Erik Matti seeks more honesty, progressiveness in Pinoy films

 

Director Erik Matti on Thursday was hailed Best Director for his film Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2016 entry"Seklusyon" and he also earned the prestige of being one of the few to win the award two years in a row.

In a lengthy message posted on Facebook Friday, Matti reflected on the difference between his win in 2015 and his victory now.

In 2015, Matti's movie "Honor Thy Father" was disqualified from the MMFF main competition and the director said this made him apprehensive since then.

"Nung una, ayaw na sana namin ni Dondon (Monteverde, producer) isali ang Seklusyon sa MMFF ngayong taon. Naka-playdate kami ng November 30. Pero nalaman namin na may malaking pelikulang papasok sa playdate na yan and since ang movie namin ay maraming baguhang artista, natakot kaming baka wala kaming makuhang sinehan sa date na yun," Matti said.

He added, "Pero nagdalawang isip pa din kami sumali kasi coming from Honor Thy Father na kaguluhan last year, baka makita pa lang pangalan ng Reality baka sunugin na ang dcp [digital cinema package] namin."

Matti went on to sum up the feud between mainstream and non-mainstream films and filmmakers before renewing the call to blur the division.

"Para sa akin, itong festival na ito lang ang makaka-bridge ng gap between the studios and the independents," he continued, noting the MMFF execom's aversion to deepening the divide and the use of the term "indie."

Matti said that he hopes the changes continue to the next festival, as it gives movies not backed a major studio access to a "legit" distribution circuit.

"At dun sa studios naman, it will challenge the studios to step up in the game in terms of stories that they can tell," he asserted. "Ang sinasabi ko, kahit commercial man yang movie na ginagawa nating lahat, pag-igihan, pagisipan at pagandahin din sana ang kwento."

"Quality does not just mean spending so much for it. Quality does not just mean maliwanag ang ilaw at lahat ng buhok kumikinang sa back light. Quality also means an honest story...Quality means proper, progressive and modern human insights and not just feeding everyone with dumbed down ideas kasi tingin natin yan lang ang gusto nila. But in the process, tayo rin nagpapabobo sa sarili nating bansa. Opo, totoo po yan. Nabobo na po tayo. And somehow, media is to be blamed for all that.

"Ang gags po ay hindi kwento. Gag po siya. Ang story, kung nakwento na ng 5 beses, ilagay na sa baul. Ang basahan sa ilang gamit ay napupunit din di ba?" he continued. "Maghanap ng bago at progresibong anggulo sa love at drama. Di naman kailangan malalim e. Pwede namang mababaw lang at masaya. Pero sana bago. Oo kailangan kumita, okay lang yan. Pero sana naman kumita tayo fair and square."

Matti punctuated his message with a wish that the MMFF does not regress and appealed for people to see the festival as an opportunity to be united.

"Balik ako sa point ko, pag yung industriya, lahat ng miyembro ng industriya, LAHAT, ay magsama sama dito sa festival na ito, di ba everybody happy? Lahat umaasenso. Madami pang magkakatrabaho."

Matti's "Seklusyon" also won Best Screenplay, Best Sound Design, Best Production Design, and Best Cinematography. Phoebe Walker won a Best Supporting Actress award for her role as Sister Cecilia, while Rhed Bustamante received a Special Jury Prize for her role as Anghela. — TJD, GMA News