Monday, June 23, 2014
By Chuck Smith | 159 Views
Eight scripts have been selected as official entries for the 40th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), as announced by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino last June 21.
Making up the 2014 line-up are the historical drama Bonifacio: Gusto Mo Ba Siya Makilala? (starring Robin Padilla and Iza Calzado); the romance-comedy English Only Please (Sam Milby, Angeline Quinto); the Chito Roño horror movie Feng Shui 2 (Kris Aquino, Coco Martin); Erik Matti’s action-fantasy Kubot: The Aswang Chronicles 2 (Dingdong Dantes, Isabelle Daza); and the action film Magnum Muslim .357 (ER Ejercito ).
Comedies My Big Bossing’s Adventures (Vic Sotto, Ryzza Mae Dizon) and Praybeyt Benjamin 2 (Vice Ganda, Richard Yap) and the horror film Shake, Rattle & Roll 15 (Dennis Trillo, Carla Abellana) complete the list.
Kris, Vice and Vic return in this year’s edition of the MMFF after topping the box-office last year. During the 39th MMFF, Kris and Vic’s My Little Bossings and Vice’s Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy were neck and neck as the festival’s top grosser. However, this year, Kris and Vic have competing entries.
Robin, who was last year’s MMFF Best Actor winner for his work in 10,000 Hours, also returns in the film festival with a biopic of Andres Bonifacio.
Paul Soriano’s Kid Kulafu and Elwood Perez’s Kung Hanap Mo ay Ligaya sa Buhay will serve as the festival’s stand-by entries in case any of the eight chosen entries backs out.
Notable in this year’s edition of the MMFF is the dominance of movie sequels. Out of the eight official entries, five are movie sequels or follow-ups of previous hit films. But Tolentino said the selection of these movies had nothing to do with their previous iteration’s box-office standing.
“The titles might be the same, pero yung buod ng storya ay medyo magkaiba. Hindi natin masasabi na makakahatak ito. Stand-alone yan. Hindi natin masasabi na yung manonood ng Shake, Ratlle & Roll 15 ay nakapanood ng Shake, Rattle & Roll 1 and 2. In my opinion, the movies here can stand alone,” he said.
The MMDA chairman explained that the selection committee made sure to expand the festival in terms of genre. Only two movies per genre are chosen to make the festival more diverse, he explained.
Tolentino added that while they have no specific target, he hopes this year’s MMFF will exceed last year’s total box-office, which reached a little over P1B.
“Hopefully, because it’s the ruby year of MMFF so we hope for a higher gross. Every year, it is increasing. So if last year na-break natin yung P1B for the first time, sana this year mas mataas,” he said.
The MMDA is also in talks to have a tie-up with the Guam International Film Festival, Tolentino revealed.
Also part of the MMFF is the New Wave Section, a separate category for independent full-length films, student short films and cellphone movies. The yearly MMFF Parade of Stars is slated to happen on Dec. 23.
“Gusto kong maunawaan ng mga tao na yung filmfest ay hindi lang entertainment during the Christmas season kundi reflection din ng ating kasalukuyang, nakaraan at hinaharap na sitwasyon,” Tolentino said.
Source: Philippine Star
