The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Last year’s target of the Metro Manila Film Festival’s box-office returns was P500M.
Did the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the festival main organizer in conduit with other agencies, achieve it?
If we believed Romando Artes, Concurrent Head then and now Chairman of MMDA, the 48th MMFF had raked in the amount in the last few days of the fest.
In the “Made in Asia” book published by the 2023 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan) in Bucheon City, South Korea, and in its Philippine Cinema report titled “Philippine Film Market Trend in 2022 Harvests from the Desert,” a summary of the Philippines’ annual earnings of locally produced movies written by this columnist, Artes said: “The MMFF is a cerified hit…It’s safe to say we can reach the 500 million PHP projection for this year.”
Milo Severo of the PhilstarGlobal/Philstar.com “quoted Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP) that the MMFF ticket sales increased last New Year’s Day. ‘CEAP estimated that the box-office gross of the eight entries in MMFF is 340 million PHP. The association, however, declined to name the official sales and ranking of each film as a respect for other producers’.”
The report further stated that “Journalist Martin Sagondong of Manila Bulletin on January 9, 2023 reported that Artes said the 2022 MMFF reached 500 million PHP sales.”
“Made in Asia” book also revealed some vital information about Manila’s film fiesta of 2022.
“According to MMFF, in the two-week run of the festival, Viva Films’ ‘Deleter’ topped the charts with 240 million PHP followed by Star Cinema’s ‘Partners in Crime’ with 171 million PHP and Cineko Productions’ ‘Family Matters’ with 56 million PHP.
“The remaining five spots have not been officially tallied and identified by MMFF of box-office returns. While at it, (Josabeth) Alonso quipped, ‘in the Philippines, no real numbers are released’.”
Alonso is better known as Joji Alonso, lawyer and the maverick producer of Quantum Films.
This year, the MMFF added two more films to complete a Magic 10 slot.
The ten (10) entries below are not necessarily in this order: JG Productions’ “When I Met You in Tokyo,” a drama vehicle which stars Vilma Santos Christopher de Leon, Tirso Cruz III, among others, directed by Conrado Peru and Rommel Penesa;
Mentorque Productions’ “Mallari,” a historical thriller which features Piolo Pascual directed by Derick Cabrido;
Viva Films’ “Penduko,” a fantasy drama which top bills Matteo Guidicelli and Cristine Reyes directed by Jason Paul Laxamana;
GMA Public Affairs and GMA Films’ “Firefly,” an allegory which presents a smorgasbord cast directec by Zig Dulay;
Jesuit Communications’ “Gomburza,” a historical drama which showcases Enchong Dee, Dante Rivero with the special participation of Piolo Pascual directed by Pepe Diokno;
The IdeaFirst Company’s “Becky and Badette,” a comedy which pits the acting talents of Pokwang and Eugene Domingo with each other directed by Jun Robles Lana;
Cineko Productions’ “Family of Two,” a family drama which combines the thespic skills of Sharon Cuneta and Alden Richards directed by Nuel Naval;
ABS-CBN Film Productions’ “Rewind” which features reel and real life couple Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes and
Quantum Films’ “(K)Ampon,” a horror fantasy, both directed by King Palisoc;
and BMC Films’ “Broken Hearts Trip,” a romcom directed by Lemuel Lorca.
Would these entries bring in better income this year for MMDA?
What’s you bet?
Which would earn much at the tills?
Let’s find out starting Christmas Day, December 25, 2023 and ending on January 7, 2024.
Long live Philippine cinema!