Dingdong Dantes talks about MMFF movie premiere, role of actors in helping typhoon Odette survivors
Kapuso Primetime King Dingdong Dantes shared his experience and realizations during the premiere of his new action-thriller film entry for the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), A Hard Day.
The 41-year-old actor posted a series of photos on Instagram yesterday, December 23, including a few snapshots at SM Megamall's cinema fire exit.
In the caption, he reflected on the emptiness of the alley that used to be crowded during pre-pandemic movie premieres, saying: “This is the tunnel in SM Megamall's cinema fire exit where we would always gather before entering the Red Carpet. Especially during MMFF, parating puno ng tao itong alley na ito. This year, we still thought of pursuing the ceremonies, but minus some elements - lesser crowd at siyempre with proper health protocols.”
Photo source: @dongdantes on IG
While cinemas have yet to open their doors to accommodate everyone, Dingdong stressed the importance of these small steps towards completely regaining the footing of the film and entertainment industry.
“Hindi man totally nakababalik pa ang mga tao sa sinehan, ang mahalaga ay paunti-unting maumpisahan na. We [have got to] start somewhere. And it will begin this December 25 for all Pinoy films,” he said.
The Kapuso star also used the opportunity to appeal for help and inspire action for the survivors of typhoon Odette (Rai), a catastrophic calamity that wrecked the lives of many Filipino communities.
“Naging mahalagang plataporma rin ang premiere kahapon para manawagan kaming mga aktor at nasa showbiz industry na patuloy na mag-abot ng tulong sa mga pamilyang naapektuhan ng bagyong Odette. Now more than ever, ito 'yung pagkakataon na ipakita yung pagmamahal natin sa kapwa natin - gaano man yan kalaki o kaliit,” Dingdong said.
He added, “Sikapin natin na makapagpasaya ng kapwa ngayong Pasko - mapa-pelikula sa MMFF man yan o sa tulong na ipapaabot natin sa mga nangangailangan.”
Dingdong is joined by veteran actor John Arcilla in A Hard Day, one of the eight films that landed a spot in the lineup of MMFF 2021 entries. The film tells the story of a detective who hides the corpse of a man he accidentally ran over.