MMFF 2016 ExeCom erases indie, mainstream divide: "Film is film"

The Metro Manila Film Festival Executive Committee (MMFF ExeCom) on Thursday defended its choices of film entries this year.

ExeCom member and actress Boots Roa-Rodrigo clarified that the committee did not distinguish between mainstream films and indie films when they critiqued the entries.

In fact, the MMFF blurred the line between the two categories this year.

"Kung mapapansin niyo, wala na yung New Wave category. Pinagsama na namin lahat," she said during a press conference at the Kamuning Bakery.

She said that she agreed with the notion that "film is film, no matter where it came from."

"That should be the message. Walang indie, walang mainstream. We're talking film," Roa-Rodrigo further asserted.

ExeCom member and writer Krip Yuson revealed that the committee screened the 27 entries for the film festival twice, and came up with the same Top 8 on both occasions.

There was also a wide gap between the shortlisted films and the rest of the entries.

"We came up with the same top 8...there was a very noticeable gap in the scoring between number 8 and number 9, at least a 4-point difference," he said.

The highest ranked entries were "Saving Sally" by Avid Liongoren and "Oro" by Alvin Yapan.

"We were all honestly very happy with out choices," Yuson said.

"Christmas spirit" not a criteria for MMFF entries

Roa-Rodrigo and Yuson also addressed the criticism that, in the absence of family-oriented movies, this year's selection lacked "Christmas spirit."

"Christmas spirit means more that laughter, hilarity, mirth. We can find the Christmas spirit in the saddest scene, in poverty, in tragedy, in darkness, in sorrow," Roa-Rodrigo said.

"Kahit ang isang pelikula ay malungkot, kahit mapapaiyak kayo, it can be replete with the Christmas spirit," she added.

Creators and stars of the films excluded from the line up earlier said that the MMFF did not take into account Filipino's tastes in Christmas movies.

Yuson explained that the Christmas aspect held no weight in the criteria in the first place.

Commercial viability was given less weight this year as well, with only 10 percent allotted for it compared to the 30 percent in previous years.

"There was nothing in the criteria that said we had to factor in commercial variability and the parang Chirstmas-sy nature of the film for the expected audience," Yuson said.

"The criteria gave premium to the artistic excellence and technical excellence," he added. — AT, GMA News