The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
It is safe to say that the 2023 Summer Metro Manila Film Festival, the first ever edition of the MMFF shown nationwide last month was a disappointment at the box-office.
The MMFF organizing committee led by Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Romando Artes has not issued yet any statements about the box-office results among the eight official entries, namely Centerstage Productions’ “Apag,” Mavx Productions’ “Unravel (The Swiss Side Story,)” Viva Films’ “Yong sa Librong N panood Ko,” Cineko Productions’ “Love You Long Time,” IdeaFirst Company and Octobertrain Films’ “Here Comes the Groom,” Quantum Films’ “About Us But Not About Us,” Joven Tan’s “Kahit Maputi na Ang Buhok Ko” and TinCan Productions’ “Single Bells.”
Although there are guesses, assumptions and fearless forecasts and they were not official, there was an estimated gross of the entire festival—P30M.
Still, that was lean and low considering that the commercial run was nationwide employing all theaters in malls and stand-alone movie houses, if there are still any.
Atty. Joji Alonso, Chief Operating Officer (COO), producer of Chris Matinez’s “Here Comes the Groom” and investor in Jun Robles Lana’s “About Us But Not About Us” was candid and realistic about the earnings of the whole enterprise, still the gauge how successful a film event is.
“The 2023 Summer Metro Manila Film Festival gladly was a showcase of Filipino movies,” Atty. Alonso said.
“But sadly, the result of the entire festival was low,” she lamented.
On the other side of the coin, though, the pilot summer edition was a headway in the cinematic harvests of the entries.
Filipinos must be proud of the creation of an art film in Lana’s masterpiece because it showed a genuine, deep love and commitment to filmmaking by the writer and director of the project.
Brillante Ma. Mendoza’s “Apag” was an exercise in novelty by mixing Pampanga culinary culture and mastery with human drama on justice and forgiveness.
The awarding to the winners of respective plums was a testament that real talents must suffice in no-nonsense projects like Gladys Reyes winning Best Actress for the Dante Mendoza opus, Romnick Sarmenta taking home the Best Actor in Lana’s helming berth which incidentally bagged the Best Director for the latter and clinching the Best Picture award.
Underrated thespian Keempee de Leon brought home the Best Supporting Actor trophy and transwoman Kaladkaren won the Best Supporting Actress plum, both for Martinez’s comedy adventure.
Yes, the second SMMFF must carry on next year to rub in to the movie-going public and to prove that a film festival must show quality films.
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In October 30, 2023 at the New Otani Hotel in Fukuoka, Japan, Nora Aunor will receive her very first World Class Entertainment Japan Award (WCEJA) from Emma Cordero, dubbed as Asia’s Princess of Songs. Nora has signified her appearance in the international gathering of world-class entertainers from the Philippines and Japan.