The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
I knew all the while that the announcement of the last five official entries to the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival would be on October 22, 2024 when Water Plus Productions’ Marynette Gamboa, producer of “Idol The April Boy Regino Story” posted on the Facebook wall of Marynette and Efren with 10-million strong, the invitation of the MMFF activity at the Podium Hall of The Podium at 2 PM.
“Idol The April Boy Regino Story” was submitted to the Selection Committee of the festival for the final five entries in this year’s event.
Ten movies were chosen to complete the lineup.
The first five films were already announced last July based on the scripts submitted.
This time, the finished products of the submissions were the basis of the selection of the last five entries.
During the launch of the announcement and the trophy reveal of the MMFF awards night, Don Artes, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman, informed the public that there were seventy submissions of canned movies intended for the fest.
I wanted to cover the announcement of the remaining five entries not only because I rooted for “Idol…” but simply for its newsworthiness.
I wonder why Noel Ferrer, MMFF publicist, has never invited this writer to any presscons or activities of the festival since he assumed the post as head of the publicity department of the annual project or any of its festival-related activities.
I am a working journalist, to begin with and I can help disseminate information about the fest.
But I told myself I would try to attend the event at The Podium.
When I was inside the mall and at the 6th Floor where the occasion was being held I was dilly-dallying if I would freely get in if not gatecrash the party.
Not only because I was in shorts and slippers that I decided against gracing the event anymore (but more so, to be proper about it) I was—to borrow the title of one of the last five selected movie—”uninvited.”
I wouldn’t want to be embarrassed.
There were many ways to skin the cat, anyway.
To the 5th Foor I went down, bought a cup of coffee, seated on the long table outside the shop along with a gentleman one chair apart (who said that he didn’t come up to the hall anymore, just waited for his wife from GMA Network) and logged on to the Facebook Live of the MMFF were there was a coverage of the proceedings.
It was the most practical way to do it not just for propriety but for self-respect as well.
Anyway, I might have missed the sidelights and backstage happenings of the show but the program was complete and in real time.
The lucky last five movies are: Strawdogs Studio’s “Topakk,” Mintorque and Project 8 Projects’ “Uninvited,” Regal Films’ “My Future You,” Cineko Productions’ “Espantaho,” and Viva Communications’ “Hold Me Close.”
The first five films are: ABS-CBN Films and IdeaFirst Company’s “And the Breadwinner Is…,” GMA Films’ “Green Bones,” Reality MM Studios’ “Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital,” Creazion’s “Himala, Isang Musikal” and MQuest Ventures, M-Zet Productions and APT Entertainment’s “The Kingdom.
This year’s entries are all impressive based on their trailers.
One striking feature in the overall look of the eclectic lineup is its cutting edge and innovative presentation.
For instance, Vic Sotto, a perennial box-office sensation is presented not in a comic fashion but out-of-the-box character in “The Kingdom,” a fantastic film with a no-nonsense director as Michael Tuviera. Director Pepe Diokno is experimental in his musical film.
The general impression is that the ten entries are all, hopefully, worth watching.
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Epitacio Tongohan, also known as Bugtong Takipsilim or B Takipsilim and Doc Pen Pen (yes, he is a real medical doctor) is nominated to the Order of National Artist.
Doc Pen Pen who was nominated to be a National Artist for Literature by the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Tanay, Rizal.
Tongohan is a poet and billed as the Father of Visual Poetry.
His poetics is embodied in his collection of art sanctuary of texts and images called Pentasi B.
Aside from music scholar Felipe M. de Leon who said that B Takipsilim’s visual poetry is transformative, parapsychologist Maha Sri Babaji also praised him for his wonderful work of art.