga’t hindi pa nila natatanggap ang official summons, nagbigay na ng panig ang Director’s Guild of the Philippines (DGPI).

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Para mas maliwanagan ang movie-going public, ilalabas namin nang buo ang statement. Naririto:

“Last week, a memorandum initiated by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), aimed at making the theatrical distribution of local films more equitable was released. This initiative was received with much joy from the film industry.

“The unbridled exhibition system in the country is in much need of reform to address its disadvantageous system. The memo, which changes film openings from Wednesday to Friday, guarantees a 3-day exhibition, and abolishes the arbitrary split-screening programming, creates an opportunity for local cinema to thrive and be more sustainable.

“However, the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP) has decided to take legal action against FDCP, hoping to bar the memorandum.

“The Director’s Guild of the Philippines (DGPI) is deeply saddened and disturbed by this turn of events. As the prominent organization representing the country’s premiere directors, we embraced the FDCP memorandum as a necessary change that will equalize the economics of making films and will benefit the moviegoing public by being given a chance to patronize their local cinema.

“In light of this, we petition CEAP to give this memorandum a chance. Aside from making films on stories they feel strongly about, local filmmakers seriously want their works to reach as large an audience as possible and their producers, distributors, and theaters to recoup costs or make profits, just as much and as seriously as CEAP does, to ensure local production continues well into the future. And in an era where piracy, foreign blockbusters and online streaming poses a threat to local filmmaking, the FDCP memo is an evolution in the moviegoing practice that benefits all concerned stakeholders.

“We also enjoin our colleagues in the film industry, from other guilds, from producers to actors, to support the FDCP memo and make their voices be heard in this crucial moment.

“In 2019, our globally-acclaimed and rich cinema culture will celebrate its 100th year. Part of the celebration must be an evolution in exhibition, to ensure that it continues to survive the next 100 years.”